HINK Singapore and two icons immediately spring to mind – Singapore Sling, and Raffles Hotel, the Sarkies brothers’ stately 1887 estate that morphed into Asia’s grandest colonial-era hotel. Unsurprisingly, the Singapore Sling was devised at the hotel’s Long Bar, now famous for the peanut shells strewn irreverently over the floor. Currently closed and going through modifications, extensions and painstaking renovations, this 103-suite address on Beach Road is expected to reopen in September 2019. It is regarded as one of the best Singapore luxury hotels and a pampering stop-off for any Asian voyage.

Business or pleasure, the hotel holds up splendidly with palate-tickling restaurants and regal venues for corporate meetings or events hosting anywhere from 20 to 350 persons. The laundered-white edifice, now girdled by the shops of the Raffles Hotel Arcade, features high ceilings, pillars, whirring fans, and whimsical artefacts culled from the Sarkies days. The resultant extension offers a “natural” progression

transporting visitors to an earlier time of carefree chota pegs and sola topis. Raffles is a top Singapore business hotel with facilities for pin-stripers on the go but is in its prime element as a leisure hideaway with a location well suited to rambling, work, shopping, or play. On-site the Raffles Amrita Spa is on hand to destress tired limbs. Splash down at the outdoor pool or pick a choice bud at Sir Charles Florist. Hotel suites run from a spacious 58sq m to an echoing 258sq m at the Sir Stamford Raffles, all with TVs, Broadband hook-up, electronic safes, 14-foot ceilings, 24-hour butler service, and classic woody old-world décor.

For a French dining experience visit Raffles Grill with its extensive wine list to accompany your meal. Alfresco dinner at the Raffles Courtyard conjures up seafood with a French Riviera flair. Alternatively try the popular Tiffin Room's curry buffets or the plethora of cuisines available, from the Bar & Billiard Room's international buffet to the Long Bar Steakhouse prime meat cuts. Simply immerse yourself in this slice of history at one of the world's most engaging hotels.