The Experience

Abandon the city landscape of cluttered skyscrapers and noisy traffic behind the stark white walls of the Raffles Hotel. In this unique piece of space, I'm all prepared to be lost in the lush greenery and the colonial inspiration of everything- from the jacquered arm-chair in the reception area, to ceiling fans at the restaurants or facade of a old-fashioned counter as the front desk. 

Named after the founder of modern Singapore, Raffles Hotel is not only the most prestigious hospitality icon in this country, but also regarded as a national monument. The hotel is an acclaimation of pure luxury.

Upon arrival, the well-groomed front desk staff greeted us and walked us to our suite. The personalised check-in is completed as we sign off the last bits on the guest registration card. From this moment on, I took time to inspect the fine details in the room- the deliberate furnishings, generous toiletries supplied by Amrita Spa, hand-written card from the management, sweet dose of praline chocolates.

Under the camouflage of luxury, what impressed me most was the diligent maintenance at the hotel. Despite the overwhelming mid-day heat, gardeners toiled hard in their beautiful, but stiff-looking and seemingly uncomfortable uniforms, to preserve the tidiness of the greens. On the other hand, painters busied themselves with dusting coats of purity white on spots that needed attention. Other housekeeping staff were frequently spotted along the corridors with their loaded trolleys to service guest rooms. 

Looking at the industrious workers reminds me that there are people out there who have much
tougher waves in life to endure. Life is never meant to be easy.

I'm somehow glad that beautiful things do happen once in a while in my life =) It's the rainbows I wanna remember, not the dark clouds that command rain!