As grande dame hotels go, Raffles Singapore has enjoyed a remarkable run, but when it turned 130 in 2017, it was clear that even it was showing distinct signs of wear and tear – its last major facelift taking place back in 1991, a full epoch in a world measured in instant moments.
But now, after a two-and-a-half year shuttering during which a crack team – among them, architects Aedas, design consultants ICN Design International, lighting consultants Tino Kwan, and restoration and research consultants Studio Lapis – sliced and tucked, the hotel is now back in business.
The restoration programme of the all-suite hotel went beyond a simple refurbishment. Total keys have increased from 103 to 115 with every suite now fully juiced-up on electronic hardware. Formerly moribund spaces like the Writers Bar and the Raffles Grill have been completely reimagined as glossy cocoons of pastel hues, swathes of shimmering brass, and plush furnishings.
Most of the interiors were conceived by Alexandra Champalimaud, the New York-based designer’s light touch most evident in the suites which she has overhauled with four-poster beds, modern art, palm-patterned rugs, and judicious lashings of marble.
Equally pleasing is the roster of new tent-pole restaurants scattered through the hotel, among them soigné outposts by Alain Ducasse, Jereme Leung and Anne-Sophie Pic.
ADDRESS
1 Beach Road
-
Rick Owens’ new Moncler collaboration features a surreal ‘demountable mountain refuge’ inspired by Charlotte PerriandYour first look at Rick Owens’ latest Moncler collaboration, a mountain refuge designed alongside extreme-condition experts Hugh Broughton Architects and an accompanying clothing collection made for ‘hibernating’
-
The new Ford Capri wants to tap a vein of Gen X nostalgia. Does it succeed?We ask if the all-electric Ford Capri can capture the swagger of its much-loved but rather oafish predecessor
-
Rug designer Sibylle de Tavernost’s homage to Fernand LégerAbstract modern art, craft heritage and contemporary life fuse in Sibylle de Tavernost's new limited-edition rugs
-
Odem, Singapore’s first craft Makgeolli bar has arrivedAn extensive collection of Makgeolli, also known as Korean rice wine, can be enjoyed at this new bijou bar and restaurant in Singapore
-
Inside Na Oh, Hyundai and Corey Lee’s experimental Korean restaurant in SingaporeAcclaimed San Franciscan chef Corey Lee is the driving force behind Na Oh, a new Korean restaurant at the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore
-
AIR is a new OMA-designed Singapore restaurant and cooking clubAIR is a Singapore restaurant, circular campus, and cooking club, designed by OMA and inspired by a ferverous approach to innovation, sustainability and food
-
Eastern and Western flavours meet at Jiak Kim House in SingaporeJiak Kim House, led by Chef Seow Tzi Qin, pays a heartfelt tribute to Singapore's vibrant history through traditional and contemporary dishes
-
The Singapore Edition makes the case for opulenceThe new Singapore Edition, the work of Moshe Safdie and local studio DP Architects, with interiors by Cap Atelier, embraces leafy luxury
-
Restaurant Araya is Singapore’s first South-American fine dining odysseyAraya sees chefs Francisco Araya and Fernanda Guerrero celebrate their native Chilean South Pacific cuisine heritage
-
Artyzen celebrates tenth anniversary with grand openings in Shanghai and SingaporeArtyzen New Bund 31 Shanghai and Artyzen Singapore are the luxury hospitality group's latest state-of-the-art offerings
-
Mandarin Oriental Singapore emerges from a six-month overhaulThe newly refurbished Mandarin Oriental Singapore slots into the city’s skyline with a look inspired by the tropics
