Raffles Hotel Among The First In Singapore To Receive The "COOL Singapore" Certification

The certification system for hotels, initiated and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, National Trade Union Congress and Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union, is to reassure visitors of the safety of the hotels and the hotel workers in Singapore.

Raffles Hotel is one of the first hotels in Singapore to conduct daily temperature checks on all employees and suppliers. It started the checks as early as two weeks ago. Other measures during this period included stepping up the Hotel's stringent cleaning schedules of all public and enclosed areas to every four hours; providing hand sanitizers to all staff in addition to existing wall-mounted sanitizers in back-of-house areas; collecting health and travel history declaration forms from all staff; and briefing and keeping all employees up-to-date on the SARS situation via intensive communication sessions, brochures and daily notice board updates.

Mr Javier Rosenberg, General Manager of Raffles Hotel, emphasizes Raffles Hotel's stance on the current situation, "We warmly welcome STB's efforts to reassure the public of precautionary measures against SARS. This certification is a declaration of Raffles Hotel's true commitment and dedication to providing a safe and healthy environment for all our visitors. We hope it will serve to reassure our residents and patrons that we have in place the necessary measures to make their stay a comfortable one."

In addition to the stringent measures put in place, the Hotel's famed large and open-air grounds, with its wide selection of restaurants and bars which allow for both outdoor and private-room dining, are natural advantages in providing a conducive setting for the residents' stay, as well as for patrons' dining or entertaining purposes. Banqueting patrons and wedding couples also have the option of having their events held at the lush outdoor function areas of the Hotel.

All residents are offered maximum privacy with a private lobby, meeting rooms and designated areas of the Hotel. Amrita Spa as well as a 24-hour gym and swimming pool are exclusive to Hotel residents. Personal on-call Valets are also provided as a dedicated point of contact for all residents' 24-hour requirements on top of the beautifully appointed suites with individual air-conditioning control, outdoor verandahs and windows, which allows for the circulation of fresh air.

About Raffles Hotel, Singapore - Raffles Hotel features 103 elegantly appointed suites, 18 distinctive restaurants and bars, the world-class Amrita Spa, Raffles Hotel Arcade housing the best in regional specialities and international brand names, including THOS SB Raffles - an incubator shop offering lifestyle concepts and products as well as a purveyor of fine food and wines, the Raffles Hotel Museum, the Jubilee Hall theatre playhouse, the Raffles Culinary Academy and extensive lush gardens and courtyards.

About Raffles International - Raffles International Limited, formed in 1989, is a name well respected in the industry for its standards of quality, award-winning concepts and innovative approach towards hotel management.

Raffles International's hotels and resorts are marketed under a two-tiered brand structure. The "Raffles brand" hotels distinguish themselves by the highest standards of products and services available in major cities on an international level. The "Swissôtel" hotels offer quality accommodation and the full range of modern facilities and amenities expected by today's discerning traveller, with an emphasis on quality and comfort. Many hotels in the Raffles International portfolio have been voted top hotels in the world.

Raffles International also operates one of the largest spa networks in the world - Amrita Spa. Raffles International's Amrita facilities are found in 15 locations. These include Raffles L'Ermitage, Beverly Hills in USA; Swissôtel Quito in Ecuador; Le Montreux Palace in Switzerland; Swissôtel Berlin in Germany, Raffles Brown's Hotel in the UK and Swissôtel Dalian. Raffles International also operates the SPAcademy, Singapore's premier spa education and skills training institute. The Raffles International Training Centres in Singapore and Phnom Penh offer training programmes for the hospitality and service industry.

About Raffles Holdings and CapitaLand - Raffles International Limited is the hotel management subsidiary of Raffles Holdings Limited. Raffles Holdings Limited's portfolio comprises hotels and resorts in major destinations across Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Raffles Holdings is a subsidiary of CapitaLand Limited. Both companies are listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited.

CapitaLand is one of the largest listed property companies in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, the multi-national company's core businesses in residential, commercial and industrial property and property-related services, such as property funds and real estate financials are focused in select gateway cities in China, Australia and the UK. In these countries, CapitaLand is in partnership with reputable local players and has established a management team that understands the market, business practices and socio-economic factors.

The Company's hospitality businesses, in hotels and serviced residences, span more than 50 cities around the world. CapitaLand also leverages on its significant real estate asset base and market knowledge to develop fee-based products and services in Singapore and the region.