TRIED & TESTED With its location at a strategic crossroads for the lucrative spice trade, it’s little wonder Sir Stamford Raffles had his eye on Singapore. In 1819 the British established a trading hub here, with the Singapore River at its heart.
The first riverside wharves were built at Boat Quay and Clarke Quay and, further upstream, Robertson Quay was established in the 1880s. Its namesake, Dr J Murray Robertson, was a municipal councillor. Now, the man, the quay, and this colonial period are celebrated in one of Singapore’s newest hotels, The Robertson House by The Crest Collection, which opened in October 2023.
In the lobby, I’m greeted with styling that invokes colonial Singapore, like black-and-white window blinds, rattan furniture and, behind the reception, a wall-sized print of the river…
