What does this award mean to you and who do you want to share it with?
We are hugely honoured. This award belongs to all our colleagues, past and present, who have always maintained the highest standards, providing warm, personal and effective service, and making Raffles an oasis for the well-travelled and offering a unique emotional luxury experience.

What motivates you to excel in all that you do?
Most hotels have to create authenticity and heritage. We are very fortunate because we don’t have to invent anything. Raffles is the real thing, a genuine icon beautifully maintained in its original style. It is not just a hotel, it is an atmosphere, a feeling, an emotional place. We are privileged that this authenticity and history already exists and it is inspiring to be part of it everyday.

What advice would you give to the next generation of tourism professionals who desire success in this trade?
It is a vibrant and complex business and you have to want to learn about the industry and the business from the basics. Then you need genuine enthusiasm, passion and interest in the work, which is very stimulating and of course you need lots of energy.

Credits to Simon Hirst, General manager, Raffles Singapore