ofpaintfromthefloor-to-ceiling
Victorian-eracolonnadesinthe
grandlobby,beforerepainting.
“Thishotelis builtonfirm
foundations,”saysWestbeld,“andit
hasbeengiventherespectit deserves.”
Gonearetheheavyorientalrugs,starchy
tableclothsandoldiron-grillgatesthat
oncedividedthelobby.Instead,guests
aregreetedbya singlegrandchandelier,
itsundersideengravedwiththeRaffles
emblem,a traveller’spalm,tomirror
thenewupholsterybeneathit.
Inhis 1889 bookFromSeato Sea,
RudyardKiplingdescribed“aplacecalled
RafflesHotel,wherethefoodis excellent
andtheroomsarebad”.Surelyhe’dbe
moreimpressedtoday.Thetripartite
layoutoftheRafflessuites– parlour,
bedroomandbathroom– hasbeen
retained,theold-schoolheavydrape
partitionsreplacedbywhiteshutters.
Thebathroomsarenowa glorious
expanseoffloor-to-ceilingItalian
marbleandPeranakan
tiles,withtwovanities
anddeepheritage-style
tubs.Theminibaris a
leathersteamertrunk
thatopenstoreveal
compartmentsfor
glassware,bottlesof
spiritsandcaviar-
flavouredcrisps.There’s
butlerservice,ofcourse,
or,inmycase,Priscilla.
Aftera swiftin-suitecheck-in,shehappily
recommendsherfavouriteplaceforspicy
rojak.Laterthatnight,I finda noteonmy
pillowpointingmetoa popiahstallat the
nearbyNewtonFoodCentre,andtothe
lesserknownWhampoaHawkerCentre.
Thehotel’s 1904 expansionintroduced
mod-cons such as electric lights and fanstoSingaporeforthefirsttime.Circa2019,
roomsarekittedoutwithstate-of-the-art
lightingandair-conditioningsystems,
double-glazedwindowsandmultipleiPads
tocontrolmotorisedblock-outshades
and other comforts.Buttheceilingfans
andoriginalbrassswitches
remainfunctional,and
beautiful,too.
Inthelobby,bevelled
glassandblack-chrome
screensofferglimpsesinto
newvenues,includingthe
WritersBar,a signature
ofthehotelsincethe
early1900s.Thoughit
attractedthelikesofErnest
Hemingway,Somerset
MaughamandNoëlCoward,thebar
wasnomorethana gatedareaofthe
lobby.Champalimaudhastransformed
thisspaceintoa welcomingnookto
meet,mingleorpenthenextbestseller.
“It’snotaboutsegregatinganymore,”
saysBakos.“It’sactuallyaboutrevealing,
and creating this idea that there are newexperiencestodiscover.”A golden
metallicbar,hand-paintedpalmwallpaper
andarchedshelvesofbooksandantiques
createwarmth,whilecocktailssuchas
theEternalYouth(a sky-highcoupof
Champagne,ginandvermouth)area far
cryfromthesweetSingaporeSlingsfor
whichthehotelis famous.Thedrinkis
finishedwitha spritzofForeverElizabeth,
a perfumebyElizabethTaylor.
“Ourgoalwasnotsomuchtobringin
somethingnewfromtheoutsideandland
it here,buttograbholdofthestoriesand
thelegendofRafflesandbringthoseto
life,”saysBakos.Inthecaseofthehistoric
TiffinRoom,thatmeantbringingbackthe
herringboneparquetfloorsandinstalling
a pairofcustomgoldshelvesstackedwith
hundredsofindividuallysourcedtiffin
boxes.Whilethelookis new,thenorthern
Indianfareremainslargelyunchanged.At
dinner,tiffinsoffragrantcoconutcurries
andlamb-shankroganjosharematched
withIndianwines.Butit’sat breakfast,
withtheshiftingequatoriallight,that
the space really shines. Buttery pineappleIt’s beena long
timesincethe
oceanwas visible
fromRaffles,but
the hotelstill
inspiresquiet
reflection.162 GOURMET TRAVELLER