Picture One (L to R): Mr Pierre Jochem - General Manager of Raffles Hotel and Regional Vice President of Operations, Asia Pacific, Raffles Hotels & Resorts; Mrs Diana Ee-Tan, President of Raffles Hotels & Resorts; President SR Nathan; Ms Jennie Chua - Chairman of Community Chest; Mr Edmund Tie - Vice Chairman of Community Chest — Photo by Raffles Hotel Singapore
Spectacular line-up of the 6 Christmas "Trees" — Photo by Raffles Hotel Singapore

The 17th Raffles' Annual Gala Christmas Tree Dinner and Auction held on Tuesday, 25 November 2008 raised S$268,000 from the auction of six spectacularly decorated Christmas "trees", a silent auction of coveted services and through direct donations from well-wishers. The much-anticipated soiree on Singapore's festive calendar was held at The Ballroom of Raffles Hotel, and was graced by President S R Nathan and Mrs Nathan as the Guests-of- Honour.

The intimate ballroom was decorated to the event's theme of "A Glittering Christmas" and was embellished in colours of plush ruby-red and shimmering silver. The cream of Singapore's society and munificent philanthropists enjoyed a tantalising western menu complemented by exquisite wines.

Mr Pierre Jochem, General Manager of Raffles Hotel and Regional Vice President of Operations, Asia Pacific, Raffles Hotels & Resorts said, "We are delighted to have exceeded our target of S$100,000. Raffles Hotel is proud to lead our support to the community by staging this event for the last 17 years. It was most encouraging to see so many generous supporters this evening, who pledged their time and money to help raise funds for the charities".

Guests were dazzled by the plethora of exclusive treats contributed by Booze Wine Shop, Champagne Laurent-Perrier, Elliott's Antiques, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Raffles Hotels & Resorts, Silversea Cruises, as well as Lanvin, Woffles Wu Aesthetics Surgery & Astute Corporation, Bin House, CYC The Custom Shop and American Fine Furnishing Gallery. The splendid array of luxurious lifestyle products and services include traditional antiques, exquisite wines and wine glasses, fine champagne, luxury timepieces, extravagant hotel stays and cruise packages, sports memorabilia, a host of pampering beauty and wellness treats, and a unique collection of gift items from Raffles Hotel Arcade. Proceeds of the auction goes to the disadvantaged and needy, including four charities supported by the Community Chest namely AWWA Special School, Lion Befrienders, Samaritans of Singapore and TOUCH Ubi Hostel.

ABOUT RAFFLES HOTEL | Raffles Hotel features 103 elegantly appointed suites, 18 distinctive restaurants and bars, the world-class RafflesAmrita 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. To access high resolution, print-friendly photographs of Raffles Hotel, please visit our Private Digital Library www.leonardo.com/raffles

ABOUT RAFFLES HOTELS & RESORTS | Raffles is a collection of luxury hotels and resorts worldwide, each distinguished by its luxury, elegance and residential charm. Each hotel is a landmark in its respective city, positioned at the top of its local market and rated among the very best in the world. Raffles' relentless pursuit of service excellence has earned for its hotels and resorts a legion of international accolades, including Condé Nast World's Best Places to Stay and Travel & Page 3 of 3 Leisure World's Best Awards. Its flagship Raffles Hotel Singapore was voted Best Hotel in Asia in 2007 and 2008 by readers of Ultratravel magazine by The Daily Telegraph while Raffles Beijing Hotel was named Best New City Hotel by Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report in 2006. Raffles Dubai, the latest addition to its portfolio, is recognised among the world's best new hotels by Conde Nast Traveler's 2008 Hot List, and was named Best New Hotel Development in the Middle East at the 2008 Arabian Hotel Investment Conference. Raffles Hotels & Resorts is consistently ranked among the world's top 10 hotel brands in the annual Condé Nast Traveler Business Travel Awards. Raffles Hotels & Resorts is owned by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, a leading global hotel company with 91 hotels and resorts worldwide under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel brands. The company also owns Fairmont and Raffles branded Residences, Estates and luxury private residence club properties. For more information, please visit www.raffles.com

Vanessa Man
Manager, Marketing Communications
(65) 6412-1305
Raffles