The noted novelist Somerset Maugham once called the legendary Raffles Hotel the symbol for “all the fables of the exotic East.” He should know, as inspiration for many of his novels and short stories flowed from his many happy sojourns at The Raffles.

Whether you are an aspiring writer or just a tourist in search of a comfortable bed, The Raffles has been serving discerning clientele since 1887.

In fact, The Raffles, named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore, is rife with legends. It was in the hotel’s famous Long Bar, sometime after 1910, that barman Ngiam Tony Boon invented his signature cocktail, the Singapore Sling. And it was in the hotel’s Billiard Room where Singapore’s sole surviving wild tiger was shot. The hotel was originally the location of Singapore’s oldest girls’ school, founded by a missionary wife named Maria Dyer, in 1842.

The accolades in the past five years range from “Best Hotel in Asia,” to Conde Nast’s Gold List of “World’s Best Places to Stay.” To rest at The Raffles today is to take a trip back in time to Singapore’s rich history which is often missing in this most modern metropolis.

Robert Logan, Raffles current general manager, has shaken hands with scores of the world’s leaders, yet remains down to earth and humble in his management style, greeting his guests as long lost friends. The hotel’s 103 suites are veritable turn-of-the 19th Century showpieces, each boasting original artworks and antique furniture, but these are perfectly blended with all the modern amenities that business and leisure travelers ask for. Mr. Maugham would approve!