Latest news with #KeppelRoad
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Malay Mail
Singapore cop under probe after cyclist injured in Keppel Road hit-and-run
SINGAPORE, June 7 — A police officer is under investigation after allegedly driving off following a traffic accident involving a cyclist along Keppel Road in Singapore yesterday afternoon. According to Channel News Asia (CNA), the collision occurred around 3.10pm, in the direction of the Marina Coastal Expressway. The vehicle involved was a police car driven by a 30-year-old regular officer from the Special Operations Command (SOC). In a statement today, the police said preliminary findings indicated that the officer left the scene without realising a collision had occurred. 'The officer returned to the scene immediately to assist with investigations upon being informed,' the statement read. The cyclist, a 41-year-old man, was conscious when taken to Singapore General Hospital, the Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed to CNA. The officer is currently assisting with investigations for driving without due consideration and for causing hurt. He has also been taken off driving duties while the probe continues.
CNA
3 days ago
- CNA
Police vehicle involved in accident with cyclist along Keppel Road, officer assisting with investigations
SINGAPORE: Police investigations are ongoing after an accident involving a police vehicle and a cyclist along Keppel Road towards Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) at around 3.10pm on Friday (Jun 6). Preliminary investigations found that the driver of the vehicle, a regular police officer from the Special Operations Command (SOC), allegedly left the scene after colliding with the cyclist, they said on Saturday, adding that the 30-year-old man is assisting with investigations. The cyclist, a 41-year-old man, was taken conscious to the hospital. Police said the driver was not aware of the collision until the Traffic Police contacted the SOC. The officer returned to the scene immediately to assist with investigations upon being informed, they added. "The officer is assisting with investigations for driving without due consideration of other road users and for causing hurt," said the police.
Times
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Singapore has a new £70 million Raffles. Can it compete with the original?
Nepo babies complain that they get a hard time in the press and, with the exception of the footballer-turned-photographer-turned-chef-turned-Formula E driver-turned-actor Brooklyn Beckham, they may have a point. By the way, I know Beckham hasn't launched an acting career yet but as his wife, Nicola, is a 'film-maker', it can only be a matter of time. Before these snowflakes protest too loudly, they should consider the beady-eyed criticism that awaits the offspring of a bone fide bricks-and-mortar grande dame. The world's top hotels have a place in our hearts that transcends the fleeting devotion afforded to celebrities and nowhere has higher bucket-list status than Raffles Singapore. It's been topping 'best of the best' lists for more than a century. During that time, Rudyard Kipling edited The Jungle Book on its veranda, Elizabeth Taylor's jewellery was out-sparkled by its ginormous chandeliers, Winston Churchill raised his spirits — and downed most of the hotel's — in its Long Bar and William Somerset Maugham impressed the old girl with his chat-up line, 'Raffles stands for all the fables of the exotic east.' That's considerably more to live up to than your dad kicking a ball about and your mum designing dresses. So when this titan of travel, arguably the country's number one tourist attraction, announced that it would open a second property a 15-minute drive along Keppel Road on Sentosa Island, which is connected to the southern tip of the mainland by rail, road and cable car, the disapproving rattle of afternoon tea cups in its grand lobby was deafening. Fans argued that it was madness, especially given Singapore is so tiny it fits into Wales 33 times and Sentosa's theme parks give it a bit of a downmarket image. I'm the first journalist to stay at Raffles Sentosa Singapore, which opened this spring. I'm here to discover whether this town is big enough for the both of them. As my limousine snakes up the tree-lined drive to the hilltop that is home to the newcomer, I'll admit to the kind of reservations that aren't particularly helpful when you're about to check in. Despite a rumoured spend north of £70 million and Raffles occupying a luscious 25-acre slice of Sentosa, a relatively hilly rainforested island fringed with beaches, I have my doubts that its 62 pool villas can match the magnificence of its famous predecessor. When the resort comes into view I receive my first indication of how it intends to do so: by being 180 degrees of different. In fact if it were a child, you'd demand a DNA test because it bears so little relation to the treasured landmark. In place of the wedding-cake confection of neo-Renaissance architecture screaming for attention across an entire block of Beach Road in the central business district, I am entranced by the understatement of Sentosa's clean-lined, contemporary design, peeking modestly through a heavy fringe of seashore mangosteen trees and traveller's palms. And although Sentosa's doormen wear a dazzling military-style white uniform that is similar to the one donned by their colleagues at the mother ship, their outfits are topped with a jaunty feather-trimmed trilby rather than those much-photographed turbans. Thankfully the conspicuous consumption of the original's arcade of designer stores has been ditched in favour of on-trend botanical bling, with life-enhancing foliage bursting forth from every corner and crevice. Sentosa's lobby lounge, the Raffles Room, chimes perfectly with how we want to holiday now. It shimmers with natural goodness thanks to an organic palette of sunshine golds, spring greens and butterscotch browns for its curvaceous mid-century furniture, floral fabrics, trellis screens and swirled-marble puddle tables. The design studio Yabu Pushelberg, whose CV includes Four Seasons and Aman properties, excels at low-key luxury and creating a restful sense of place. Here that means channelling guests' focus towards the floor-to-ceiling window and the hotel's spin on a precious antique. It's not gilded or glinting, it's a heritage ficus tree, thought to be more than 100 years old, that stands on the snooker table-smooth lawn a few feet beyond where couples are tucking into afternoon tea. As I admire its arthritic ivy-wrapped trunk, a peacock struts into frame and idly fans its tail. It's route one to relaxation. My butler, Rose, swiftly ushers me towards a Rolls-Royce buggy that whisks us along pathways festooned with plants to my villa to complete check-in formalities while I sip a Sentosa sling, the pretender's reply to the kingpin's classic cocktail. It mixes brandy, amaro, eau de vie and passionfruit, and has a pinkish hue courtesy of watermelon. It's as sickly sweet as an am-dram production of Little Women. Fortunately, as I've established, there are lots of plant pots. The villa interiors are much more to my taste, starting with their size. Even entry-level rooms are bigger than the signature suites at you-know-where. The Royal Villa, which sleeps eight, is so ridiculously vast that the Italian manufacturer Pagani displayed one of its £5 million hypercars on its terrace for a sales event (although the villa doors did have to be widened for access). The car sold — Sentosa is that kind of wealthy. • I thought this stopover city would be boring. Here's why I was wrong I think I'll cope with holing up in my super-private one-bedroom villa, with its soothing neutral colours, 3m-high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows that blur the line between indoors and outdoors. My bedroom, bathroom and living room all overlook my come-hither private pool, which has a muslin-draped cabana and terrace, liberally sprinkled with sofas and dining spots. On tiptoes I can even glimpse the sea and appreciate how its cooling breezes ensure that Sentosa is nowhere near as hot and humid as downtown. Raffles is known for its exceptional butler service, with the team led by the veteran Wayne Fitzharris, who has flapped out napkins for royalty and world leaders during his career. Lady Gaga gushed that she felt like a princess thanks to the attentiveness of her butler at Raffles Istanbul, which even ran to a handwritten welcome note for her pet dog Miss Asia. I feel more like minor royalty — Zara Tindall, maybe — as I experience several glitches, including uncleared room service and confusion over taxis, though I imagine service will reach regal standards soon. The subtle opulence of my surroundings keeps me content. There's the exquisite mural in the living room by the local artist André Wee, which depicts the island's tropical flora and fauna, and the bedroom's warm-toned French oak coffered ceiling and striking honeycomb-inspired bedhead. There are cute touches too, including pampering Ortigia amenities in the decadent bathroom and a bedside copper jug and glasses. There's some scientific evidence to suggest that storing water in copper improves digestion, supports immunity and may even aid weight loss. That would be useful because Sentosa has some tempting dining options. I can't try the seductively pink all-day restaurant, the Empire Grill, because it's been booked out for a Hermès showcase for 100 of its most prized customers. A shame, as its tables spill joyfully on to the terrace of a 30m infinity pool that has rainforest and sea views, especially at sunset. Its German chef, Björn Alexander Panek, specialises in wood-fired rustic Tuscan cucina, an intriguing combination that obviously works as he won two Michelin stars for it at the Italian restaurant Octavium in Hong Kong. • 22 of the best things to do in Singapore His fellow chef Kenjiro Hashida is still in the process of moving his popular Japanese restaurant from Amoy Street to open Iyasaka by Hashida at the resort, so I go Chinese and try the tasting menu at Royal China. The decor is as elegantly restrained as the Cantonese food is refined, with the crispy prawns topped with delicious tart yuzu kosho mayo and the succulent lobster in golden broth standout dishes. The spa is also having final tweakments during my stay. When it opens it will have a dozen treatment rooms, a light-filled gym and three pretty pools, including one with a waterfall and a café. Instead the wellbeing butler, Ali, suggests a tour of the island in the resort's vintage white Rolls-Royce Phantom. I'm not entirely sure which bit of sitting in the back seat is healthy and the tour doesn't take long as this rainforested dot is only two square miles. We skip options such as Universal Studios, Madame Tussauds and Harry Potter: Visions of Magic and visit the Fort Siloso Skywalk for some bird's eye context before heading to the fort itself to learn about the coastal defence's important role during the Second World War. I also spend time at Tanjong beach, an easy stroll from the hotel. It's a lovely crescent of golden sand with a tranquil vibe and excellent people — and cargo ship — watching. Yes, really. The beach has views across to the world's second-busiest port and although I'd barely spared a thought for container transshipment previously, it proves a surprisingly mesmerising pastime. Granted, this hardly compares with the promise of celebrity spotting at the better-known Raffles but comparisons between the two properties are pointless. They complement rather than compete with each other. Raffles Sentosa is not your typical nepo baby. This is more your Phil and Lily Collins scenario, where you can't really believe they're related. This article contains affiliate links, which can earn us revenue Susan d'Arcy was a guest of Raffles Sentosa Singapore ( which has B&B doubles from £842. Fly to Singapore After a three-year, £150 million renovation, completed in 2019, the grande dame is back to her best. The makeover of the 115 suites has given them a glossy softness thanks to ivory-white walls, rattan furniture, dark-wood floors and covetable traditional Peranakan tiles in the bathrooms. Beyond them lie three acres of tropical gardens lined with marble colonnades and the hotel's Long Bar, where it is almost obligatory to order a Singapore sling. Seven dining options include the Tiffin Room, decorated with battered steel tiffin boxes and serving up superior nasi lemak, a warming dish of rice with anchovies and B&B doubles from £1,383 ( • Raffles hotel review: Singapore's inimitable grande dame only gets better with age Draped across 30 tropical acres of Sentosa Island, this 112-room hotel combines colonial and contemporary charm, as the design studio Foster + Partners has sensitively added a sweeping smart red-louvred extension to four officers' barracks that date back to the 1880s. Dining also dances between styles, ranging from Cantonese at Cassia, inspired by the historic spice routes of southern and western China, to Fiamma, which serves up authentic Italian dishes by the celebrated chef Mauro Colagreco. There is a spa and three pools, and the popular Palawan beach lies a short walk B&B doubles from £600 ( Sitting on Marina Bay, this hotel has a ringside seat over a sparkling panorama that includes the eye-catching architecture of the ArtScience Museum, the esplanade's striking exterior reminiscent of the city's beloved durian fruit, and the Helix bridge, which reaches across to Gardens by the Bay. Interiors compete hard for attention, though, and are sprinkled with artworks by David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Dale Chihuly, Frank Stella and Zhu Wei. Bedrooms have a modern blond-on-blond moodboard and octagonal bathroom windows that are a nod to the number 8, lucky in certain Asian cultures. There is an outdoor swimming pool, a ten-room spa and Republic, a cocktail bar dedicated to drinks for the Swinging Room-only doubles from £400 (
