Raffles Hotels & Resorts has outlined the opening dates for nine upcoming hotels as it gears up to more than double its portfolio.

Later this year, the hotel group will open a second hotel in Dubai (The Palm), as well as properties in Bahrain, Udaipur and Macau. 

The Accor-owned brand will then debut flagship locations in London, Boston, Doha and Jeddah in 2022 and Moscow in 2023. More properties are set to follow. 

“Raffles approaches every endeavour with the utmost thought, care and discernment; our global expansion is no exception,” said Stephen Alden, chief executive of Raffles and Orient Express.

“With our pioneering spirit, we have sought out locations where we can really bring Raffles' gracious welcome and tradition of excellence to life.

“Each new Raffles property is a destination in itself, and we are creating places where people want to be, in tune with our well-travelled guests’ contemporary lifestyles.” 

The brand described the opening of Raffles London at The OWO and The OWO residences by Raffles as a “watershed moment”.

The new property will open in the iconic Grade II listed Old War Office building, an architectural masterpiece originally completed in 1906 which served as Winston’s Churchill’s base during the Second World War and the birthplace of Ian Fleming’s James Bond. 

The hotel will comprise 125 rooms and suites, 85 residences, nine restaurants and bars and a spa. It will be the first time the building has been open to the public in more than a century.

The brand’s debut in North America is also expected to be momentous.

Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences will be the brand’s first mixed-use North American venture, located in Boston’s prestigious Back Bay neighbourhood. The 35-storey building will feature 146 residences, 147 guest rooms and six restaurant and bar venues, including a sky bar and speakeasy. 

Meanwhile, Raffles Al Areen Palace in Bahrain is located near the island’s protected wildlife park and reserve, home to a wide range of exotic animals and desert plants. It will feature 78 pool villas, one of the largest spas in the region and a secret garden.

In Qatar, the brand will open a hotel in the Iconic Towers in Lusail, a representation of Qatar’s national seal. Raffles Doha will offer 132 suites and 49 branded residences, as well as boutique shopping, movie theatres, restaurants and a cigar lounge. 

In Saudi Arabia, Raffles Jeddah will feature 181 guest rooms, including a wedding suite and penthouse suite with in-room entertainment, and 188 branded residences. Guest will also find six restaurants and lounges, a library, a spa with eight treatment rooms and a fitness club. 

The brand’s ninth new opening, Raffles Moscow, will be the located next to the Kremlin in the heart of the city. The hotel group’s first property in Russia, it will comprise 153 rooms across nine floors with views overlooking the Kremlin and Red Square.

Photo credit: Grain London