Charlie Chaplin, Queen Elizabeth II and Rudyard Kipling were just some of the illustrious names that spent a night or two under its roof. A facelift in 1989 restored it to the height of its glory.

Why is the Raffles Hotel famous?

Raffles Hotel is famous as the birthplace of the Singapore Sling cocktail. The famous cocktail was created by Raffles bartender Ngiam Tong Boon in 1915.

How much did the Raffles Hotel renovation cost?

Advertisement. In 2016, after the longest and most lavish hotel refurbishment in history — it took four years and cost £370m — the grandest of all grande dame hotels reopened. It has a lighter, airier feel, thanks to a new colour scheme of creams, pale pinks and blues.