“I went to a school nearby, and I’d pass the hotel every day,” says Danker. “It was the architecture I loved the most.”

The building was certainly ahead of its time. “It was the first [hotel] in Singapore with electricity, and the first one with an elevator.”

Danker, who attended a local British school, refers to himself as Eurasian – as do many Singaporeans whose ancestry dates back to when Portuguese and Dutch settlers romanced local women – and his fluency in English was a major advantage in his first role as Raffles’ maintenance manager. Part of his role involved serving as an interpreter, translating English to Malay and vice versa.

He then transferred to the food and beverage department, before working for the front office – roles that taught him a lot about this storied hotel.

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Danker’s preferred meeting place for our chat is next to his favourite item in the hotel – the lobby’s grandfather clock, a wooden timepiece that dates back to the 1800s. He says that a member of staff winds the clock every morning and, since 1991, every evening it has played “I’ll see you again”, a tune by British composer Noel Coward (1899-1973), who was a regular visitor to the hotel.

Other guests – in addition to kings, queens and presidents – have included Joseph Conrad, Rudyard Kipling, John Wayne and Somerset Maugham, who was such a frequent guest that a letter sent to the British writer at the hotel is on display in the suite named after him.

Many star guests are depicted in the hotel’s hall of fame, a long corridor on the second floor, near the Palm Court Wing, lined with photographs, many of which are signed.

And then, of course, there was Queen Elizabeth.

“When I went to school, Singapore was a British colony, and we’d sing ‘God Save the Queen’ every day,” says Danker, who was present when she visited the hotel in 2006. “I wasn’t able to shake her hand, of course,” he says, with a touch of regret.

As hotel historian, Danker has made it his mission to learn about every aspect of the property, including how its tumultuous history was shaped by global events.

In 1887, four Armenian brothers (known subsequently as the Sarkies) transformed an old Singapore bungalow into a 10-room hotel and named it after Sir Stamford Raffles, Singapore’s founder. Two wings were added in the 1890s, followed by a ballroom, bar and additional suites.

In 1915, Raffles bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created the Singapore Sling, a drink that was an instant hit with the wealthy travellers then flocking to the Lion City in growing numbers. Danker refers to this period as the golden age of travel.

“The Suez Canal had opened, and Thomas Cook, one of the founders of mass tourism, was promoting long-haul travel – especially to the British.”

His memories range from the seemingly mundane to the downright bizarre.

“I’m the only member of staff who’s witnessed every renovation, including the one which resulted in the discovery of an entire horse skeleton,” he says, explaining that the hotel once had its own stables because, when Raffles opened, horse-drawn carts were the main mode of transport.

He wasn’t there in 1902, though, when a tiger was found hiding beneath the hotel, but he knows the story well.

“A tiger had escaped from a nearby circus,” says Danker. “After going for a swim, it headed to Raffles and was spotted near the billiard room. A principal from a nearby school eventually arrived and shot it.”

The tiger’s final dip offers a reminder of just how different Raffles looked in the early 1900s, when the sea was just metres from the hotel.

During one of the renovations, vast amounts of sand were found beneath the hotel. Danker says he scooped some into a small bottle, which he now keeps at home.

Danker, who’s written two books about Raffles’ history, may be an intrinsic part of the property, but he’s far more than just part of the furniture.

During our chat, he politely excuses himself several times, breaking off to greet guests like old friends. I can’t help but wonder how he coped during the Covid-19 pandemic, during which the hotel remained open.

“It was sad to see the hotel so quiet, but I took the opportunity to do some more research,” says Danker. “For example, I discovered that in 1948, a large chunk of the ground floor was occupied by Qantas Airlines, which had their ticketing and cargo offices here.”

When borders started to reopen, the first international tourists to return included a guest who’d stayed at the hotel more than 50 times. “When he arrived at the hotel, he asked me to join him for coffee so I could update him on all the pandemic-related hotel happenings,” says Danker.

In his spare time, Danker says, he enjoys going to church and exploring Singapore’s walking trails, especially those that weave along the east coast.

“It’s important to keep your mind healthy,” he says, “as well as your body.”