The holidays came and went just like that… just like 2016. And since the start of the year, I have been ever so busy with work, etc. But now, I finally found a weekend to write about the previous weekend when we had an opportunity to stay at Raffles Hotel. I had been waiting for a long time for this. It’s such a magnificent and historical site that I wouldn’t want to miss checking out, especially since I have been living in Singapore for a really long time now.
The magnificent facade of Raffles Hotel along Beach Road
Read on for more pics and video of the Courtyard Suite that we stayed in…
Raffles Hotel is the oldest hotel in Singapore
The original Singapore Sling, the only version I tasted that I actually liked They serve this as a welcome drink
Upon entry, the hotel staff made us sit for check-in, and immediately handed us a menu for our complimentary welcome drinks. They also gave some coloring pens and paper to my daughter, which was very nice. The lobby looked grandiose and the architecture is amazing. From the outside, it gives an impression that it is a very small hotel. But once inside, I was surprised to find out that it is actually quite huge.
Pablo Neruda was here! Our suite was a door away from this!
Exploring the hotel grounds, it was quite huge!
Free birthday cake for hubby, adorned with fresh bouquet of Vanda Miss Joaquim (if I’m not mistaken), Singapore’s national flower. It was delicious!
At the main building on the way to the swimming pool
Pool was a bit small-ish and crowded but I liked that it was heated and salt-chlorinated
Charlie Chaplin was here, along with a bunch of other famous world leaders, historical and literary figures, Hollywood actors and celebrities
On the second level of the building where our room was, we passed by this hall with lots of pictures of all the famous politicians, Hollywood actors and other celebrities that have visited the place. Some of the suites are even named after famous people, like the Pablo Neruda Suite, which was a door away from ours.
This fountain reminded me so much of Rome!
There was a lovely fountain right in front of Long Bar, also the oldest bar in Singapore. We wanted to have an apéro there before heading to dinner but we were running late, so we just took a quick look inside. It was dark and sombre, something we were not in the mood for at the time, since we were celebrating a birthday. But I could imagine some of the famous writers, like Ernest Hemingway (also famous for drinking) back in the day, sitting at the old bar and making notes for his writing… so terribly romantic! 🙂
My daughter’s breakfast
Breakfast at The Tiffin Room, which is also famous place for High Tea
Beautiful black and white and lush greens along the corridor
I totally enjoyed our stay at Raffles Hotel. Our suite was the right amount of huge, with matching huge bathrooms. There was a sitting room and a verandah that faces the courtyard, lined with thick foliage for privacy. If you are curious to see how our suite looked like, check out my youtube video:
Our favorite part about staying in this hotel was checking out, especially when the hotel staff says, “Ok ma’am, you have no charges.” Music to the ears! Big thanks to all those credit card points! 🙂
Thanks for dropping by, and I wish you all a happy new year! 🙂
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