Raffles Hotel

Raffles Hotel Review

Opened by the Sarkies brothers in 1887 and visited by such writers as Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham, Raffles was the belle of the East during its heyday in the '20s and '30s and was declared a national monument in 1987. True to form in this planned republic, millions of dollars were spent replacing Singapore's old noble appeal with a sanitized version of colonial ambience. The new Raffles is a glistening showpiece, especially from the outside; inside, antique furniture blends with modern conveniences. The lobby is divided into two areas: one exclusively for in-house guests and the other for the constant flow of curious tourists. Suites have high ceilings, overhead fans, and '20s-style furnishings.