Without doubt, this is the most famous Singapore building in the world.

http://www.tropicalisland.de/SIN%20Singapore%20Raffles%20Hotel%20b.jpg

Built in 1887, this grand Old Lady of the East is one the world's last great 19th century hotels. The hotel is a favourite retreat of writers and movie stars and home of the Singapore Sling, a celebrated cocktail. Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad and Charlie Chaplin were among its most illustrious guests.

It expanded during its first few decades under the Armenian Sarkies brothers, culminating in the opening of the main building designed by R A J Bidwell of Swan & Maclaren, in 1899.

By the 1920s, Raffles Hotel was already known as the historic hotel of Singapore. It survived through tough times, including the death of the last Sarkies brother, Arshak, in 1931, bankruptcy proceedings in 1933 triggered by the Great Depression, the Japanese Occupation when it was renamed Syonan Ryokan (Light of the South Hotel) and modernization in the 1950s.

An extensive SGD 160 million face-lift has given the hotel back its old, unique charm and majesty. This all-suite hotel is adjoined by a brand new arcade built in the same colonial style. It includes a museum featuring memorabilia from a bygone era, a Victorian-style playhouse named Jubilee Hall, 70 retail shops featuring famous brands like Tiffany's and Louis Vuitton as well boutiques and specialty stores from the region.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/504/103raf2.jpg
http://www.sky.s64.pl/home/W/Sing/sa12.jpg

http://photo.starblvd.net/Raffles/4-4-1-1082607207?m=1&pg=3&ro=3&co=0

The Courtyard
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/504/103rafcourt2.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/504/103rafcourt.jpg

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/504/103rafinterior.jpg
http://photo.starblvd.net/Raffles/4-4-2-1082607985?m=1&pg=3&ro=3&co=1

Official site
http://www.raffles.com/

Come to think of it...we hardly have our own pictures of the hotel yet? Can we actually walk in btw?

Yes we can! There are huge public spaces especially along the Bras Bash side of the building and shops and cafes open to the public. The hotel itself is a tourist attraction, so it attracts visitors.

and szehoong still 'owes' us a night pic he took of it;)

Originally posted by huaiwei

Come to think of it...we hardly have our own pictures of the hotel yet? Can we actually walk in btw?

yes of course :) how else would you umm like watch performances or eat or shop there? well the shopping bit only applies if you have 10000 to blow on each shopping trip :/

my little contribution to this thread :) nothing spectacular but just some pics...

it's really dark because these were taken at like between 2-3 am...

http://img16.photobucket.com/albums/v47/sybarite/singapore/IMGP2347.jpg

http://img16.photobucket.com/albums/v47/sybarite/IMGP2348.jpg


this is taken at a more normal time

http://img16.photobucket.com/albums/v47/sybarite/singapore/IMGP2122.jpg

icic....my impression of it was that its too posh for "normal people" to enter! :D

I only remember going into its premises twice...ocne to the performance venue at the back, and a second time to the bar. ;)

I have been IN there only once, and that was for my sister's wedding.:D

Really nice, the room was great, and the toilet is huge. Made me felt like I was on board the Titanic when I stepped into the lobby.:)

Gorgeous shots heirloom! The night pics are so classy and reserved. What part of the building is this taken from?

http://img16.photobucket.com/albums/v47/sybarite/singapore/IMGP2122.jpg

Originally posted by huaiwei

I only remember going into its premises twice...ocne to the performance venue at the back, and a second time to the bar. ;)

Yup I been to the bar once cos we had a friend visiting Singapore and he just had to try the famous Singapore Sling. Its really relaxing to take your time sipping it on the verandah. You may as well take your time cos I remembered it was about $20 for a drink! And you can purchase a fancy glass too:cheers:

ummm i think that would be below the foyer of jubilee hall... i was in the car :colgate: cars are best :okay:

hehe the first two night pics look a little like a haunted mansion too! in the first pic if you look closely you could see my sitting at the steps of the entrance waiting for a cab :lol:

OMG..so who took that pic? :eek:

and I didnt know the hotel is divided into halls. What are the others called?

i took lar... i know we would never get a cab (we eventually got one after we left raffles hotel, 1 and a half hours after trying to get a cab from lau pasat.. ) so i just went out to the road and took the pic lor..

jubilee hall is the theatre in raffles hotel... i dont know how raffles hotel is divided...

Walk all the way from Lau Pa Sat to raffles Hotel to get a cab?!
:rofl:

btw isnt it dead easy to get cabs at 3 am in that area?

it was new year's eve / day :D

we walked from lau pa sat to ummm somewhere beyond raffles hotel... shaw tower? not the orchard one.. i dont know what you call it.. the blue three sided building i think... we waited for a long time at the junction of ummm the junction at the exchange.. and like 50 cabs passed by a minute but all booked / not available :rant:

Does it have a swimming pool?

Originally posted by redstone

Does it have a swimming pool?

of course... i couldnt imagine a world renowned hotel without even a swimming pool...

What is interesting is that the Raffles is not that old, even amongst other Victorian-era buildings/mansions in Asia, and not even that significant architecturally. In Singapore, there are other grander buildings, like the old GPO (now Fullerton), Victoria Theatre, City Hall and Supreme Court. My impression of it (and what was the Palm Court) was not that awe-inspiring. But I lurve the subcontinent-style fans in the Long Room (i can't remember - is that what it's called?) bar.

But I tell you what makes the Raffles REALLY special: it's the Raffles Hotel management. They're damn good.

Q: how does the Raffles compare in age with the other "grand old dames" of the Victorian era around Asia? It seems that almost every city in SEA and east asia for that matter has a Victorian-era "grand old dame". eg:
Eastern & Oriental, Penang
The Oriental, Bangkok
The Metropole, Hanoi
The Peninsula, Hong Kong
and even...
The Windsor, Melbourne! I'm sure the Indian cities all have their "grand old dames" too!

This is the first time I chime in here. As Raffi knows, I've been a total fan of the Fullerton so far--there simply was no finer hotel in Singapore for me. :)

When I saw the exterior of the Raffles, I said to myself, ho-hum. But then I saw the interior!!!! I just absolutely fell in love with those outdoor corridors, the openness and beauty of the place! :cool:

Indeed WH. I really recall how charmed you were by the Fullerton. I myself must admit that it looks more stunning with its massive pillars, but then it wasnt always a hotel and was only converted in year 2000.:)

Right, Raffi :hug:

gosh the charm of raffles hotel suddenly hit me! i imagine myself dressed in very casual beachy lv strolling along the charmingly non-airconditioned corridors (non air condition can be charming, depending on context haha) with the red tiled floors... mmmm so nice.. then walk down to the rather seedy looking back alley with the very shoddy chicken rice stall for lunch, then cross over onto the parallel purvis street and get myself a $20000 sofa at Cream, then um... maybe shopping break at one of the restaurants on the street or a cream puff from beard papa at bugis junction.... such a perfect life :'(

It suddenly made me feel like wanting to stay in it.

some pics

Guest checking into the hotel
http://www.singaporecanlah.com/singapore_today/raffles_hotel/small/19th_may_02.jpg

Long Bar at Raffles Hotel
http://www.singaporecanlah.com/singapore_today/raffles_hotel/small/20th_june_01.jpg

Drink and chat with friends through the night
http://www.singaporecanlah.com/singapore_today/raffles_hotel/small/20th_june_02.jpg


Preparing to leave after a drink
http://www.singaporecanlah.com/singapore_today/raffles_hotel/small/20th_june_03.jpg

A night view of Raffles Hotel
http://www.singaporecanlah.com/singapore_today/raffles_hotel/small/17th_july_01.jpg

Have a drink out in the open
http://www.singaporecanlah.com/singapore_today/raffles_hotel/small/17th_july_02.jpg

Raffles Hotel Courtyard Suite
http://www.singaporecanlah.com/singapore_today/raffles_hotel/small/17th_july_03.jpg

A view out from the Raffles Hotel Courtyard Suite
http://www.singaporecanlah.com/singapore_today/raffles_hotel/small/17th_july_04.jpg

Sit down and relax with a drink at the Bar & Billard Room
http://www.singaporecanlah.com/singapore_today/raffles_hotel/small/23rd_july_01.jpg

Or simply sit back and enjoy the life band performances
http://www.singaporecanlah.com/singapore_today/raffles_hotel/small/23rd_july_02.jpg

Source
http://www.singaporecanlah.com/singapore_today/raffles_hotel/

decked out for Christmas 2004

http://files.photojerk.com/RafflesCity/raffles.jpg

omg so cute... like moustaches

Santa Claus? :lol:

http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19980005038-6320-3081-0033/img0041.jpg
Looks like it was modified, and the ugly square thing built in front of it.

ugly square thing is gone or even if it is still there, its been made un-ugly :yes:

It's gone, thankfully...

more pics

http://pro.corbis.com/images/555-AR-066-T2019.jpg?size=67&uid={04f59f89-01a5-4a3f-9a6f-6492c123a942}

http://pro.corbis.com/images/555-AR-066-T2018.jpg?size=67&uid={dcf1099c-2b89-4f65-899f-3219716bec6e}

http://pro.corbis.com/images/WK039836.jpg?size=67&uid={9cc6db6b-7713-49b1-a7e1-475a4c259b2f}

http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19980005049-6320-3081-0019/img0009.jpg
Old aerial, I have no idea where the old hotel ends and the new-mimick-new Arcade starts...

How old is this pic ?
There are still some shophouses on the left, where the new gallery now stands.

I think was post 1950... :)

Also, from the Raffles website:

1887:
In September, a short article in the local press announced the intention of the Sarkies Brothers, proprietors of the Eastern & Oriental in Penang, to open a hotel in Singapore and name it after Singapore's founder Sir Stamford Raffles. The location: the old bungalow at the corner of Beach and Bras Basah Roads owned by the Arab trader, Mohamed Alsagoff. On 1 December, Raffles Hotel opened to the public as a 10-room hotel. Over the next few years, a pair of wings flanking the bungalow were added.

1899:
Raffles Hotel's familiar Main Building was completed and opened with great fanfare on 18 November. This marked the beginning of the Hotels' heyday. The elegant neo-Renaissance architecture and grand spaces reflected comfort and style. The Hotel also boasted Singapore's first electric lights and fans and a French chef. Raffles Hotel rapidly became a magnet for travellers and Singapore residents.

1904:
The Bras Basah wing opened, making Raffles Hotel "the most magnificent establishment of its kind East of Suez", according to a newspaper report of the day. The Hotel was the venue for numerous social events, from dinner dances to skating dinners and billiard competitions, and played host to travellers from all over the globe.

http://cards.nhb.gov.sg/PCDImageServlet?resolution=4&pcdId=19990000820-8794-3231-4115&imageId=0012
2 WINGS & OUTBLDG TO HOTEL, BEACH RD, 3, RAFFLES HOTEL
(Please note that the hotel's current address is 1 Beach Road).

Meaning, this is the ORIGINAL hotel!

wow..it seems the extension looks as convincingly real as the old !

http://files.photojerk.com/RafflesCity/raffles2.jpg

http://files.photojerk.com/RafflesCity/raffles3.jpg

The wing on the left is the Arcade?

http://cards.nhb.gov.sg/PCDImageServlet?resolution=4&pcdId=19990000820-8794-3231-4115&imageId=0012
Anyone remembers seeing this, the old bungalow?

It might still be there..wasnt it that building seen when taking the group pic?

I found it!
The original wing is the similliar to the building beside to fountain plaza!
Post some shots of the plaza area and we'll be able to see! :D

Another clue is:
"Located in the oldest part of the Hotel, the East India Rooms is the most formal of the entertainment areas, with an Edwardian ambience that lends that special air of elegance to formal events."


Now this is getting very confusing...
Maybe need to step into the plaza again to check...

Another clue is:
"Located in the oldest part of the Hotel, the East India Rooms is the most formal of the entertainment areas, with an Edwardian ambience that lends that special air of elegance to formal events."


Now this is getting very confusing...
Maybe need to step into the plaza again to check...


NO need to confuse lah.....remember there is this one part where there are some wooden elements? That would be the old wing cos that's where the East India Rooms are ;)

In a website featuring prominent Armenians (like Sarkies Brothers), it says that the "central block" was demolished to make way for the Main Building.

I also think the bungalow is where the East India Rooms are...
Need to check out that block again...

I think this is the old section:


http://pwp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/spore/raffles_hotel/DSCN7150sm.JPG



http://pwp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/spore/raffles_hotel/DSCN7152sm.JPG



http://pwp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/spore/raffles_hotel/DSCN7161sm.JPG

The Raffles Hotel looks just like the Eastern & Oriental Hotel at George Town, Penang Island. Yea....the E&O Hotel are built by the Sarkies brothers as well ;)

http://pwp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/penang/EnO_Hotel/IMG_3309sm.JPG

Any full pics of the old part???

http://2.srv.fotopages.com/2/2441932.jpg

More pics

http://www.pbase.com/image/41972631.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/image/41972634.jpg

Raffles hotel has been sold!! When are they going to sell Istana? :laugh:


UPDATE: Singapore Raffles Sells Hotels For S$1.72B
By Kevin Lim

Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Raffles Holdings Ltd. (R03.SG) has sold its entire hotel business, including the iconic Raffles Hotel in Singapore, to U.S. investor Colony Capital LLC for cash and debt totaling S$1.72 billion.

Raffles, which is 59.7% owned by Southeast Asia's largest property developer CapitaLand Ltd. (C31.SG), will make a gain of S$605 million on the sale and plans to pay shareholders a special dividend of S$0.40 a share, it said Monday.

Raffles operates 41 hotels around the world under the Raffles and Swissotel brands. The most famous property in the chain, the 117-year-old Raffles Singapore, an official national monument named after the city state's modern founder Sir Stamford Raffles, was completely restored between 1989 and 1991.

Explaining the reason for the sale, Raffles Chief Executive Jennie Chua said the hotel business lacked scale, ranking 17th or 18th in the world in terms of market capitalization and number of rooms.

To grow, the hotel business would need to gain global scale, which would entail significant investments and potential cash calls and "that's something we would not like to do," she said at a press conference.

Analysts said the sale is positive for Raffles, with the sale price a premium of 64% over net tangible assets. The gross proceeds of 69 cents a share is also one cent higher than Raffles' share price before its suspension.

Following the sale, Raffles' only asset apart from cash will be its 45% stake in Tincel, which owns the Raffles City Complex in Singapore. The complex, which comprises two hotels, a shopping mall and a convention center, made an operating profit of S$96.3 million in 2004.

On a pro-forma basis, the hotel business recorded revenue of S$527.8 million and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization of S$89.7 million in 2004.

Apart from the special dividend, the cash consideration of S$1.45 billion will also be used by Raffles to fund investment in higher yielding assets.

The sale, expected to be completed by the end of the year, is subject to shareholder approval. CapitaLand has already agreed to vote in favor.

Liew Mun Leong, chief executive of CapitaLand and deputy chairman of Raffles, said the sale of the hotels will give a substantial boost to the property developer's profits.

The company plans to reinvest its share of the proceeds into higher growth businesses to improve return on equity, Liew said.

Adding to its Chinese portfolio of six shopping malls, CapitaLand recently bought a 65% stake in another 15 malls in China and is the running to build Singapore's first casino resort.

Colony Capital, which specializes in owning hotels and other hospitality assets, said it will retain the Raffles and Swissotel brands and plans to expand the chains, particularly in Asia.

"We deeply respect the historical significance of the Raffles Hotel Singapore and we consider it our responsibility to protect that legacy," Chief Executive Thomas J. Barrack said.

It doesn't matter who owns the Raffles Holding as long as they do a good job in promoting Raffles and Swissotel brands.

:eek2:

There goes a global Singapore barnd... :cry:

Raffles' only business is hospitality....

What are they thinking???!!!!

Raffles Hotel will remain a S'pore icon

19 Jul 05

Jennie Chua to stay on as chairman; US buyers say hotel's legacy will be protected

By Maria Almenoar

OWNERSHIP of one of Singapore's most famous landmarks may be changing hands, but the legacy of Raffles Hotel will remain safe in the hands of Ms Jennie Chua, who has agreed to stay on as its chairman.

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2005-07-19/h3a.jpg

Ms Chua, who is president and chief executive of Raffles Holdings, started as the general manager of the hotel in June 1990.

'The fact remains that it will always be a Singapore icon, because it's here and because it will be managed by the same people who are right now managing it,' she said yesterday.

Mr Thomas J. Barrack, chief executive officer of Raffles' purchasers Colony Capital, also said the American group deeply 'respects the historical significance of the Raffles Hotel, Singapore' and considers it their 'responsibility to protect that legacy'.

Raffles Holdings' parent CapitaLand's president and chief executive officer Liew Mun Leong added his own reassurance.

'When the Americans sold Rockefeller Centre to the Japanese, Mitsubishi... there were also sentiments about it. And when the British sold Harrods to an Egyptian buyer, did anything happen to it? In fact, it's still very much a British institution.

'Those two institutions did not change. Ownership does not change the legacy of the buildings.'

Raffles Hotel, in Beach Road, is one of the 41 luxury hotels owned or managed by Raffles Holdings that Colony, a United States real-estate investment company, has bought for about US$1 billion (S$1.7 billion).

The purchase, which includes 15 Raffles and 26 Swissotel hotels and resorts, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Since 1887, Raffles Hotel has played host to numerous celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly and Orson Welles.

The hotel has also served as a source of inspiration for writers like Somerset Maugham, author of The Casuarina Tree, who would sit under the frangipani trees in the morning, turning the society gossip he overheard into fiction.

Since 1995, it has been one of 54 buildings in Singapore gazetted as a monument, which means little can be done to change the architectural properties or even colour of the buildings without the approval of the Preservation of Monuments Board. Its name - Raffles Hotel - must also be retained.

The board, however, has no jurisdiction over any change in the usage of the building.

And that concerns heritage-watchers like Dr Kevin Tan, president of the Singapore Heritage Society. 'The concern isn't if it will be kept intact architecturally, but more if it will be used for other purposes, for example, as a shopping centre or a casino,' he said.

In a statement yesterday, the board pointed out that Raffles Hotel is not the first national monument to be owned by foreign companies or individuals.

The old Thong Chai Medical Hall in Eu Tong Sen Street and MacDonald House in Orchard Road are also owned by foreigners and 'these continue to be preserved and maintained according to the guidelines'.

While the board has no say on how the building is used, owners have to run it past other government 'gatekeepers' like the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Ministry of National Development.

As for retaining the interior decor, Raffles Holdings will continue to own a range of assets, including antiques and memorabilia, and has agreed to loan them to Colony for display at the hotel.

Real estate experts also believe that there is no cause for concern, as the new owners are unlikely to change a 'winning formula'.

Said Assistant Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim from the National University of Singapore's department of real estate: 'A significant part of the value of the building comes from its role as a hotel and that is likely to be the reason the investors bought it. It's not a rational choice to change it.'

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/1223/rh2tf.jpg
Guess I'll put this here...

thats very poignant

True colonial architectural splendour and very well preserved.

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3295/rhotel6jp.jpg[/URL]

http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/3616/rhotel22mu.jpg[/URL]

So cute! :D

Wonder why pediment no ornamentation...

I like the overhangs at the top...thats traditional Malay-style isnt? It can be seen on many bungalow roofs

Dunno... seen at Lau Pa Sat and some old villas like Sun Yat Sen Villa.... :eek:

Found an old photo of Raffles Hotel taken in 1954 from Britannia Club.

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/633/5raffles4sw.png

Yuck, that thing in front was really ugly, I'm glad they removed it :-)

Indeed! Was that for parking or what? That thing cheapens, nay ruins, the entire elegant building! :runaway:

Glad it's gone. :)

I cant be too sure of my facts, but during WW2, the Japanese changed the main entrance to the hotel...and maybe they added that ugly extension

How about the top part above the entrance, with the hotel's name ? (sorry I have no idea how to call this in english :-) ).
Was it the original architecture ? Then nowadays design is an enhancement ?

According to some pre-1930s pictures the porch was already in existence prewar. Cars were parked on the right side and along the front...in the open.

Hmmm ... some sort of covered porch would certainly have been part of the original design, but I doubt that the clonky thing that covered the entire front was a good idea. :down:

Glad it's gone! :banana:

Raising the center panel towards the roof with the classic temple triangle topping it off, on the other hand ... that was a splendid move! :okay:

The square pendiment thingy is sooooo UGLY!!!! :puke:

Well, let's get with the times here, redstone. :)

It WAS ugly! :D

LV shop at Raffles Hotel
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/ylstan02/Toa%20Payoh/DSC_0014.jpg

At Arcade? Or the 'old' part?

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/8278/dsc0521svd3.jpg

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/5578/dsc0518sav2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Sweet! Wonder is the pool original

Decked out for Christmas 2006

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/rotpics03/raffles1012.jpg

The colonial look synonymous with Singapore

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/rotpics03/raffles1012b.jpg

^ Wow.....beautiful....:okay:

Thanks! :happy:

another glimpse

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/rafflespic.jpg

Raffles Hotel & Raffles City in the background

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/ctrast20.jpg

Raffles Hotel turns 120

21 Mar 07

RAFFLES Hotel, perhaps Singapore's most famous icon, turns 120 this year.
The hotel's management is planning a series of celebrations and activities throughout the year to mark the occasion.

General manager Robert Logan, who unveiled the celebration plans on Wednesday, said they will place the emphasis on reaching out to the community and giving those who are less fortunate a chance to participate.

For example, next Tuesday children from The Salvation Army's Gracehaven Children's Home, the hotel's adopted charity, will be invited for a movie party.

There will also be educational tours for schools and parties for charities.

The grand finale will be a gala reception held in mid-September, when the public will get a chance to take a peek inside the residential areas, which are usually open only to guests.

As well as the hotel's 120th birthday, it is also marking Raffles' first anniversary under its new owners, Colony Capital. The US-based company acquired the hotel chain in 2005 and merged it with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in May last year.

Raffles managing director Diana Ee-Tan said the new owners recognise 'the cache of the Raffles brand'.

She added: 'Being part of the bigger group has allowed the brand to grow worldwide.'

In the 18 months since the sale, Raffles has opened seven more resorts in places such as Maldives and St Lucia. Mrs Tan said the group is continuously looking for more opportunities to grow.

Happy Birthday, Raffles Hotel

A superb hostelry indeed, world class. :bowtie: :cool:

Thanks for all the new photos! :)

^^

Somehow I imagine you could get really cozy in the Long Bar with an appropriate Singapore Sling :D

http://www.tip-thailand.org/Images/Profuuu/20041016103757_BILD%2008%20Singapore%20sling%20Raffles_Hotel.jpg

O man, could I ever! :banana:

Your treat? :) Of course I'd buy the next round. ;)

It would be great to meet you, against a backdrop of the buildings you've been admiring here :-)

O that would be great indeed, Raffi! :) I'd love to meet you in your FANTASTIC city and get to admire it with you.

Raffles Hotel holds gala reception to mark 120th anniversary

16 Sep 07

SINGAPORE : Two Singapore icons mark their birthdays on Sunday.

Raffles Hotel held a gala reception to commemorate its 120th anniversary, and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew turns 84 years old.

It was a birthday party like no other.

The grand dame of Singapore's hotels celebrates 120 years of service.

And it was a double celebration.

The Guest-of-Honour, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, turned 84 on Sunday.

Even though the party was not thrown in Mr Lee's name, the hotel brought back special memories.

Mr Lee said: "My wife and I had our wedding reception here umpteen years ago."

He also played a part in restoring the hotel after it went through what he called "graceful decadence" in the late 1970s.

Mr Lee said: "I then gave the owners notice to first retain the Raffles name. Second, the lease that would befall them in time. That unless they get their act together, refurbish the hotel and do it up, the government would acquire both and do it. With that threat, they then put aside their differences and got the place redone."

And it is not easy to find a hotel as old as Raffles in Asia. Thailand has one, the 130-year-old Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok.

But for Raffles, its 120 years of legacy has seen it play host to many important people including the Indonesian President and Hollywood superstar Elizabeth Taylor.

It has also been voted the best hotel in Asia by a UK travel magazine.


By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia

Just wondering, is the swimming pool original?

Iconic hotel group aims for 30 properties worldwide by 2012

28 April 08

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/imagegallery/store/phpVGOpnO.jpg

SINGAPORE: When it was bought over by American owners in 2005, controversy erupted: How could you sell what was a historical icon and quintessentially Singaporean brand name, asked some. Today, the Raffles Hotel brand is spreading like wildfire to some far-flung corners of the world.

Indeed, within the first 10 months of its acquisition, the Raffles family had more than doubled the number of properties in its fold. It has its footprint in exotic tourist hotspots such as Marrakech, Morocco, and Traslin, Seychelles.

Its resorts line has also ventured into the Maldives (Raffles Resort Konottaa), the French Polynesia (Raffles Resort Taimana Tahaa) and the West Indies (Raffles Resort St Lucia).

And the aggressive expansion shows no signs of abating — the aim is to add 10 more properties to its stable of 20 by 2012, said Raffles' managing director Diana Ee-Tan.

But, more than two years on, most Singaporeans have little clue of how well the family of the 121-year-old grand dame of Beach Road has done, since its S$1.45-billion sale to equity firm Colony Capital International.

And for some, the doubts still linger: Is Raffles truly Singaporean anymore?

Such scepticism never fails to get Ms Ee-Tan's hackles up. "What the acquisition has done is only to give us greater opportunities for the brand, in terms of growth and global extension. Nothing has changed.

"Singaporeans should feel proud that a home-grown brand has spread its wings," said Ms Ee-Tan, who recently sat down with TODAY in her first full-fledged update to local media since the takeover.

A similar issue resurfaced earlier this month for Robinson and Co, when Dubai's Al Futtaim Group took over the 150-year-old local department store. There has been talk of expanding the Robinson brand overseas and synergies with other brands owned by the group.

Six months after the sale to Colony, Raffles was merged with the Fairmont chain of hotels under the Kingdom Hotels group and went on an expansion blitz.

Some saw it as an ominous sign that things would never be the same again under foreign stewardship — considering how Raffles grew from one to only eight hotels within 10 years, when it was in local hands.

But Ms Ee-Tan said the intent had always been to grow the brand and the opportunities merely lacking two or three years ago. What drove the growth, she said, was the active property market around the time of the acquisition and the knowledge that the Raffles brand had "finally come of age".

"In our early years, we were very careful. Brand-building takes several years and it is very important that you do not just put your brand on any building."

Another factor that fuelled the rapid expansion: Raffles went from owning to managing hotels. This meant that the company didn't have to come up with massive funds in order to start operations in a new location.

The company also started selling residential units on most of its new properties, thus cutting the time needed for developers to reap their returns.

But what of comments from some quarters that they have sold out for their ambitions to grow?

Said Ms Ee-Tan: "The company respects the pedigree of the Raffles brand, the legacy of Raffles and has ensured that all attributes have been protected."

Indeed, about 80 per cent of the people driving the company's plans now are the same staff as when Raffles was still Singaporean-owned, she added.

Success to Raffles is not about having hotels in many places, noted Ms Ee-Tan - it is having "special hotels that will endure and preserve the quality and dimension that guests have come to expect of Raffles".

Branding experts TODAY spoke to agreed that foreign owners do not necessarily detract from a company's history and legacy.

Mr Dominic Chew, planning director of Y&R Singapore, said "the man-on-the-street might not even be able to tell the difference".

"What has Raffles lost? It still remains a national monument and its quality of service has not suffered. Guests wouldn't see or feel that there's been a change of ownership," he said.

Should people feel such strong "nationalistic" sentiments whenever beloved Singapore brand-names are sold to foreigners?

They should only worry if new owners "forget the roots" of the company they have taken over, said Ms Monica Alsagoff, chief executive of CommunicationsDNA.

"As long as the owner cares about preserving the identity and personality of the icon, and doesn't make drastic changes, Singaporeans should rest easy."

In fact, Singaporeans should learn to understand that takeovers are purely business decisions. Mr Chew said: "Raffles is an icon because of its culture and service standards. It actually gives more chances for more people all over the world to experience a local brand."

But "nationalistic" sentiments actually do some good too, noted Ms Alsagoff.

"When there's opposition, it puts pressure on the management to keep the important things. It tells them 'don't mess with our history'," she said. "The companies that buy our Robinsons and Raffles do so because they recognise that it's a strong brand and they'll know it makes sense to keep the essence."

As Ms Ee-Tan put it: "Raffles Hotel is synonymous with Singapore. It's a monument; an icon. The association is a positive one for us, why would we want to lose that?"


By Teo Xuanwei, TODAY

The original Raffles Hotel in Singapore is glorious! :cool:

I stayed at the Raffles Hotel near St. Andrews in Scotland some years ago. It was a wonderful place, with lovely gardens. :)

Good to hear SEAFan, it sounds like a really relaxing place to be :)

Raffles Hotel may change hands again

8 May 08

Preliminary deal for hotel, arcade said to be inked for about $650m

(SINGAPORE) Raffles Hotel is believed to be changing hands again, along with its adjoining shopping arcade. The overseas buyer is understood to be a family trust, most likely linked to a European family.

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2008-05-08/BT_IMAGES_KRHOTEL8.jpg

BT understands that a preliminary deal has been inked for the sale and that the price is in the 'mid-$600 million range'. However, the transaction has not been completed yet.

The deal comes with a 40-year management contract for Raffles Hotels & Resorts, which currently manages the hotel, sources say.

The asset is being sold by a unit of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI), which is controlled by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's Kingdom Hotels International and US-based private equity group Colony Capital.

Colony bought the Raffles Hotel and adjacent shopping arcade as part of the entire hotel business of the then-listed Raffles Holdings in 2005 for a total $1.7 billion.

It later combined these assets with the portfolio of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts following the acquisition of Fairmont by Kingdom Hotels and Colony to create a single hotel enterprise, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, with more than 85 hotels around the globe under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissotel brands.

Prince Alwaleed holds the majority stake - believed to be about 60 per cent - in Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, with Colony owning the rest.

BT understands that the Raffles Hotel and shopping arcade were valued at about $200 million in the $1.7 billion portfolio acquired by Colony in 2005.

Raffles Hotel, with 104 suites, is on a 999-year leasehold site while Raffles Hotel Arcade next door is on a site with 99-year leasehold tenure starting Dec 15, 1988.

The hotel, which celebrated its 120th year anniversary in September last year, is gazetted a national monument.

It was built by the Sarkies Brothers in 1887 on the site of a 10-room bungalow.

The hotel expanded quickly and soon became the stuff of legend, mentioned in the works of Somerset Maugham and Joseph Conrad.

In the late 1980s, a massive restoration of the hotel, which has a site area of about 190,000 sq ft, was undertaken.

At the same time, a shopping arcade was built next door on a site with a land area of about 108,000 sq ft.

The three-storey arcade has a built-up area of about 306,750 sq ft. The hotel re- opened in September 1991.

Market watchers reckon that the $650 million or so price tag at which the asset is changing hands under the latest deal reflects not just rising hotel values on the back of increasing hotel room rates over the past two years, but also the highly successful food & beverage concepts Raffles Hotel boasts - such as Doc Cheng's, Tiffin Room, Empire Cafe and Long Bar.

It also has a ballroom and a suite of meeting rooms, plus Jubilee Hall, a Victorian-style theatre playhouse.

Raffles Hotel is understood to have been sold through a privately-conducted competitive bidding process.

By KALPANA RASHIWALA

helo ppl !.

my first post here.
only manage to find one picture of Raffles Hotel

will post up more when i found them =)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2014/2517229105_edd747f49a.jpg?v=0

Just wondering, is the swimming pool original?

Nope . the swimming pool was added after 1990 when the restoration work starts.

The original swimming pool was in the Palm Court , the garden at the side of main building. The garden in my previous photo.
As the project was to restore the hotel to the benchmark year 19XX ( i forget already) so the swimming pool was being removed and moved to the rooftop for more privacy of the residents at the same time =)

I think it was 1915.

Hmm... makes me wonder which of the buildings were original. If the constructed a pool above the building behind Main Building, it must had been rebuilt.

I know the Main Building, Billard & Ballroom, Bras Basah Wing, East India and Palm Court wings are definitely original.. But what about the one with the pool?

I understand that the Arcade is fake, its a replica. They were once shophouses, but the courtyards were original. Were they once surrounded by high walls?

the building with the pool is not replica. as the pool is build directly above the courtyard suites.

They weren't fence up by high wall last time. just that last time there were lesser plants not like now.

The oldest part is actually the East India Wing and the gallery suites (which is a small portion at the Palm Court.) East India Room is the one near the huge fountain at the Palm Garden.

ohyah. the doors and the size of the suites are all original and have yet changed through the years. even the floorboard in all the rooms also !. =)

Wheels come off Raffles Hotel deal

30 May 08

Proposed sale to consortium fails to materialise


(SINGAPORE) The proposed sale of Raffles Hotel is off.


A spokeswoman for the consortium led by former Credit Suisse banker Mark Pawley that was to have bought the Singapore icon confirmed yesterday: 'We regret to say that the sale will not be completed as planned. The consortium is very disappointed with the current outcome as we had hoped for a win-win solution involving all parties.

'This would have involved an assured distinct identity for Raffles Hotel as a flagship for Singapore in the international hospitality industry and a rejuvenation of the hotel. We will continue to actively explore other opportunities to contribute to Singapore.'

She declined to give reasons for the deal not being completed, citing confidentiality clauses. The deal was reported to have been in the range of about $650 million and would have included the adjoining shopping arcade. But when asked about talk that there might have been some issues with the source of the money for the purchase, she replied strongly: 'The source of the money has always been the same. This has never been an issue and there is no basis for these allegations.'

On suggestions that the consortium might have faced funding problems, the spokeswoman said: 'We have the money. To say otherwise is baseless.'

BT understands that the completion of the sale was expected yesterday. The in-principle agreement for the deal was announced on May 8.

Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI), the owner of the landmark hotel and adjacent shopping arcade, was to have secured a very long-term management contract, reportedly for 40 years, to manage the hotel under its hotel management arm, Raffles Hotels & Resorts.

Colony Capital holds about 40 per cent in FRHI while Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's Kingdom Hotels International owns the rest.

FRHI's May 8 statement had said that similar to its past real estate transactions, any hotels sold would continue to be part of the company's hotel collection and managed under long-term management contracts. Industry observers say that this is crucial to FRHI's plans to spin off and float a hotel management arm.

'Most existing hotel groups would be reluctant to purchase a hotel with a long-term management contract from the seller. And frankly, Fairmont Raffles would jealously guard their proprietary management systems from any potential hotel owner that is also in the business,' a market watcher said.


By KALPANA RASHIWALA

The Raffles Hotel is one of the top 4 attractions in Singapore, according to Michelin:

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20080905/tap-954-4-local-tourist-attractions-get-231650b.html

Raffles Hotel for sale?

17 Apr 09

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_364781.html

Who built Raffles Hotel?

12 Jul 09

Alsagoff descendant wants to set record straight on history of the iconic hotel

http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20090712/p8-1.jpg

Books and newspaper articles have routinely attributed the building of the historical Raffles Hotel to the Armenian Sarkies brothers.

But now a descendent of the prominent Alsagoff family has come out to say that the records are wrong.

Mr Syed Muhammad Ghadaffi Alsagoff, 35, wants to set the record straight: He says it was his great- great-great grandfather Syed Ahmed who bought Beach House at No. 1 Beach Road in 1870, before it was converted to the Raffles Hotel. His great-great grandfather Syed Mohamed Alsagoff then took over the estate and expanded it in 1889.

'It is true that the Sarkies brothers managed the hotel under a lease from Syed Mohamed Alsagoff. But the Sarkies brothers did not expand the construction of what was originally a 10-room beach house into one of the first modern buildings with electricity in Singapore,' Mr Syed told The Sunday Times.

'What is not commonly known is that its construction was undertaken by Syed Mohamed Alsagoff.'

The bachelor, who owns a sportswear shop in Chai Chee, said he developed an interest in the hotel's history late last year when his uncle showed him a will drawn by his great-great grandfather in 1902.

In the will, which Mr Syed showed to The Sunday Times, Syed Mohamed Alsagoff said that he had been paying for the 'additions and improvements to the Raffles Hotel'.

He had taken over the property from his father, Syed Ahmed, a prominent and wealthy Arab businessman who owned many properties in Singapore, including large portions of Geylang Serai.

Syed Mohamed Alsagoff authorised the executors of his will to continue to advance to the representatives of the Raffles Hotel the amount needed to complete the additions after his death.

He died in 1906 at the age of 70.

With the vast documentation of the Alsagoffs' legacy here, Mr Syed is puzzled why some authors have mistaken the Armenian hoteliers as the owners of the hotel.

He singled out several books - including Perth-based author Ilsa Sharp's 1981 There Is Only One Raffles, and the Raffles Hotel Book Of Days published in 2001 by Raffles Hotel - which he said were inaccurate. There have been at least 10 books written in the last two decades on the Raffles Hotel, which opened in 1887.

In her book, Ms Sharp wrote that Raffles Hotel was 'built not by the British, but by Armenian brothers, entrepreneurs named Sarkies...'

She also wrote that the Sarkies 'acquired the Raffles Girl's Boarding School in Singapore, which they planned to extend and convert into a first class hotel.'

The Raffles Hotel Book Of Days said the Sarkies 'acquire (d) an Arab trader's seafront property in 1987'.

Mr Syed said he has sought clarifications from the National Heritage Board. He also met two representatives from Raffles Hotel two months ago to show them the will.

'We want to clear up the misunderstanding, not just for the family, but also for history's sake.'

He added that the family is not trying to take credit from the Sarkies but that 'due credit should also be given to the Alsagoffs'.

When contacted, a Raffles Hotel spokesman confirmed that the hotel's representatives have met Mr Syed. She said the hotel is not in the position to defend books printed by other publishers.

The hotel had commissioned a book titled Raffles Hotel, which was written by Mrs Gretchen Liu in 1992. It holds this book as the authority on its history.

Mrs Liu, who was commissioned by the hotel to head its Raffles Heritage research project from 1989 to 1992, said there is no doubt that the Alsagoffs were the landowners and landlords of Raffles Hotel. It was Syed Mohamed Alsagoff's name and signature which appear on all the hotel's original building plans. This was mentioned in her book. She also wrote that it was Syed Mohamed who leased Beach House to the Sarkies.

Before coming to Singapore, the Sarkies brothers were already running two successful hotels in Penang. They ventured to Singapore when their landlord in Penang demanded an unreasonably large rent. The success of Raffles Hotel has been attributed to their shrewd management of the business.

In 1926, they secured a 70-year lease of tenure from the Alsagoffs but this was in effect for only six years as the Sarkies brothers went bankrupt when the Great Depression started in the early 1930s. There are no descendents of the Sarkies here now, Mrs Liu said.

While the Sarkies did not buy the property, Mrs Liu told The Sunday Times that she believes the Sarkies would have wanted to but could not as Syed Ahmed had stated in his will that none of his properties could be sold until 20 years after the death of his last surviving child.

This date did not arrive until 1961. His youngest daughter, Sherriffa Bahia Alsagoff, died in 1941.

In 1963, the property was sold by the Alsagoffs to Malayan Banking for $1.415 million.

Mrs Liu said the Alsagoffs definitely had a role to play in the hotel's history but she would describe it as a 'passive' one. She gave an analogy: 'If you started a coffee business in a building, and it became successful, do you get the credit or the building's developer?'

Ms Sharp, who wrote the book on Raffles Hotel in 1981, said in an e-mail reply to The Sunday Times that she has always been aware that the Alsagoff family were both landowners and landlords of large areas around Beach Road, including the Raffles Hotel and its site. They would likely have been involved in the building of the hotel but she believes the Sarkies were equally, if not more, involved. Ms Sharp is currently working on another book project in Singapore.

As for the discrepancies that Mr Syed raised, both Ms Sharp and Mrs Liu felt it boiled down to a debate of semantics and opinion.

Ms Sharp said: 'It all depends on how you define the word 'build' as in 'built the Raffles' - do we mean conceived, designed, financed, constructed, developed, managed, operated or what? Through all these different aspects of the process, the Alsagoffs and the Sarkies would each have made different contributions at different times.'

Mrs Liu agreed: 'I definitely think the Alsagoffs should be acknowledged but this is a fine point and whether someone deserves recognition is a matter of opinion.'

Mr Syed said he is not expecting a correction for the books that have been published but hopes that future writings on the hotel will be accurate.

'You can't take all the current books off the shelf but at least from now on, people will get it right.'


http://www.straitstimes.com/News/Home/Story/STIStory_402029.html