Raffles Singapore
1 Beach Road, Singapore 189673
The Story
The grande dame of Southeast Asia opened in 1887 and became an essential stop for Hollywood stars travelling through the region throughout the golden age. Charlie Chaplin stayed here in the 1930s during a world tour. Ava Gardner checked in during a trip to Asia. Elizabeth Taylor passed through on her way to somewhere more dramatic, as was her habit. The guest book reads like a literary as much as a Hollywood register: Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling and Joseph Conrad all passed through its colonial corridors, lending the hotel a reputation as much for letters as for glamour.
Birthplace of the Singapore Sling
Raffles is where the Singapore Sling was invented in 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, making it one of the few hotels in the world that can claim to have given birth to a globally famous cocktail. The Long Bar, where the Sling is still served, maintains the old colonial tradition of throwing peanut shells on the floor — which is either charming or annoying depending on how you feel about peanut shells.
" The Long Bar — birthplace of the Singapore Sling, 1915.
Colonial grandeur, modern plumbing
The hotel underwent a major restoration in 2019 and has emerged with its colonial grandeur intact and its plumbing considerably improved — a rare combination of the historic and the genuinely comfortable.
Signature Experiences
The Long Bar
The birthplace of the Singapore Sling, invented here in 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. The Sling is still served, and the bar maintains the old colonial tradition of throwing peanut shells on the floor — either charming or annoying depending on how you feel about peanut shells.
Famous Connections
Who Came Here
Plan Your Visit
Good to Know
- How to Book: Book direct at raffles.com/singapore or by phone. No reservation is needed to visit the Long Bar for a Singapore Sling.
- Best Time: Open year-round.
- Accessibility: Contact the hotel directly to confirm access requirements.
- Tip: The Singapore Sling at the Long Bar costs around S$40 — expensive for a cocktail, but cheap for a piece of history.