Singapore — Named after Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore, Raffles was built 125 years ago and soon became the haunt of business tycoons, adventurers, politicians, movie stars, authors and journalists. Visiting writers included Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maugham and Noel Coward.

Today, Raffles Hotel Singapore is the flagship of the eight strong Raffles Hotels & Resorts, with sister hotels in Paris, Dubai, Cambodia, the Seychelles, Beijing and the Holy City of Makkah.  The company is embarking on a new phase of expansion, with openings in Manila, Istanbul, Jakarta and Hainan in China, over the next two years.

For more information: www.raffles.com

Photo credit: Raffles Hotels & Resorts