Raffles Hotel, Singapore

The Raffles Hotel marks the heart of Singapore's Colonial Society and was the Port of Call for celebrities visiting the region. The Hotel was opened in 1887 by Armenian Bsuinessmen who named it after the legendary founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles.Though the troubles of the WWII and post-war years required some refurbishment, the hotel has well preserved its colonial Victorian Architecture. Non-guests are invited to wander around the gardens and through the main alleys of the building. For a real experience, plan one night (or part of it) in the legendary Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling was invented (see separate tip under „nightlife“).

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One a night jaunt in Raffles hotel to savor Original Singapore Sling, what better way to Spend it at the Long Bar than to Sing with the LIVE Band!!! the live bands everyday invites patrons to sing and jam with them on the many songs in their repertoire just to have the fun factor higher and keeps the patrons like us happy and clapping! my uncle removed his stage fright hence the impromptu singing! (more tips for the staff hehehehe).

raffles hotel might have invented the original singapore sling but the version of it from the Marina Bay Sands is definitely better! the original singapore sling here taste more like cough syrup at $ 25 a pop in Long Bar while is $ 32 at the Marina Bay Sands Ku De Ta Bar. The Raffles Hotel May have that genteel and high end feel but i still think that the marina bay sands is better even if one night stay here costs $ 750 a night (compares to $ 550 a night in the Marina bay Sands, quoted in US dollars) but still, this is the Icon of Singapore just like the Manila Hotel is to the Philippines and the Waldorf Astoria is to Manhattan. The raffles hotel is located centrally in the Beach Street Area and is near Chijmes, Suntec City, City Hall, Raffles Mall.

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raffles hotel might have invented the original singapore sling but the version of it from the Marina Bay Sands is definitely better! the original singapore sling here taste more like cough syrup at $ 25 a pop in Long Bar while is $ 32 at the Marina Bay Sands Ku De Ta Bar. The Raffles Hotel May have that genteel and high end feel but i still think that the marina bay sands is better even if one night stay here costs $ 750 a night (compares to $ 550 a night in the Marina bay Sands, quoted in US dollars) but still, this is the Icon of Singapore just like the Manila Hotel is to the Philippines and the Waldorf Astoria is to Manhattan. The raffles hotel is located centrally in the Beach Street Area and is near Chijmes, Suntec City, City Hall, Raffles Mall.

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If you want to try a Singapore Sling, why not go to the birthplace of the cocktail, the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel. Here you can enjoy earthy interiors, and have fun eating the complimentary peanuts where patrons dispose of the shells onto the floor.

A regular Singapore Sling costs $18, extra for a souvenir glass.

Open: Sunday to Thursday - 11:00 am to 12:30 am; Friday, Saturday and eve of public holidays - 11:00 am to 1:30 am

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To actually stay at Singapore's most classic hotel will cost you at least a leg and two arms, but one can actually visit Raffles Hotel without having to pay much or anything at all.
The hotel garden is very nice to walk around in, and it gives a calm feeling to have a drink in the garden bar.

More classic though is to visit the Long Bar, and there have a Singapore Sling. If you want my opinion the drink has gone from being classic to a pure tourist trap, but you can do your own decision about that.

The bar is dark and designed in colonial style. The floor is filled with nut shells, that the guests are supposed to throw there after eating the nuts. According to the bartender the sound when you go on the shells is the same as you could hear when the slaves were picking up the nuts out in the field.

Well, I don't know. But it's a nice bar. Freaking expensive though, as they charge 35 SGD for a Singapore sling. And it just taste sweet.
I would go for a beer instead, although that cost way over normal price too.

Let me put it this way, it's not a bar you'll spend the whole evening at, at least unless you want to go broke.

The Long Bar, Raffles Hotel.

You've got to go here, if only to say you've done it ...and of course to enjoy a genuine Singapore Sling - as invented in this bar! It's a wee bit expensive but definitely a very pleasant way to spend a cool few hours!

Some info:

The 'Singapore Sling' was invented by Ngiam Tong Boon for the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, sometime between 1910 and 1915. At one point the recipe actually fell into disuse and was forgotten by the bar staff!

The recipe currently used by the hotel is as a result of recreating the original recipe based on the memories of former bartenders and some written notes that they were able to discover.

The original recipe, which does not include club soda, is rarely used outside of the Raffles Hotel - a notable exception being all Singapore Airlines flights, where the drink is complimentary.

When you get home try making your own. The ingredients are as follows:

1½ ounces gin
¾ ounces Benedictine
¾ ounces cherry brandy
¾ ounces Cointreau or Triple sec
1½ ounces Orange juice
1½ ounces Pineapple juice
¾ ounces fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon grenadine

Garnish: maraschino cherry, pineapple chunk, and orange slice

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I list this as more of a tourist attraction than a hotel as the cost of staying here is more than $400 USD a night and therefore out of reach of most Vt'rs. Built in 1887, it captures and epitomizes British Colonial life in Singapore. Walking through its halls and courtyards, you can easily imagine yourself transported back 150 years to Colonial Singapore.

While in Singapore I just had to visit the Raffles Hotel & have a Singapore Sling. As I was a bit jet lagged & had been drinking in other bars, I can't remember much about the taste. I know it was expensive & that dress codes apply at the hotel. I do remember enjoying the once off experience though, I still have the souvenir glass.

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When you are in Singapore, one thing you have to do is visit the Raffles Hotel and have a drink at the Long Bar.
This is where the Singapore Sling Cocktail was invented. Its a very refreshing drink in a nice Colonial Style bar, with a great atmosphere. I would recommend doing this.
Just beware that its a very expensive bar. We had 4 cocktails an 8 beers and the bill came in to over £100!!!

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Named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the creator of Singapore, and the place where the Singapore Sling was created. A visit is a must. Drink a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar, walk through the garden terraces or visit the excellent gift shop. This is a Top World Hotel. Hard to believe it once descended into a Backpackers Hostel and was even derelict for a while. It was opened in 1887 and has seen Royalty, actors and other celebrities stay here. It also saw the more humble stay here during its troubled years. It was restored to its current grand design and reopened to the public in 1991. It is now a National Monument ensuring its future upkeep.

Don’t miss this out of your walking tour!