Singapore recently celebrated its 60th birthday as an independent nation. Singapore’s strategic location along vital trade routes has long made it a global hub. Since independence, it has also become an international center for commerce and finance and a destination for wealthy residents and tourists.
The booming luxury sector includes five-star hotels, high-end shopping, and fine dining experiences. I recently spent a few days cloaked in luxury, staying at the iconic Raffles Hotel in Singapore.
Where is Singapore and How Do You Travel There?
Singapore is a tropical city-state and island country in Southeast Asia, located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, just north of the Equator. The Johor Strait separates Singapore from Malaysia to the north, and the Singapore Strait separates Singapore from Indonesia to the south.
As most tourists do, I flew to Singapore. From Melbourne, Australia, where I live, there are several direct flights every day, and the flight time is about eight hours.
From the East Coast of the USA, there are various options with layovers. There is also a non-stop flight on Singapore Airlines from New York, which takes 18–19 hours and is the longest regularly scheduled non-stop commercial flight in the world.
From the West Coast of the USA, non-stop flights operate regularly and take 17–18 hours.
My Luxury Home
I stayed at the legendary, all-suite Raffles Singapore. Opened in 1887 by the Armenian Sarkies hotelier brothers, Raffles was first a ten-room bungalow. Before long, the bungalow was demolished, and the iconic white, colonial-style Raffles Hotel was built.
This was the first Raffles Hotel. There are now over twenty Raffles properties globally. As recently as May 2025, the second Raffles property in Singapore – Raffles Sentosa – opened.
For the few days that I was lucky enough to stay at Raffles, I felt that I was staying in a peaceful oasis in the middle of cosmopolitan Singapore. So peaceful that I never left the Raffles property for the entirety of my stay.
Staying at Raffles feels like a whole other world from hot and hectic Singapore. Staying there is like winding back the clock and resetting to a peaceful, non-hurried mindset whilst enveloped in every modern and luxury comfort. To add a touch of opulence, I had a butler at my disposal, as every suite does.
I stayed in a Palm Court King Suite, which was elegant, classy and timeless, as is the entire hotel. The suite had a four-poster king-size bed, dark timber floors and white shutters, luxurious bed linen and a parlor with comfortable seating. The lavish gray and white marble ensuite contained dual vanities and a huge shower.
Fine Dining at Raffles
Raffles Singapore was the first hotel to hire French chefs, way back in 1899. To this day, they take pride in their various dining experiences. I was lucky enough to try the Tiffin Room, Yì by Jereme Leung and also Butcher’s Block.
In the legendary Tiffin Room, North Indian curries are served in Tiffin boxes. These boxes were how Indian workers used to carry their lunches to work.
Yì is Chinese fine dining, serving set meals or à la carte. The décor of the restaurant and the ever-changing, beautiful china and tableware were nearly as good as the exquisite food.
Master Chef Jereme Leung took me through a culinary journey with unique ingredients. I had a delicious meal and tried many dishes for the first time, including Crab Meat Tartare and house-made “Shao Xing” wine ice cream.
Hawaiian Chef Jordan Keao of Butcher’s Block advocates zero waste, so all butchery is done on site and vegetables are used root to leaf.
I had the Summer Tasting Menu for dinner and was blown away by the service, plating and tastes. From Shiso Froth to Bone Marrow Custard to Torched Ginger, this was a remarkable meal.
Later this year, Chef André Chiang will open an exciting new restaurant just off The Grand Lobby. He is planning brand new food concepts.
When you really want to channel yesteryear, a traditional afternoon tea is served in The Grand Lobby on three-tiered silver platters. A harpist plays by the Grand Staircase, and the whole experience is delightfully old-world.
Singapore Sling
Photo courtesy of Raffles Singapore
Tradition dictates having a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar, so named for the long bar counter. People queue from opening every day to experience this iconic drink in the bar at Raffles, where the cocktail was founded.
A gin-based cocktail, the Singapore Sling was invented by Raffles bartender Ngiam Tong Boon in 1915. At that time, etiquette dictated that ladies did not consume alcohol in public, so Boon invented a drink that looked like a fruit punch. This socially acceptable drink became an instant hit.
A fun part of the Singapore Sling Long Bar experience is the littering element. In a city that is so clean it sparkles and where there are heavy penalties for littering, it is encouraged to litter in the Long Bar. Every table has a hessian bag of unshelled peanuts. You unshell them and drop the shells on the tiled floor just as generations of patrons before you have done.
I liked both the pink-colored sweet Singapore Sling and the naughty littering.
Best Singapore Tours & Excursions
Luxury Shopping
If high-end shopping is your jam, Singapore is a destination for you. From boutiques at Changi airport to Orchard Road to Marina Bay Sands, there are designer shops galore.
Raffles, itself, has a shopping center attached – the Raffles Arcade. The Raffles Spa is here, and I had a decadent Absolute Relaxation Massage. Any guest of Raffles is welcome to use the hydrotherapy facilities of the Spa.
Time to Say Goodbye
All too soon, it was time for me to bid farewell to my oasis and rejoin the real world. Just a few days at Raffles and I was refreshed, relaxed and reinvigorated.
An Australian politician, Staniforth Smith, once said, “Raffles Hotel is more than a hostelry, it is an institution – the hotel has made Singapore famous to the tourist and an abode of pleasure to the resident.”
Hear, hear!!
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Author Bio: Leonie Jarrett lives in Melbourne, Australia. She has traveled to all seven continents and over 60 countries. She has cruised 18 times…and counting! An avid traveller, Leonie loves writing about her travels and her experiences.
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