Raffles Hotels & Resorts: A Complete Guide to the World's Most Storied Brand
Raffles Hotels & Resorts: A Complete Guide to the World's Most Storied Brand | WhataHotel!
Raffles is the most historically freighted name in luxury hospitality. Founded in 1887 in Singapore by the Sarkies Brothers — four Armenian immigrants who named the hotel after Sir Stamford Raffles, the colonial founder of modern Singapore — the brand represents a specific chapter of world history: the era of the grand colonial hotel, when the great port cities of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa each had one property that served as the social center of the colonial and merchant world. That Raffles has survived and expanded into a contemporary luxury brand while retaining the weight of that history is one of the more remarkable stories in hospitality.
Today Raffles is owned by Accor — the French hospitality group that also operates Sofitel, Fairmont, Orient Express Hotels, and Ennismore — and sits at the apex of the Accor portfolio alongside Fairmont and Orient Express. The brand currently operates approximately 20 properties globally, with a development pipeline that is expanding its presence in new markets while carefully managing the balance between growth and the heritage distinction that makes Raffles valuable. All properties below are bookable with preferred partner perks through WhataHotel!
Brand History & Identity
The Raffles Hotel Singapore opened on December 1, 1887, and within a decade had established itself as the preeminent social institution of colonial Southeast Asia. By the early 20th century, Raffles was already a cultural landmark: Joseph Conrad stayed here and wrote about the atmosphere; Rudyard Kipling ate and drank here; Somerset Maugham famously described it as standing for "all the fables of the Exotic East." The Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling cocktail was invented in 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, remains one of the most historically documented bars in the world.
The Raffles brand was acquired by Colony Capital in 2005, then by Accor in 2016, as part of a broader consolidation of the luxury hospitality landscape. Under Accor's ownership, the brand has undertaken ambitious renovations of its flagship Singapore property (reopened 2019 after a three-year restoration) and expanded into new markets — Warsaw, Boston, Udaipur — that represent a deliberate effort to extend the Raffles narrative beyond its colonial Asian origins into a broader story of grand historic hotels in significant cities.
The brand's identity rests on three pillars: architectural heritage (most Raffles properties occupy historic buildings of genuine significance), legendary service (the butler program and the particular quality of personal attention that Raffles describes as its defining characteristic), and storytelling (the cultivation of the hotel's own mythology through its Long Bar, its literary associations, its Writer's Bar tradition, and the deliberate retention of historical character in every renovation).
What Makes Raffles Distinctive
The Butler Program. Every guest at a Raffles property is assigned a personal butler — not a glorified room attendant, but a trained hospitality professional whose role spans concierge, valet, in-room service, and personal coordination. The Raffles butler program is one of the most consistently praised service elements in luxury hospitality, and represents the clearest practical differentiation between a Raffles stay and a stay at a comparably priced competitor.
Architectural significance. Unlike brands that build new properties to a brand template, Raffles consistently acquires, restores, and operates buildings of genuine architectural and historical importance. The Raffles Hotel Singapore is a National Monument of Singapore. Raffles Europejski Warsaw occupies the most historically significant hotel building in Poland. Raffles Istanbul is housed in a late Ottoman-era building on the Bosphorus. The pattern is consistent: the building has a story before Raffles arrives, and Raffles' stewardship adds another chapter.
The Long Bar & cocktail culture. At every Raffles property, the bar is a cultural institution in its own right — not merely a hotel amenity but a destination that draws locals and guests equally. The Singapore Sling remains one of the most recognized cocktails in the world, and the bar program at each property creates a property-specific signature cocktail experience that connects to local ingredients and history.
The Writers Bar tradition. Several Raffles properties maintain a dedicated Writers Bar or library — a reference to the literary figures who have stayed and written at Raffles properties over 135 years. This is not superficial branding; the curated book collections, the Somerset Maugham and Joseph Conrad memorabilia, and the atmosphere of each Writers Bar reflect a genuine investment in the literary dimension of the Raffles identity.
The original and irreplaceable. The 115-room Raffles Hotel Singapore — restored and reopened in 2019 after a three-year renovation by Champalimaud Design — is a National Monument occupying a colonial-era building that is among the most significant hotel properties on earth. Every one of the 115 units is a suite: the smallest is a Courtyard Suite of approximately 48 square meters; the Presidential Suite occupies 464 square meters of restored colonial splendor with a private veranda overlooking the Palm Garden.
The 2019 restoration was the most significant in the hotel's history: it uncovered the original 1887 architectural details that had been obscured by decades of modification, restored the Palm Garden to its 1920s configuration, and created a new arrivals experience in the Raffles Arcade that manages the transition between the noise and modernity of central Singapore and the stillness of the hotel's interior with remarkable effectiveness. The Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling was invented, was fully restored. The Writers Bar, the Tiffin Room, and the BBR restaurant (by Alain Ducasse, since transitioned) complete an F&B program of genuine quality.
For any traveler interested in the history of luxury hospitality — or in the history of colonial Asia — a stay at Raffles Hotel Singapore is one of travel's essential experiences. Preferred partner perks through WhataHotel!
Opened in 2022 on Sentosa Island — Singapore's resort island, connected to the main island by cable car, monorail, and road causeway — Raffles Sentosa is the brand's first resort property in its home city and represents a deliberate expansion of the Raffles Singapore story beyond the colonial downtown. The 62 villas each include a private pool; the setting is tropical, with lush vegetation and access to Sentosa's beaches. For families or travelers seeking a resort rather than a historic city hotel experience in Singapore, Raffles Sentosa is the natural companion to the downtown flagship. Preferred partner perks through WhataHotel!
Built in 1929 at the height of French Indochina's colonial period, Le Royal is Phnom Penh's grande dame — a cream-and-white colonial building that survived the Khmer Rouge era as a government facility and was restored by Raffles in 1997. The 175-room property is the social center of the Cambodian capital, with the Elephant Bar (where the Femme Fatale cocktail was invented, reportedly drunk by Jacqueline Kennedy) and a colonial-era pool surrounded by frangipani trees that captures something of the hotel's extraordinary history. A Raffles property of deep historical resonance in Southeast Asia. Preferred partner perks through WhataHotel!
The Grand Hotel d'Angkor was built in 1932 as the base from which visitors would explore the temples of Angkor — and it remains, 90 years later, the finest accommodation for that purpose. The 119-room property faces the Royal Gardens of Siem Reap, with a colonial-era pool that is one of the most photographed hotel pools in Southeast Asia. Raffles' stewardship has maintained the property's original architecture while adding contemporary amenities; the result is a hotel that functions both as a history experience and as a genuinely comfortable base for temple exploration. Preferred partner perks through WhataHotel!
Raffles Udaipur occupies a 21-acre private island in Udai Sagar Lake — accessible only by boat — and represents one of the brand's most dramatically positioned properties globally. The 101-room resort is designed in a contemporary interpretation of Rajput palace architecture, with infinity pools facing the lake, a spa drawing on Rajasthani wellness traditions, and views of the Aravalli mountains and the city's white palace structures across the water. Udaipur is one of India's most romantic cities, and Raffles' island position within it is extraordinary. Preferred partner perks through WhataHotel!
On a hillside above Jimbaran Bay — facing the Indian Ocean from a clifftop position above one of Bali's finest sunset beaches — Raffles Bali opened in 2022 with 32 estate villas, each with a private pool and ocean-facing terrace. The design draws on Balinese architectural traditions while maintaining the Raffles standard of finish and service; the result is a villa resort that combines Bali's natural beauty with the full Raffles butler program. Preferred partner perks through WhataHotel!
Occupying the upper floors of the ARTtower in the Kuningan business district, Raffles Jakarta is the brand's flagship in Southeast Asia's largest city — a 173-room property with the full Raffles service program, a spa of genuine quality, and a dining program that draws on Indonesia's extraordinarily rich culinary heritage. For business travelers to Jakarta who want the Raffles standard in the city's most convenient commercial location, this is the clear choice. Preferred partner perks through WhataHotel!
The pyramid-shaped Raffles Dubai — at Wafi City, away from the waterfront cluster of newer towers — has been the brand's Middle East flagship since 2007. The 248 rooms are among the largest standard rooms in Dubai, and the Egyptian-themed design (Wafi City is built around an Egyptian pyramid concept) gives the property a distinctive character that stands out in a city of architectural ambition. The CHI Spa is one of Dubai's most comprehensive wellness facilities. Preferred partner perks through WhataHotel!
Opened in 2021 on the outer crescent of the Palm Jumeirah — the palm-shaped artificial island that is Dubai's most famous landmark — Raffles The Palm is the brand's resort complement to the city Raffles Dubai. The 391-room property includes private beach access, multiple pools, and a design that responds to the Palm's beachfront setting rather than the Egyptian theme of the original Dubai property. For families and leisure travelers visiting Dubai who want the Raffles service standard in a resort rather than urban hotel configuration, this is the right choice. Preferred partner perks through WhataHotel!
The Europejski Hotel has stood at the corner of Krakowskie Przedmieście and Nowy Świat — the most significant intersection in the Polish capital, directly opposite the Presidential Palace — since 1857. It is the oldest standing grand hotel in Warsaw, and its story encompasses the full arc of Polish modern history: the partitions, the Second Republic, the Nazi occupation, the communist period, and the post-1989 restoration of Polish sovereignty. Raffles acquired and restored the property, reopening it in 2018 with 106 rooms in a restoration that recovered the building's original neoclassical interiors while adding contemporary amenities. The Cukiernia Lourse pastry shop on the ground floor — the oldest confectionery in Warsaw, operating at this address since 1869 — is one of the most charming heritage food experiences in central Europe. Preferred partner perks through WhataHotel!
The newest Raffles flagship in the Americas — opened in 2023 as the centerpiece of a mixed-use Back Bay development — is the brand's first ground-up new build in the United States, and its most contemporary statement: a 147-room tower in Boston's most prestigious residential and cultural district, steps from Copley Square, Trinity Church, and the Boston Public Library. The property includes the full Raffles butler program, a rooftop pool with views of the Back Bay skyline, and a dining program anchored by a signature restaurant that draws on New England's extraordinary seafood and agricultural heritage. For travelers visiting Boston who want the Raffles standard in the most convenient cultural location, this is definitively the choice. Preferred partner perks through WhataHotel!
On the island of Praslin — the second-largest Seychelles island, home to the Vallée de Mai UNESCO World Heritage Site where the extraordinary coco de mer palm grows — Raffles Seychelles occupies a hillside above Anse Takamaka beach with 86 villas, each with a private pool. The setting is extraordinary: the Seychelles' characteristic granite boulders, the turquoise Indian Ocean, and the island's lush vegetation create a backdrop that requires minimal hotel intervention to be spectacular. The Raffles butler program, the AVANI Spa, and access to one of the Seychelles' finest beaches complete an offering that is one of the strongest island resort arguments in the Indian Ocean. Preferred partner perks through WhataHotel!
How Raffles Compares to Other Luxury Brands
Raffles occupies a distinctive position in the luxury hotel landscape that is worth understanding for travelers choosing between it and competitors. Within the Accor portfolio, Raffles sits above Fairmont (which also operates grand historic hotels but at a broader scale and higher volume) and in a different register entirely from Orient Express Hotels (which prioritizes extreme privacy and boutique scale over the social, grand-hotel character of Raffles).
Against independent luxury brands, Raffles competes most directly with Belmond — both brands specialize in historically significant buildings, both cultivate a literary and artistic identity, and both deliver a specific kind of grande dame luxury that differs from the contemporary design-forward luxury of Aman or Bulgari. The practical differences: Raffles tends toward grander scale and more social public spaces (the Long Bar is a genuine gathering place); Belmond tends toward more intimate properties in scenic rural or coastal settings. Both are excellent. The choice between them depends on whether you want the grandeur of a colonial-era city hotel or the romance of a converted villa on the Amalfi Coast.
Every Raffles property in this guide is bookable through WhataHotel! with preferred partner benefits at the same rate as direct booking:
Daily breakfast for two
Hotel credit ($100 or local equivalent) toward dining, spa, or experiences
Priority room upgrade at check-in subject to availability
Early check-in and late check-out when available
VIP welcome amenity and recognition
At Raffles properties specifically, applying the hotel credit toward a Long Bar experience — the Singapore Sling at Raffles Singapore, the Femme Fatale at Le Royal Phnom Penh — captures one of the brand's most distinctive cultural elements at effectively zero additional cost. Browse the full Raffles collection on WhataHotel!
Book Raffles with Preferred Partner Perks on WhataHotel!
Every Raffles property worldwide — same rate as direct booking, with daily breakfast, hotel credit, upgrade priority, and VIP recognition included.
Raffles is known for three things above all: the personal butler program assigned to every guest, the architectural heritage of its properties (most occupy historically significant buildings), and the brand's extraordinary literary and cultural history — Conrad, Kipling, Maugham, and generations of writers and travelers since. The Singapore Sling cocktail, invented at the Raffles Hotel Singapore Long Bar in 1915, is the brand's most famous single creation.
Who owns Raffles Hotels?
Raffles Hotels & Resorts is owned by Accor, the French hospitality group that also operates Fairmont, Orient Express Hotels, Sofitel, and Ennismore. Raffles sits at the apex of the Accor portfolio alongside Fairmont and Orient Express. The brand was acquired by Accor in 2016 from Colony Capital.
What is the most famous Raffles hotel?
Raffles Hotel Singapore is the most famous and historically significant property in the portfolio — a National Monument of Singapore, the birthplace of the Singapore Sling, and the hotel that Joseph Conrad, Rudyard Kipling, and Somerset Maugham all wrote about. The hotel underwent a major three-year restoration that completed in 2019, returning it to its closest historical configuration since the 1920s.
Does Raffles have a butler at every hotel?
Yes — a personal butler assigned to every guest is the defining service feature of the Raffles brand across all properties. The butler handles everything from unpacking and packing to restaurant reservations, in-room dining coordination, and personal concierge services, and is available throughout the stay. It is one of the most consistently praised elements of the Raffles guest experience.
How many Raffles hotels are there worldwide?
Raffles operates approximately 20 properties globally, with a development pipeline that includes new openings in additional gateway cities. The brand's selective development strategy — focusing on historically significant buildings in culturally important destinations — keeps the portfolio deliberately small relative to Accor's other brands.
What is the difference between Raffles and Fairmont?
Both Raffles and Fairmont are Accor luxury brands specializing in grand historic hotels, but they occupy different positions. Raffles is the more rarefied tier — smaller portfolio, all-suite or suite-forward configurations at flagship properties, the personal butler program, and a more exclusively curated set of destinations. Fairmont operates a larger portfolio of grand historic and resort properties with a broader range of room categories and a more accessible price point. For a trip-of-a-lifetime occasion stay at a property of maximum historical and cultural significance, Raffles is the choice; for reliable grand-hotel luxury across a wider range of destinations, Fairmont is the stronger network.
Get Exclusive Complimentary Perks on Bookings at some of the World's Best Hotels!
Reservations are Eligible for Hotel Rewards Programs