Hey! We meet again! Last but definitely not the very least, here’s the third and final part of my ASCOTT hotel review. If you missed my last few stays, I did reviews at other ASCOTT properties too; Lyf Funan Singapore and Ascott Orchard Singapore.

I understand that there are other hotel properties under the Ascott brand but hey, there’s only one of me! So I narrowed down to the ones I genuinely feel fits the criteria of my blog reviews.

I was particularly excited for the next hotel that I stayed in. I’m a history nerd! While others might be interested in the history of fashion or some others, I really love historic, monumental structures or buildings. I like imagining how the place looked like before, and what the atmosphere and vibe was like.

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That brings me to the next hotel, The Ascott Raffles.

The hotel is built within a restored building that once housed an insurance company back in 1955. During that time, the building was one of the tallest structure in southeast asia! It was also one of the only few buildings that had air-conditioning. To bring the old and worn-our structure back to its prime, The Ascott Limited generously spent a whopping $60 million on renovations. Just wow, right?

When I arrived to the hotel, the quaintness of the building was obvious but there was a certain elegance to it. The hotel lobby was nothing but breathtaking. Same like Ascott Orchard, check-in counters were minimal. Maybe it’s just me but I find it awkward doing my check-ins while seated down. I’m just used to standing up while handling documents! But that aside, check-in was a breeze. The staff was so polite and explained everything in detail. Perfection!

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The suite that we booked was called the Cutler Suite. Before I arrived, I already knew what to expect of the room. I always research prior to all of my hotel stays and I genuinely felt that I was prepared to what the room has to offer.

Boy, was I wrong! The expectations I had before? Exceeded! It was really exciting. I never felt that elevated in a long time! The photos and videos I saw online didn’t do justice to my room at all. It was really beautiful. Even beautiful is an understatement. It was gorgeous, at its best. I’m unsure if I got a recently renovated suite, but it didn’t look like what I saw on their official website. It was spectacular, if not, better.

What greeted us when we opened the front door, is an open-layout kitchen. Unlike Ascott Orchard, the kitchen here is bigger and has more storage space. It definitely felt homely to me! All the essentials were there. You name it, they have it; crockery, pots, cutleries.. everything! This time, there was even a stove if you need to do some light cooking.

Microwave oven is available for use too. Even the fridge is huge, not like those minibars you always see in hotel rooms. It was great. The amenities in the kitchen is all prepared nicely too! Only two capsules of coffee was given. We’re coffee people! So we definitely called for more.

Moving on to the prominent part of the room! The full-walled, glass windows definitely captured my attention. We were on the 20th floor, so the view was of course, magnificent.

We’re surrounded by tall skyscrapers, but that definitely didn’t hinder the view of the sea and sunset. What I really love was the natural sunlight that came glistening in when we slide the curtains open.

The suite is also equipped with BOSE speakers all around. Definitely a plus if you’re watching a movie! Sadly, the cables weren’t available during our stay, so we couldn’t test it out. Many channels are available on the TV too, but I always bring my HDMI cables everywhere so we watched Netflix through my ipad instead. Convenient! Oh. If anyone has an efficient, wireless way of connecting devices to a TV, let me know!

Bed was definitely comfy. However, pillows were super soft! I’m not sure if that’s good? It was literally too soft, it seems to sink inwards; making it feel like I didn’t use a pillow at all. If that makes sense? But.. double it up and you’re good to go to sleep!

All the essential amenities is provided in the suite too! Robes, slippers, iron, ironing board is all prepared in the wardrobe if you ever need to use them. Everything is provided!

The bathroom is indeed, quite huge too. Imagine the space when you can fit a bathtub in a different section of the bathroom. I really appreciate how the bathroom is designed in way that the tub is situated far from the toilet bowl. I have that certain disgust when the toilet bowl is just beside the tub. Really unsure how I’m supposed to feel relaxed in a bubble bath with a poop machine beside me. But to each his own! I’m really glad that the bathtub here is separated with glass doors.

And with that huge window by the tub, the view is definitely super pretty during the sunset.

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In all that prodigiousness, there’s a downside that I really need to highlight; the In-Room Dining.

I love hotel breakfasts! What I love more.. is breakfast on bed. Meaning that it’s a guilty pleasure of mine, to call up room service and get breakfast served to my room. But it’s a little different here in Ascott Raffles Singapore. Though the restaurant is located inside the hotel, I was informed that they are not affiliated so making your breakfast orders can get pretty complicated.

When I called during breakfast, I was told to come down to the restaurant itself, order from their menu physically and wait there until the food is served. But! Hear this out! If you were to order your food elsewhere through a third-party app, the concierge will gladly send the food up straight to your suite. That made me wonder for awhile, why can’t they do that to their on-site restaurant as well? Wouldn’t it contribute to their revenue and profit at the end of the day?

I really felt it wasn’t efficient at all. Really hope the ordering system will change, sooner or later. In an industry where convenience is crucial, this is definitely a step back.

Of course, we decided to have breakfast by ordering from FoodPanda instead and it arrived in less than 30 minutes. Right on our doorstep. Perfection!

Breakfast issue aside! One thing I know for sure, I enjoyed my stay here in Ascott Raffles. Will I come back? That’s a definite yes! I won’t even think twice. It really felt very relaxing to be here. I had a package delivery coming in prior to the stay, and when I checked in, it was already in my room. Right there and then, the staffs here really captured my attention. Anticipation is key! And they used that key to unlock my heart!

I absolutely will recommend this hotel to literally everyone. Family, couples or solo. It’s suitable for all occasions. Definitely one to remember.

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We’ve come to the end of my ASCOTT review journey. I genuinely had a lot of fun reviewing the hotels under them! Definitely more to come and if you have a hotel in mind that I should review, send me a message on Instagram! Can’t wait to check out more amazing stays in our tiny little island!

See you soon,

Aliff Daniel.