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Building brand Singapore: Be like the Raffles Hotel
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The writer visited the Raffles Europejski Warsaw hotel. The ownership of Raffles Hotel may have changed hands, but its Singaporean identity remains a part of its heritage.
PHOTO: KOH BUCK SONG
Koh Buck Song
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For 20 years, I had been feeling somewhat sad since Raffles Hotel was sold in 2005 to an American investment firm. The brand then changed hands three more times, and now comes under Europe’s largest hotel operator, Accor.
To me, it was a matter of regret to lose direct control over this famous country brand asset, part of Singapore’s cultural landscape since 1887. Imagine what a game changer it would be for brand Singapore, to have the Singapore flag flying in Raffles’ other hotels around the world.
