Second Raffles hotel to open in 2022 on Sentosa Island

Singapore

MORE than a century after Raffles Hotel welcomed its first guests in Singapore, a second Raffles hotel is slated to open here in 2022 on Sentosa Island.

On Tuesday, hotel operator Accor Group announced, together with property developer Royal Group, that the new Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa Singapore will be built on a 100,000 square metre (sq m) site on Sentosa.

The resort, which can accommodate 200 guests, is estimated to cost S$70 million to build. It will have 61 villas, each with a private pool and terrace area.The villas range from 260 sq m for the one-bedroom villas to 450 sq m for the three-bedroom presidential villa. The average rate per night is S$1,500, an Accor spokesperson said, in response to queries from The Business Times.

Guests can access tropical gardens and views of the South China Sea. Hotel facilities include a bar, restaurants, fitness centre and meeting rooms.

The Raffles Butlers service - popularised by its predecessor which first opened its doors at Beach Road back in 1887 - and the Raffles Spa will be among the resort's signature offerings.

On the resort's opening, managing director of Royal Group Peter Wilding said: "The original Raffles Hotel was conceived as a beachfront property, but as Singapore has grown up around the property it is now located in the thriving centre of the city."

He added that the second Raffles hotel will offer "a modern, elegant resort experience" that would complement the legacy of the "historic, heritage hotel in the heart of the city".

By 2025, Accor Group aims to expand its Raffles brand to 20 hotels worldwide. Currently, its holdings include hotels in the Maldives and China, with properties in London and Boston in the pipeline.

"The Raffles brand is the highest expression of luxurious hospitality in Singapore and we are excited to offer well-travelled connoisseurs a second option to indulge in the famously discreet and attentive Raffles service that has provided an oasis for travellers since 1887," said chairman and Accor Asia-Pacific chief executive Michael Issenberg.

Global design studio Yabu Pushelberg is designing the resort and is also responsible for its landscaping, lighting and interiors.

Royal Group also owns the SO Sofitel Singapore in Robinson Road and the Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa.

The new Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa Singapore joins the list of hotels that have sprung up on Sentosa recently. Mid-tier hotels Village Hotel at Sentosa and The Outpost Hotel were launched this year and will be joined by The Barracks Hotel in the third quarter.

"By bringing the number of rooms to over 4,000 by 2022, Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa Singapore will further strengthen the array of accommodation options in Sentosa, opening new possibilities for leisure and business travellers and strengthening our unique proposition as an island-in-the-city with a wide plethora of holiday experiences to suit both locals and tourists," said assistant chief executive of Sentosa Development Corporation Jacqueline Tan.

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