Raffles Singapore
Singapore, Singapore · Raffles
A colonial-era, all-suite hotel in Singapore’s central civic district, home to the Long Bar and Tiffin Room.
Read the full verdictSide by sideRaffles Singapore vsLe Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris
Overall, the two are within a point of each other.
Raffles Singapore leads on service (+1.5), wellness (+1), rooms & design (+0.5) and dining (+0.5). Level on location.
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Tell us about the trip and we’ll say which one we’d book, then book it for you at the same rate as booking direct, with our perks on top.
Fat Favorite, 17 out of 20Raffles Singapore
Fat Favorite, 16.5 out of 20Le Royal Monceau – Raffles ParisLe Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris
Paris, France · Raffles
A Raffles hotel behind a classic façade in Paris’s 8th arrondissement, near the Arc de Triomphe and Monceau Park, with an art collection throughout.
Read the full verdictHow they score
Out of 20. The bars start at 10, so half a point still shows.
Overall+0.5
Overall: Raffles Singapore 17 out of 20, Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris 16.5 out of 20.Service+1.5Why
Service: Raffles Singapore 17.5 out of 20, Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris 16 out of 20.
Raffles Singapore: A butler tracking down a birthday cake or a doorman covering a cab fare shows up often, but so do stories of guests being stopped and questioned in the lobby.
Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris: Front desk, concierge and butlers get named and praised often, but check-in mishaps and slow follow-through on room issues show up too.
Rooms & Design+0.5Why
Rooms & Design: Raffles Singapore 18 out of 20, Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris 17.5 out of 20.
Raffles Singapore: The 2019 restoration gets singled out for keeping the colonial bones (brass switches, soaring ceilings) while adding huge bathrooms and iPad room controls that actually work.
LocationLevelWhy
Location: Raffles Singapore 18 out of 20, Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris 18 out of 20.
Raffles Singapore: Dead center of the civic district, close enough to the underground and Raffles City mall that the only complaint is a two-minute walk in the heat.
Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris: Steps from the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysees, with Monceau park and a favorite cheese shop within walking distance.
Dining+0.5Why
Dining: Raffles Singapore 17 out of 20, Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris 16.5 out of 20.
Raffles Singapore: The Tiffin Room and the breakfast buffet get named as highlights, though at least one guest found the Tiffin Room service and food underwhelming for the price.
Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris: Matsuhisa and Il Carpaccio both get singled out for strong food, though one diner found the Japanese menu thin and pricey.
Wellness+1Why
Wellness: Raffles Singapore 15 out of 20, Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris 14 out of 20.
Raffles Singapore: The spa and pool barely come up next to the Long Bar and the courtyard, which suggests wellness here is an afterthought, not a draw.
Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris: The gym and spa get warm but infrequent mentions; nobody describes a standout treatment or facility beyond a solid workout room.
Strengths and trade-offs
Raffles Singapore
Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris
Strengths
- Butler service in every suite, with staff who track down small requests like a specific tea or a birthday cake unprompted by any request form
- The 2019 restoration preserved colonial details like brass fittings while modernizing bathrooms and room technology
- Central civic-district location within walking distance of the underground and Raffles City mall
- The Tiffin Room and breakfast buffet are consistently the standout meals on property
- The Long Bar and its Singapore Sling remain a genuine draw rather than just a tourist stop
Strengths
- Staff who remember returning guests by name across multiple stays
- Prime location minutes from the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysees
- Art-filled interiors with a distinctive, unconventional design for a Paris palace hotel
- Strong on-site dining at Matsuhisa Paris and Il Carpaccio
- Concierge team praised for detailed, thoughtful itinerary planning
Trade-offs
- Several guests describe being stopped and questioned about whether they belonged in guest-only areas, more than once in the same stay
- Check-in and check-out have been inconsistent, with room-readiness delays and slow email response before arrival
- Wellness facilities are an afterthought next to the dining and bar scene
- Some guests find the Tiffin Room’s food and service underwhelming given the price
Trade-offs
- Room-ready times regularly running late into the afternoon
- Maintenance issues reported with air conditioning, plumbing, and in-room wifi
- Occasional mix-ups with room assignments and billing at check-in
Where they differ
Only at Raffles Singapore
Only at Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris
The verdicts
Raffles Singapore
A night here starts around the price of a very good flight and comes with a butler, a birthday cake you didn't ask for, and a doorman who might remember your name by the second time you walk through the door. The building earns every bit of that reputation: the 2019 restoration kept the brass switches and the peanut shells on the Long Bar floor while quietly rebuilding the bathrooms to be nearly the size of the bedrooms. People who stayed thirty years ago and came back say it hasn't lost the charm, which is rare for a hotel this famous.
Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris
This is a Paris palace hotel that still feels like it belongs to an art collector rather than a committee. The rooms mix bold color with Art Deco lines, the bathrooms are basically one giant mirror, and the location a few minutes from the Arc de Triomphe means you can walk to the Champs-Elysees and back before dinner. Staff get remembered by name on return visits, which for a hotel this size is not a given, and the concierge team builds itineraries good enough that one guest joked they should skip the trip-planning apps entirely.
Still torn between Raffles Singapore and Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris?
We’re Sofie and Nicolas, and we’ve stayed in hotels like these ourselves. Tell us what the trip is and we’ll tell you which one we’d book, and why. We’re not really a booking service, but a few times a year we plan one properly for someone; if that’s what you’re after, say so.
It's just the two of us, so we take on a handful of trips at a time. If we're full, we'll say so. We reply within a working day. The hotel pays us, not you: your rate is the same as booking direct, and the perks come on top.
What fat travellers ask
Which should I book — Raffles Singapore or Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris?
Raffles Singapore: A butler tracking down a birthday cake or a doorman covering a cab fare shows up often. Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris: Steps from the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysees, with Monceau park and a favorite cheese shop within walking distance.
What’s the difference between Raffles Singapore and Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris?
Raffles Singapore is ahead on how you’re looked after. Raffles Singapore adds Heritage; Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris adds Design and Parisian. Both are tagged Urban, Architecture, Romantic and Culinary.
Which is better for service, Raffles Singapore or Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris?
Raffles Singapore leads on this. Raffles Singapore: A butler tracking down a birthday cake or a doorman covering a cab fare shows up often, but so do stories of guests being stopped and questioned in the lobby. Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris: Front desk, concierge and butlers get named and praised often, but check-in mishaps and slow follow-through on room issues show up too.
Which is better for wellness, Raffles Singapore or Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris?
Raffles Singapore leads on this. Raffles Singapore: The spa and pool barely come up next to the Long Bar and the courtyard, which suggests wellness here is an afterthought, not a draw. Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris: The gym and spa get warm but infrequent mentions; nobody describes a standout treatment or facility beyond a solid workout room.
Where are Raffles Singapore and Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris?
Raffles Singapore is in Singapore, Singapore; Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris is in Paris, France.
How does Fat Voyage compare Raffles Singapore and Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris?
Fat Voyage scores every hotel out of 20 across five dimensions — service, rooms & design, location, dining and wellness — read from the trip reports in the most active luxury travel communities, critics’ reviews and verified guest reviews, with the long, detailed and recent ones counting most. Nothing is paid for, and no hotel can buy a place.