Raffles Hotel and the National Heritage Board (NHB) have announced that ‘A Last, Lingering Look at an Icon’, a specially-curated exhibition and guided tour, will run daily from 1 – 12 August, before the hotel commences the second phase of its restoration. Tours will be available to both guests and members of the public.
Guests and members of the public will be invited to walk through the marbled hallways of the National Monument, and delve deep into the illustrious tales encapsulated in this 130-year-old colonial beauty. Reminisce the hotel’s former beachfront and visit rooms that had once welcomed famous guests. The exhibition will include a recreation of the accommodations of one such guest – writer and Nobel Laureate, Rudyard Kipling, who stayed at the hotel in 1889. The recreation is based on Kipling’s recorded remarks of his stay in his travel log that he kept.
In addition, the elaborate menus of the events held at Raffles Hotel over the years offer a glimpse into the signature of these events. Visitors to ‘A Last, Lingering Look at an Icon’ will learn about the history of Raffles Hotel – and Singapore – through the crockery and food served at the Coronation of King George VI, and many others. Cheryl Ong, Director of Sales & Marketing, Raffles Hotel Singapore, said: “Raffles Hotel has long been an internationally well-loved icon of Singapore. We hope that the exhibition and tour will provide members of the public, guests, and friends of the hotel with the opportunity to take a last look at its captivating story through the years.”
Jean Wee, Director of the Preservation of Sites and Monuments (PSM) division under the National Heritage Board, said: “Raffles Hotel is a living monument that has witnessed Singapore’s history and development. Our exhibition and tours bring to life some of the many stories of prominent personalities who left their imprints here, as well as the historical significance of the hotel. Aside from admiring its architectural beauty, visitors will also have the opportunity to explore spaces which are rarely opened to the public, before the building enters a new chapter in its history.”
The exhibition is specially curated by the PSM division of the National Heritage Board and the tour is guided by its volunteers. Each tour accommodates 12, and tickets are priced at SGD12 and include a delectable souvenir.
