RAFFLES REDUX
Singapore’s beloved colonial-era hotel has undergone a considered update that brings together the best of old-world glamour and 21st-century luxury.
Singapore’s beloved colonial-era hotel has undergone a considered update
When it opened in 1887, Raffles was a 10-room bungalow hotel on the Singapore waterfront. One hundred and thirty-two years later, that modest bungalow is inarguably the most famous hotel in Asia, a rare colonial-era gem and listed National Monument that survived the Japanese invasion of World War II and the city’s massive modernisation in the following decades. ››
‹‹ Even so, the hotel limped into the 21st century a bit faded, despite a restoration in 1989 that took two-and-a-half years to complete. It had character, but it also lacked proper sound insulation, adequate air-conditioning and the modern technology five-star travellers now expect. In 2017, Raffles closed for its most radical renovation and reopened in August 2019 to accolades for its inspired integration of the modern and the historical.
Ed Bakos and his partners at the New York-based design studio Champalimaud Design worked with architectural firm Aedas in realising the vision. The transformation involved a reimagining of the grand lobby, where Singaporeans have gathered for a century, the introduction of new restaurants and an elegant new spa with VIP access, as well as refreshing the hotel’s all-suite guestrooms and adding residential suites for those who wish to stay longer or with family in tow.
“It was an incredible burden to know the spirit of what Raffles has been and to get it right,” Bakos says. The first task was practical. “An awful lot of work was done behind the scenes to stabilise the structure and undo some of the damage unwittingly done in previous restorations.” From the replacement of the marble floors in the lobby to the introduction of tablets in the guestrooms, the renovation was intensely researched, expensive and exacting.
With a fanatical passion for detail, Champalimaud’s team of designers created new custom fabrics, furniture, tiles and carpets, blending them with more than 100 antique pieces retained from the hotel. They scoured Asia and Europe for vintage lighting and objects that reflect Singapore’s cultural melting pot, such as the antique tiffin boxes that decorate the Tiffin Room, and the breakfast room that serves north Indian food for lunch and dinner.
The lobby was opened up to create a more welcoming social space. Beautiful old metal gates had separated the legendary Writers Bar from the rest of the grand foyer, so these were taken away and displayed in the gift shop in the rebuilt Raffles Arcade. The check-in desk was removed and guests are now welcomed by their butler on arrival and taken directly to their suite for the registration process.
That back-of-house space has become the new Writers Bar, with a curvaceous brass bar, hand-painted palm wallpaper and shelves of antique books serving as homage to the many writers, such as W Somerset Maugham and James A Michener, who stayed at Raffles. The bar also serves a sensational cocktail, Eternal Youth, named for another celebrity guest, Elizabeth Taylor. Even the famous Singapore Sling, invented at Raffles in 1915 and available only at the street-side Long Bar, has had a contemporary makeover, being less on the sweet side.
The hotel’s main restaurant is now the soft pink- and plumhued La Dame de Pic by Anne-Sophie Pic, the lightness of the decor matching the lightness of the menus designed by the multi-Michelin-starred French chef. Raffles’ storied afternoon tea continues to be served in the lobby, with a champagne cart stationed nearby. Alain Ducasse has taken over the historic Bar and Billiard Room with a new sharing grill concept, BBR.
Raffles’ 115 generously sized guest suites are radically more functional and luxurious. The old tripartite layout — parlour, bedroom and bathroom — has been retained but the bathroom has been elegantly revamped, the bedroom reconfigured with a wall of wardrobes and a king-sized four-poster bed. Blockout blinds and new timber shutters have been added for increased privacy. The heritage charm has been enhanced rather than lost — suites still open onto wide verandahs, some overlooking lush palm gardens and clipped lawns.
“When people walk in it isn’t a wholesale change,” Bakos says. “It’s the restoration of the soul of Raffles.” rafflessingapore.com