The welcome

As soon as the car door opens you see the same classic white exterior with stained-glass trimming and are greeted with kind smiles and a warm welcome. This greeting follows you into the lobby where you also stand before a newly installed chandelier that was made in Prague and has 8,142 crystals.

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The chandeliers, light fixtures and artworks by Ran Hwang and Ho Sin-ying were the first new additions to the Raffles Hotel Singapore that I spotted. They blended seamlessly into the original high ceilings and black and white colonial design with dark wood and pristine white columns.

The room

I checked into the Noel Coward suite, one of 115 suites in the hotel (there used to be 103). Named after the English playwright, this is one of 12 named after famous personalities who have stayed at the hotel. From my polished teak veranda, I looked out across the lush gardens and couldn’t believe I was in the heart of one of Asia’s most vibrant cities.

On entering the suite, which was in one of the oldest wings of the hotel, I was delighted to see the original architectural design with four-metre high ceilings, and a British layout with a sitting room that leads to the bedroom and then to the bathroom.

The bathroom was where I’d spend a great deal of my time. I admired the luxury Victorian-style bath tub, separate toilet and standing rainforest shower, all paired in marble detailing and classic white shutters. There was even a nod to Singaporean culture with Peranakan-designed tiles lining the floor. Again we found modernity integrated effortlessly with the classic design and fixtures. I spent multiple hours a day soaking in the tub, I just wished there was some sort of bath salts, bath bomb or oil to elevate the experience.

The entire room can be controlled from a centralised iPad that does everything from control the suite temperature, curtains and lights to bringing your private butler to your door. The private butler service was nice, but was sometimes slow operationally, especially when you are travelling and every minute counts. So, be sure to call well in advance.

While the iPad added convenience, it was reassuring to see the original gold and black turn-style mechanical switches throughout the room.

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Though modern in design, small touches like the “hidden” complimentary mini bar and wood vanity with a fold-down mirror, meshed well with the colonial design. After a soak of epic proportions in the bathtub, I headed to the outdoor private pool, located on the third floor, to take in views of the Lion City.

Eating and drinking

As I began to want to understand more about the spirit of the hotel, I headed to the Writer’s Bar, the newly expanded bar in the lobby. The bar went from being a simple hotel lobby bar, to embracing the hotel’s literary legacy. This was showcased in the furnishings, design and menu. Even the cocktails are inspired by famous writers; my personal favourite was the Escape Home, a gin-based cocktail with hints of cucumber.

Located across the lobby is the newly opened, La Dame de Pic with chef Anne-Sophie Pic, who has seven Michelin stars, at the helm. The Elegance Tasting menu left nothing to be desired with every dish having a balance of flavours. Some noted favourites are the blue lobster with roasted shellfish butter and the wild sea bass with ossetra caviar in champagne sauce.

I was really impressed with the restaurant. I follow a strict Keto diet, and the staff easily met my needs, including delicious gluten-free bread. I was shovelling it in – I hadn’t had anything that tasted remotely like bread in months. I thought I was taking a risk as gluten-free doesn’t always equate to Keto; to my surprise, I woke the next day and was fine. So while the food was exceptional, feel free to share dietary requests.

During my stay only the La Dame de Pic, Tiffin Room (which serves northern Indian cuisine), Long Bar (famed home of the Singapore Sling), Writer’s Bar, Raffles Courtyard and Ah Teng’s Cafe were open. Still to come this autumn are BBR by Alain Ducasse, Yì by Jereme Leung and Butcher’s Block.

The heritage

The next morning I began to unpack the history of the Raffles Singapore, as I had the pleasure of a private tour with the resident hotel historian, Leslie Danker. The historical tour is exclusively for hotel residents. Danker pointed out that the Grand Lobby, which now serves high tea, is new to the lobby, making it a more social area akin to its earlier use as a social hall in 1910.

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As I walked the grounds with Danker, who has been with the hotel since 1972, he shared a wealth of information and stories from the past. Danker gives an animated tour and carries artefacts in his pockets along with old newspaper clippings.

The spa

I also had an afternoon trying to recover from jet lag at the newly opened Raffles Spa. I recommend you get the massage table settings right from the outset as I got off to a rough start because the table was not easily adjustable.

The spa was previously in the hotel near the gym, but now it has its own space in the Raffles Boutique. There is a cold vibe in the boutique, but once you enter the spa the atmosphere is warm and inviting. The spa offers a spacious changing area with steam, sauna and vitality pool. The changing area was more relaxing for me than the treatment, so be sure to make time to unwind while there.

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