The Last Word

“Is there any hotel anywhere so inseparably linked with the city around it as Raffles? I’ve been orbiting the globe for 45 years now, and I have yet to find one,” writes the itinerant travel journalist Pico Iyer, one of many literary luminaries who have frequented Raffles Singapore. That strong sense of place still holds true, after the hotel’s recent refurbishment. Reopening this August, Raffles Singapore has gone through a thoughtful interior transformation spearheaded by New York-based practice Champalimaud Design, and realised in collaboration with Aedas Singapore. “We want people to come and use the hotel lobby and the main building more and more,” says Alexandra Champalimaud, founder of Champalimaud Design. “It’s about bringing the beautiful hotel from the 19th century up to the 21st century and moving forward.” While the existing structure and historical elements have been retained, its interior spaces have been updated. Off-white walls and white marble flooring evoke a sense of lightness in the grand lobby, with a glamorous chandelier drawing the eye upwards to the lofty height of the space. Antique pieces, such as the grandfather’s clock in the lobby, have been lovingly restored and proudly displayed with plaques detailing their history. The suites feature a handsome mix of dark wood and leather pieces including a four-posterbed; smart room controls make it easy to set the right mood with just a few taps on the screen. The most dramatic changes were made in the restaurants and bar areas to inject a new dynamism to these social zones. The dining room now houses La Dame de Pic (featured on page 64), whereas storied spaces such as the Long Bar and Tiffin Room have been refreshed while referencing their local roots with tropical accents, Peranakan-style details and wicker furniture. New venues such as the Writers Bar take the hotel’s literary influence to heart with shelves of books; the hotel has also started a writers’ residency programme, and part of its creative initiative is the launch of Iyer’s new book, This Could Be Home: Raffles Hotel and the City of Tomorrow.