Wayfarer TV exclusive: inside the re-imagined Raffles Singapore

1 Beach Road, Singapore

by James Wilkinson

When it comes to legendary hotels, Raffles Singapore is truly one of the greats.

The luxury hotel first opened in 1887 and over that time it has become a National Monument and a treasure for Singaporeans. And it has never looked better.

The hotel re-opened in August 2019 after a careful and sensitive three-phased restoration, which began in February 2017, and firmly saw a legend re-born.

The revitalised Raffles Singapore, with its famed butler service, offers 115 suites across nine distinct categories, including some exceptional Presidential Suites, along with an all-new Raffles shopping arcade loaded up with bespoke brands, a luxurious spa and an amazing array of restaurants – in collaboration with globally-renowned chefs Anne-Sophie Pic, Alain Ducasse and Jereme Leung – and cocktail dens, including a reimagining of the legendary Long Bar, famous for the Singapore Sling.

Raffles Singapore was the star attraction a popular episode of Wayfarer (Episode 21 of Series 2) released this year, one that takes you inside the legendary hotel to see its incredible transformation.

In the not-to-be-missed episode, Wayfarer’s award-winning host James Gregory Wilkinson goes inside Raffles Singapore to find out what’s been re-imagined and stops by Alain Ducasse’s new restaurant BBR to talk to Chef de Cuisine Louis Pacquelin.

To view the episode – where Wilkinson also heads to hot new Singapore eatery Cloudstreet helmed by the brilliant Rishi Naleendra, and checks out two of the city’s best bars, Native and Le Bon Funk – click on the YouTube image below.

In Series 2 of Wayfarer, being broadcast online across the world throughout 2020, Wilkinson takes viewers across the globe to some of the best hotels, bars, restaurants, galleries and attractions that several of the world’s leading destinations have to offer.

The 25-episode line-up for Series 2 includes: Austin, Texas, USA; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Hamilton Island, Queensland, Australia; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York City, USA; Shanghai and Beijing, China; and Singapore.

Each episode is an essential guide to the city for business and leisure travellers and is being broadcast on wayfarer.travel and YouTube on a weekly basis.

GETTING TO SINGAPORE

Wayfarer flew to Singapore with British Airways. The great British airline flies daily to Singapore and the author recommends flying in Club World (Business Class), which features flat-bed seats, hundreds of hours’ entertainment on demand, a great selection of wine and some of the best meals in the sky.

To view a video review of Club World, click on the image below.

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