Raffles Hotels & Resorts

Raffles Hotels & Resorts is a Singaporean chain of luxury hotels which traces its roots to 1887 with the opening of the original Raffles Hotel in Singapore.^[2] The company started to develop internationally in the late 1990s. Since 2015, Raffles has been a part of Accor.^[3][4]

Raffles Hotels & Resorts

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Hospitality
Founded	1989
Number of locations	18
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Omer Acar (CEO Raffles & Orient Express)[1]
Services	Luxury hotels
Parent	Accor
Website	raffles.com

History

Raffles Hotels & Resorts was formed in 1989 to restore, redevelop and manage the historic Raffles Hotel in Singapore. The corporation also undertook the restructuring and management of the Raffles City development, thus laying the foundation for Raffles Hotels & Resorts to become a hotel management company. After a complete restoration, the Raffles Hotel reopened on 16 September 1991.^[5][6]

In April 2001, Raffles Holdings acquired Swissôtel from SAirGroup for 268 million euros, thus increasing its room capacity by 139% to 13,500 units in 17 countries.^[7]

In 2005, Colony Capital bought Raffles Holdings for $1 billion from the Singapore government. Raffles and Swissôtel joined Fairmont Hotels in the newly formed holding, FRHI Hotels & Resorts, in 2006.^[8]

In December 2015, Accor announced the acquisition of FRHI Hotels & Resorts, taking over the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissotel hotel chains.^[9] The $2.7 billion deal was finalized in July 2016.^[10]

In December 2020, Accor announced that it would be opening a new hotel in Moscow, next to the Kremlin, in the second half of 2022.^[11][12] However, in March 2023, it was confirmed that the new hotel was cancelled due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[13]

Properties

Raffles Hotels & Resorts operates at 18 locations worldwide with 5 more openings planned in 2023 and 2024.^[14]

Property	No. of Rooms	Country	Year Opened	Notes	References
Raffles Hotel	115	Singapore	1887	Restoration	[5][6][15]
Raffles Hotel Le Royal	175	Cambodia	1997		[16][17]
Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor	119	Cambodia	1997		[18][19][20]
Raffles Dubai	246	United Arab Emirates	2007	Newly Built	[21][22]
Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris	149	France	2010	Restoration	[23][24]
Raffles Makkah Palace	213	Saudi Arabia	2010	Newly Built	[25]
Raffles Praslin, Seychelles	86	Seychelles	2011		[26]
Raffles Makati	32	Philippines	2012		[27][28]
Raffles Hainan	331	China	2013		[29]
Raffles Istanbul	181	Turkey	2014		[30]
Raffles Jakarta	173	Indonesia	2015		[31]
Raffles Europejski Warsaw	106	Poland	2018	Restoration	[32][33]
Raffles Maldives Meradhoo	37	Maldives	2019	Newly Built	[34]
Raffles Shenzhen	168	China	2019		[35]
Raffles Bali	32	Indonesia	2020		[36]
Raffles Udaipur	101	India	2021	Newly Built	[37][38][39]
Raffles The Palm Dubai	389	United Arab Emirates	2021	Takeover	[40][41][42]
Raffles Doha	132	Qatar	2022	Newly Built	[43]
Raffles Boston Back Bay	147	United States	September 2023	Newly Built	[44]
Raffles London at The OWO	120	United Kingdom	September 2023	Restoration	[45]
Raffles Al Areen Palace, Bahrain	78	Bahrain	December 2023	Restoration
Opening Soon
Raffles at Galaxy Macau	450	Macau	Opening 2023	Newly Built	[46]
Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa	62	Singapore	Opening 2024	Newly Built	[47][48]
Raffles Jeddah	181	Saudi Arabia	Opening 2024	Newly Built
Raffles Cairo	184	Egypt	Opening 2025	Newly Built

Other products

Raffles Residences

Raffles Residences is a collection of private residential suites and apartments that are serviced by Raffles Hotels & Resorts and are usually connected to a Raffles-branded hotel.^[49] There are currently three Raffles Residences with more scheduled to be completed in the next few years.^[50]

Property	No. of Rooms	Country	References
Raffles Estate Praslin	14	Seychelles	[50]
Raffles Residences Makati	130	Philippines	[28]
Raffles Residences Jakarta	80	Indonesia	[31]
Raffles Residences Doha	49	Qatar	[51][52]
The OWO Residences by Raffles (2023)	85	United Kingdom	[53][54]
Raffles Residences Boston Back Bay (2023)	146	United States	[55]
Raffles Residences Jeddah (2024)	188	Saudi Arabia	[56]

Raffles 1915 Gin

In 2015, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Singapore Sling, Raffles Hotels & Resorts partnered with London-based microdistillery Sipsmith to create a brand-made gin, the Raffles 1915 Gin.^[57]

Soirées, Sojourns & Stories by Raffles

Released in 2018, Soirées, Sojourns & Stories by Raffles is a book highlighting the history and some of the iconic guests of Raffles Hotels & Resorts.^[58]

References

1. "Board of Directors". Accor. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
2. "The Raffles Story - Luxury Hotels & Resorts - Raffles Hotels". www.raffles.com. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
3. "AccorHotels to acquire three iconic hotel brands - Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel". Accor. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
4. "Accor buys Savoy and Raffles hotel group for £1.9bn". BBC. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
5. Cripps, Karla. "Singapore's historic Raffles Hotel reopens following two-year makeover". CNN. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
6. "Hotel Timeline - Raffles Singapore". Raffles Hotels and Resorts. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
7. "European Hotels Transaction 2002" (PDF). Hvs.com. 2002. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
8. Deborah Orr (9 August 2006). "Recolonizing Raffles". Forbes.com. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
9. "Accor buys Raffles owner for $2.9bn". CNBC. 2015-12-10. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
10. Ting, Deanna (2016-07-12). "Accor Finalizes $2.7 Billion Purchase of Fairmont Raffles". Skift. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
11. "Raffles to debut in Russia". Business Traveller. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
12. "Accor announces signing of Raffles Moscow hotel". Hospitality Net. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
13. Tore, Iuliia (2023-03-01). "Raffles Will Not Open in Moscow". Retrieved 2023-06-28.
14. "Our Hotels". Raffles Hotels and Resorts. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
15. "Raffles Hotel Singapore". Visit Singapore. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
16. "Relaxed Refinement At Raffles Hotel Le Royal - Raffles Hotel Le Royal - Raffles Hotels & Resorts". Raffles Hotels and Resorts. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
17. "Raffles Hotel Le Royal". Accor. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
18. "A history of hospitality… Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh". Iltm.com. November 1997. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
19. Dunn, Scott. "Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor". Scott Dunn. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
20. "Raffles Grand Hotel D Angkor History". Historic Hotels Worldwide. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
21. "Wafi Group signs up with Raffles International". Ttnonline.com. June 2005. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
22. "Raffles Dubai". Traveller Made. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
23. "Kingdom sells interest in Four Seasons Geneva". 4hoteliers.com. 9 March 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
24. "Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris". Grand Luxury Hotels. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
25. Oakley, Louise. "Raffles Makkah Palace opens during Ramadan". Hotelier Middle East.
26. "The Heart Of Praslin - Raffles Seychelles - Raffles Hotels & Resorts". Raffles Hotels and Resorts. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
27. "A Legendary Oasis. - Raffles Makati - Raffles Hotels & Resorts". Raffles Hotels and Resorts. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
28. "Raffles to Open First Luxury Hotel in Makati City Philippines in 18 Years". Mynewsdesk. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
29. "Raffles to open luxury resort in Hainan in September 2013". Hospitality Net. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
30. "Raffles Istanbul Opens". Hotel News Resource. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
31. "Raffles Jakarta Grand Opening". Suma - Explore Asia. 2015-03-17. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
32. "Raffles Hotels & Resorts opens its first enchanting address in Poland: Raffles Europejski Warsaw". Accor. 2018-06-04. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
33. "RAFFLES' first opening since Accorhotels acquired the brand, Raffles Europejski Warsaw (REVIEW)". Retrieved 2021-03-02.
34. "Raffles Maldives Meradhoo Opens Overwater Villas". Hospitality Net. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
35. "Raffles Hotel Opens in Shenzhen, China". Hospitality Net. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
36. "New Raffles hotel opens in Bali". Business Traveller.
37. "Raffles Udaipur". Raffles. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
38. Nandwani, Deepali (20 July 2021). "India will have not one, but two Raffles Hotels". moneycontrol. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
39. "First Raffles in India to open in Udaipur". Hospitality Net. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
40. "Raffles The Palm Dubai". Raffles. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
41. Gross, Michelle (20 September 2021). "An Inside Look At The Exquisite New Raffles The Palm Dubai". Forbes. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
42. Turner, Matt (24 June 2021). "Raffles Resort To Open On The Palm Jumeirah In Late 2021". Luxury Travel Advisor. Framingham, USA. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
43. Accor. "Raffles & Fairmont make debut in Qatar". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
44. "147-Key Raffles Boston Accepting Reservations from September 1, 2023". Hospitality Net. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
45. Hill, Lauren Jade. "Raffles London At The OWO To Become Wellness Destination With Guerlain". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
46. Newsdesk. "GGRAsia – Raffles, Andaz likely to open in 2H at Galaxy Macau: firm". Retrieved 2023-06-28.
47. "Second Raffles Hotel set to open in Singapore on Sentosa in 2022". The Straits Times. 2019-06-25. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
48. "Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa in Singapore opens late 2023". Retrieved 2023-06-28.
49. "Accor strengthens its leadership position in branded residences, private rentals and extended stay hotels". Hospitality Net. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
50. "Raffles Residences". Raffles Hotels and Resorts. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
51. Caswell, Mark. "Accor to open dual-branded Fairmont and Raffles development in Qatar". Business Traveller.
52. "Accor to open dual-branded hotel in Qatar | TTG Asia". TTGAsia. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
53. "Hinduja Group and OHL Desarrollos announces Raffles as the brand for the OWO Residences". Hospitality Net. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
54. Caswell, Mark. "Raffles to operate residences as part of London Old War Office development". Business Traveller.
55. "This 33-story luxury hotel will open in Boston in 2022 | Boston.com". Boston. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
56. "Properties In Development". Raffles Hotels and Resorts. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
57. Kenneth Goh (1 January 2016). "Gin from Raffles descendant". Straitstimes.com. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
58. "Soirées, Sojourns & Stories By Raffles". Raffles Hotels and Resorts. Retrieved 2021-03-03.

External links

• Official website