Beautiful historic hotel with wonderful service and fantastic food
My husband and I recently stayed at the Raffles Hotel and had an absolutely fantastic experience. Right from making my booking I was impressed with the service, as reservation staff were usually quick to reply to my emails and always very helpful in answering my questions or making bookings for us. We were able to easily make reservations in advance for the pool, gym, afternoon tea and massages at the spa, and were presented with a summary of our bookings both by email prior to our arrival and again in printed form in our room after checking in. The rate we were able to book was a great value too, and included breakfast, afternoon tea for two in the Grand Lobby, welcome Singapore Slings and 15% off dining and the spa.
We started our stay by arriving at noon the day of our check in to enjoy the spa. We did a pre-registration online a couple of days before our arrival so didn't have to go through a check-in process when we arrived. The concierge kept our bags for us while we went to the spa, where we were able to use the vitality pool and then have our 90 minute aromatherapy relaxation massages. I was impressed with the front desk staff at the spa, who took the initiative to allow us to use the vitality pool in the men's area together, as there were no other male guests that day, rather than have to go to separate pools, which allowed us to enjoy the experience even more. The massage therapists were also fantastic, and the massages some of the best we've had, managing to be both relaxing and also work on our areas of tension without being painful. The spa was beautiful, well maintained and exceptionally clean, and the facilities (vitality pool, sauna and steam room) were excellent. We were equally impressed with the other hotel facilities during our stay, including the lovely rooftop pool surrounded by comfortable lounge chairs and the large, well-equipped and very clean gym.
When we finished at the spa we were informed that our suite was ready (half an hour early) and that our bags had already been brought to the room for us. We collected our keys and were walked to our suite, then a butler was called to give us a thorough orientation to the room, including how to use the incredibly convenient iPad to control everything in the room, and how to contact butler service for anything we required during our stay. As expected the room was beautiful, modern and stylish and with all of the classic, heritage touches retained in the new renovation, and incredibly spacious with a lovely parlour and a huge bathroom. The bed and linens were unbelievably comfortable, the huge rain shower and deep soaking tub were very enjoyable and the amenities (toiletries, coffee and tea, slippers and robs) high quality and plentiful. We also appreciated the nice touch of welcome fruit, jelly candies and pineapple cakes, all of which were delicious.
The food was another highlight of our stay. Our first experience of the food was at breakfast, and we were very impressed. Tiffin Room is a gorgeous restaurant and the food was excellent. Though the menu isn't particularly extensive, it has a good mix of sweet and savoury, Western and Asian options, and we had plenty to choose from. The pastries and bread in the bread basket were obviously freshly baked and very tasty, as were all of the dishes we tried, including the signature omelette and eggs benedict, the perfectly soft scrambled eggs, the waffles and pancakes, and the dim sum, as well as the fruit platter and berries. The only letdown was the french toast, which was quite dry and bready, but the accompanying berry compote and the whipped cream provided upon request helped make up for that. Afternoon tea was even more impressive, one of the best I've had in Singapore in terms of quality of the food provided. The finger sandwiches looked simple but were delicious, with soft, fresh bread and flavourful fillings. The scones were warm and obviously freshly baked, and the accompanying rose petal jam was exceptional. The highlight though were the pastries, newly launched on the day of our visit and of the highest quality, both in appearance and taste. All were delicious, but our favourites were the rich, indulgent chocolate salted caramel tart and the tiny but flavour packed raspberry choux puff, both of which were absolutely divine. Our welcome Singapore Slings were tasty as well, as was the salted egg calamari we enjoyed with them in the Raffles Courtyard.
What made our stay so fantastic overall though was the exceptional service. It was obvious from the start that the Raffles staff really are top notch. Everyone we encountered on our stay was warm, welcoming and helpful. Staff remembered us and greeted us personally, making friendly conversation and were happy to accommodate any request we had. We never felt we were being an imposition and were treated kindly and respectfully throughout our time at the hotel. It was just the sort of service you'd expect from a 5-star hotel, and easily the best we've experienced at any hotel in Singapore.
Overall we had a wonderful staycation at the Raffles Hotel, and are so grateful we had the chance to experience this beautiful and historic place finally, after so many years in Singapore. We'd definitely recommend it to anyone, either from Singapore or visiting on a holiday, and plan to return ourselves again soon!