Raffles Hotel Singapore

Raffles Singapore opened in 1887, when the Armenian Sarkies brothers started it as a ten-room hotel, and it was declared a National Monument on its 100th anniversary. It sits on Beach Road in the city's civic and business district, a colonial building among modern towers, with tropical gardens taking up more than a quarter of the grounds. Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is within walking distance, and the Raffles Arcade shops are part of the hotel itself.

Every room is a suite: there are 115 of them, combining the building's high ceilings and period details with modern comforts, and Raffles Butlers look after guests.

Food and drink run from 1887 by André (French) and yì by Jereme Leung (regional Chinese) to the wood-fire cooking at Butcher's Block and North Indian dishes at the Tiffin Room, a restaurant the hotel traces back to 1892. Raffles Courtyard serves cocktails and Southeast Asian plates outdoors, and afternoon tea is a fixture. The Long Bar is where bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created the Singapore Sling in 1915; Writers Bar honours the authors who stayed here.

Raffles Spa offers Asian-inspired treatments and personal training, and there is an outdoor pool set in the gardens on the third floor, plus a 24-hour gym. It suits you if you want history and a central base. Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) is about 20 minutes away.