We have only visited Raffles once before, but it feels like visiting an old friend again. Some hotels should not be researched in advance. In today’s world, someone has probably filmed the exact suite you are eyeing and uploaded it to YouTube, complete with dramatic background music.
But Raffles is not a place to be dissected online, it is a place to be experienced, felt, and remembered.
I wrote about Raffles four years ago, and today, as I read the old post, I find nothing to change, except that this time, it was even better.
Our advice? Do not search Tripadvisor or Google for reviews. Most are fake anyway, the good and the bad. Just book a suite. If you leave unimpressed, well, then there is no hope, you are simply too picky.
What makes some hotels so special? It is the staff. It always has been. Service can be taught, but genuine hospitality is something else entirely. Here, they are simply astonishing.
Raffles Pool & Bar
Raffles is under the wings of Accor Group, not the most exciting hotel group in the world, but they funded and oversaw the two-year renovation that preserved its timeless charm. Credit where credit is due.
For now, though, Raffles remains what it has always been, an old friend, welcoming you home.
★ Raffles is set to open a new hotel in Singapore, Raffles Sentosa Singapore, in March/April 2025.
