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Round Robin Challenge - Landmark
My first choice would be The Raffles Hotel, since this hotel is well known all over the world and had been around for decades.
Declared a National Monument in 1987, the hotel has grown from strength to strength. With its restoration and reopening in 1991, Raffles Hotel today stands as a jewel in the crown of Singapore's hospitality industry, renowned and loved for its inimitable style and unsurpassed excellence in service and facilities.
In multicultural Singapore it is not surprising that the visionary founders of Raffles Hotel were a quartet of enterprising Armenian brothers: Martin, Tigran, Aviet and Arshak Sarkies.
Raffles Hotel opened in 1887 in a rather sombre-looking old bungalow known as the Beach House. It was named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore. Topical suites and sola topis were as much a part of Raffles Hotel's early style as bentwood tables and rattan chairs. Over the years the hotel has evolved into one of the world's most beloved grand hotels and welcomed innumerable celebrities, writers and royalty.
And right next to it is the Swissôtel The Stamford , at 226 metres with 73 floors, is the tallest hotelin Singapore and the sixth tallest hotel in the world. The hotel is also the seventh tallest building in Singapore. It is located within the Raffles City complex and with 1,263 rooms it also has the most of any hotel in Singapore.
Opening in 1986 as the Westin Stamford, it was then the tallest hotel in the world. It was refurbished in 2001 together with its sister hotel, Fairmont Singapore (formerly Raffles The Plaza), located within the same complex. On January 1, 2002 the two sister hotels were renamed due to a change of management. The hotels were previously managed by Starwood Hotels and Resorts, but are now operated by Raffles International. Recently in 2006, the service area of the hotel was converted into a retail area of fifty additional shops in Raffles City, known as the Raffles Marketplace.
Written by jamahameed Blog about this entry |
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lovely photos... they are in Singapore? Thanks for sharing!
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Very cool! It's great to see the pictures of these landmark hotels, but also get the background on why they're important. Well done, and welcome to the Robins! - Karen
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Hi :)
And welcome to the Round Robins! Those are very beautiful buildings you've posted there. Hotels are a very good example of landmarks, some of them, the one here, is so beautiful and historic. :) You did a lovely job with the photography. :) Once again, welcome to the Round Robins, our next challenge has already been posted. It will play in a couple weeks. Come read all about it when you get the chance! :)
Always, Carly :)
2/2/08 9:53 AM
Martha ~ http://journals.aol.com/lifes