A Regal Raffles Staycation
Oh Raffles Hotel. The colonial exquisiteness that oozes from this building is so regal. Perched right in the middle of the city, this ‘grand old dame’ is instantly recognisable, sparking lust across the world.
Raffles Hotel likely needs no introduction. Named after Singapore’s founder, Sir Stamford Raffles, the hotel was built by the Sarkies Brothers, responsible for other luxury hotels in the region during the colonial era and opened in 1887. The layout continued to evolve and grow, and after an extensive renovation in 2019, Raffles Hotel reopened to much fanfare.
As a child, Raffles Hotel was one of those extremely posh destinations I was sometimes taken to for some family dinner or occasion. I remember thinking the bathrooms belonged in the Queens house, as they were so regal. We’d often walk through the grounds of the hotel, smiling at the doorman, taking photos in the grand lobby and marvelling at the interior. I wish I could find them right now, but I must have at least a dozen photos of me as a kid standing in the lobby of Raffles Hotel. Raffles Hotel has always been one of those places I looked at as an innocent child and thought, “wow, it would be so special to stay here one day”.
Fast forward to adulthood, in the middle of a global pandemic. Many in Singapore are craving holidays or a short getaway and as I wrote in an earlier blog, staycations are the obvious (and only...) choice. I still cannot believe how popular they are and how expensive some hotels have become, which clearly shows there is a huge demand. Booking staycations has become as intense as booking holidays around long weekends, there’s the demand but not a huge amount of supply!
Luckily, I’m on social media quite a lot. It was in one of the many Facebook groups that I’m in where someone mentioned an agency called Blue Sky Escapes who had a one-for-one offer with a complimentary upgrade at Raffles. I thought it could be too good to be true but it wasn’t, however it was selling out fast. We managed to arrange a time to go and in the diary it went.
Normally when we travel, it’s to relax and explore somewhere new. Staycations to me are indulgent, and are purely for relaxing. Because you’re most likely only about 10km away from your home, there’s nothing new about the area. I’ve become quite used to the idea now of packing a bag and being ‘on holiday’ in 20 minutes. Lord help me when I have to wait for a flight and get on a plane again.
So off we went (in a Grab Premium just to act extra swanky) to check in to the beautiful hotel that we’ve been past so many times. I feel the whole experience completely changes when you actually stay here. I don’t know if it’s because of covid, but once we told them we were checking in we were swiftly whisked straight up to our room to complete check in formalities.
Raffles has several types of rooms, and for this staycation we were staying in the Courtyard Suite, a set of rooms which nestle around… funnily enough, the courtyard. “Here’s where people celebrate love and get married”, our butler gestured to us. Nervous beads of sweat started appearing on my boyfriends forehead.
Once inside, I gasped at how huge the room was, I’m sure it was bigger than my first apartment in Singapore. At the entrance, you have a small living area with sofa, tv, huge minibar/fridge and a dining table. Next is the gigantic bed, another tv, and work area which leads to the stunning bathroom. Formalities completed, we picked up one of two iPads in the room which control everything from the lights to the blinds and tv. I felt like I was home.
Most of the first afternoon was spent exploring the parts of the grounds reserved for guests, taking photos and getting our bearings. It’s much larger than I thought inside, and we eventually returned to our room to sit on our veranda, which is shared with all the other guests along the corridor.
THE BATH was the highlight of our room, a glorious freestanding tub in which I lavished for longer than I should have. The rooms are supposedly 100% soundproofed, and the bed delightfully fluffy which meant we slept like logs. The next morning, we went downstairs to The Tiffin Room for breakfast, which was an order-whatever-you-want a la carte affair. The breakfast… was heavenly. I still dream about that mee goreng now, and their signature omelette is a must try! You can have your breakfast sitting inside, or outside by the fountain - which is delightful, but a bit hot.
The service at Raffles is incredible as you’d expect, and we couldn’t fault a thing. The pool situation is a little disappointing though, as you need to book your slots (covid…). Sadly the only slot we could get was when it was very overcast, and it’s a bit strange lying in a gorgeously styled pool while hotels and office buildings surround you. We ended up having dinner at The Tiffin Room too, which was our first time but definitely will not be the last.
As part of the Blue Sky Escapes package, you can take a complimentary history tour which to be honest can be a bit hit or miss depending on your guide, but I absolutely loved walking down memory lane and taking a look at all of the famous guests at Raffles; Michael Jackson, Queen Elizabeth II, Charlie Chaplin to name a few.
I will let all of the pictures speak for themselves and not spoil the experience for anyone, but overall, a stay at Raffles Hotel allows you to be transported to a time, controversial or not, of grandeur and royalty. It’s a fascinating escape from daily life which every resident of Singapore would be lucky to stay at once in their lifetime.