The white facade
Columns and timber balconies.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand — CC0 · LBM1948 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Thank You (23 Millions+) views — CC BY 2.0 · mailer_diablo — CC BY-SA 3.0
Raffles Hotel is a historic luxury hotel at 1 Beach Road and one of Singapore's best known buildings, with its white facade, arcades and gardens. It became a national monument in 1987 and is named after Stamford Raffles, the British official credited with founding modern Singapore. It began as a beach house built in the early 1830s and became Emerson's Hotel in 1878. When that lease ended in 1887, the Armenian Sarkies brothers leased the property from its owner, Syed Mohamed Alsagoff, and on 1 December 1887 opened a ten-room hotel. Since 2010 it has been owned by Qatar's Katara Hospitality and managed by Accor. The main facade, with its white columns and timber balconies, stands behind a round front garden, with the hotel's name above. Cool arched arcades run along the sides, with gardens and palms in the courtyard and the Palm Court wing to one side. These arcades make a calm backdrop for pictures, despite the modern bustle around them. It is 300 m in a straight line from CHIJMES and 600 m from Esplanade, so it fits a walk around the centre. Anyone can admire and photograph the building from the street, but the lobby and upper floors are generally for guests and restaurant customers, so respect that, and dress smartly if dining. Some of its restaurants serve alcohol, so ask before booking.
Columns and timber balconies.
Cool shade and fine pictures.
Gardens and palms.
1 Beach Road
CHIJMESCHIJMES is a historic building complex on Victoria Street in central Singapore, 4 minutes walk
Esplanade Theatres on the BayEsplanade Theatres on the Bay is a performing arts centre near the mouth of the 7 minutes walk
Peranakan MuseumThe Peranakan Museum is a museum in Singapore's museum district devoted to Peran8 minutes walk
National Gallery SingaporeSingapore's largest visual arts venue, housed in two historic buildings that are8 minutes walk4.5
National Museum of SingaporeSingapore's oldest museum, dating back to 1849 when it began as a section of the9 minutes walk4.6Inner areas are generally for guests and diners, while the facade can be seen and photographed from the street.
The Armenian Sarkies brothers, who opened it with ten rooms in 1887.