Raffles Singapore

The Raffles Singapore rose from humble origins as a small seaside hotel that first debuted in the late 1800s. When its owner died, the famed Sarkies Brothers acquired the building for the development of a luxury hotel in Singapore. Reopening as the “Raffles Hotel” in 1887, the business became one of the most sought after destinations in Southeast Asia. Its rise in popularity caused the brothers to expand the hotel to the point where it was among the incredibly advanced for its time. Countless well-known luminaries frequented the Raffles Hotel, including Rudyard Kipling, Elizabeth Taylor, and Ava Gardner. Despite enduring great hardships wrought from the Great Depression and World War II, the Raffles Singapore managed to preserve its prestigious international reputation for well more than a century.