One last look at Singapore’s Raffles Hotel before it closes
Throughout his 45-yr tenure at the Raffles hotel, Leslie Danker has met, among many others, the legendary Hollywood actor John Wayne, been introduced to Queen Elizabeth II & taken a photo with pop star Michael Jackson. But Mr Danker’s face lights up the most when talking about the history of the iconic hotel.
“I have been at Raffles Hotel before, during and after the hotel’s restoration in 1989,” he told Channel NewsAsia. “And during that restoration, there were some discoveries like the flooring of the original 10-room bungalow under the lobby’s marble. I also saw fine sea sand as the original building was by the beach, so I kept a little of it in a small container as a souvenir!”
At 78 yrs old, Mr Danker is Raffles Hotel’s oldest staff member. He’s also their longest serving; he first joined as a maintenance supervisor in 1972. Now the hotel’s resident historian, Mr Danker is a treasure trove of the hotel’s facts and figures.
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