Much has been written about this famous hotel by writers and travellers alike. Established by three Armenian brothers, Raffles Hotel became THE place in Singapore for entertainment, dining and accommodation before the Second World War. The Singapore Sling, a well-known drink, was created here. The hotel reopened in 1991, after a two year of restoration works.
Opened in 1887, Raffles Hotel has been home to royalty, film star and writers such as Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham.
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Raffles Hotel opened in an old bungalow facing the beach on 1 December 1887. Today, it is an international landmark, an icon of travel that, as Somerset Maugham said, "stands for all the fables of the exotic East".
Raffles Hotel steadily expanded during its first few decades under the Armenian Sarkies brothers. The series of additions culminated in the opening of the Main Building in 1899. Designed by R A J Bidwell of Swan & Maclaren, the Main Building secured the hotel's status as "the finest Caravanserai east of the Suez".
By the 1920s, Raffles Hotel was already known as the historic hotel of Singapore. It survived the death of the last Sarkies brother, Arshak, in 1931, bankruptcy proceedings in 1933 triggered by the Great Depression, the Japanese Occupation (1941-45) when it was renamed Syonan Ryokan (Light of the South Hotel) and modernisation in the 1950s.
In 1989, the hotel closed for a complete refurbishment which enabled the buildings to be faithfully and elegantly restored to their circa 1915 appearance. Raffles Hotel reopened on 16 September 1991 to reclaim its status as an icon of travel.