Adelphi Hotel
Established in the 1850s, the Adelphi Hotel was regarded as one of the largest and oldest hotels in Singapore. A prominent landmark in the High Street and North Bridge Road shopping area, the heydays of the hotel was immortalised in the literary works of Somerset Maugham. The Adelphi Hotel ceased to exist in 1973 after its proprietors decided to voluntarily liquidate the property.
The Adelphi Hotel was first advertised in The Straits Times on 7 May 1850 by its proprietor, C. Goymour, promising “superior accommodation” and “hot and cold baths”. Initially located at High Street, the hotel was once patronised by Her Majesty’s Navy and Army and earned a reputation for its cleanliness and comfortable services. To further support its growing clientele, Goymour made improvements to his establishment by building a Billiard Room and two bowling alleys for the guests' entertainment. Additionally, the hotel offered economical boarding rates of between $35 to $40 per month for boarders between 1851 and 1858. In 1863, the hotel moved to Coleman Street due to the space constraints at High Street. In a newspaper advertisement column from 1896, the hotel was promoted as the “most central and convenient position in Town”. In 1903, the Adelphi Hotel was purchased by Messers Sarkies, Johannes and Co. of Malacca Street for a large sum. In turn, the new Dutch proprietors converted the building into a first-class 100-bedroom European hotel. Under the new management, the establishment was completely re-fitted with electricity for lights and fans. Its dining room floors were marble which allowed it to be converted into a ballroom.[10] Promoted as “one of the finest and most comfortable hotels in the East”, the Adelphi Hotel cemented its reputation and credibility as one of the Big Three hotels in Singapore - alongside Raffles Hotel, Hotel de L’Europe and Hotel de La Paix.
The Adelphi Hotel was renowned for its excellent and appetising menu. For instance, the proprietors promoted extravagant dinner nights in celebration of the Queen of Holland’s birthday. A particular gala night also saw the establishment serving: Caviare on Toast, Mock Turtle Soup, Pate de Foie Gras en Aspie, Pigeon Fricasse, Filet of Beef a la Jardineire, Roast Capon and Swiss Cheese, to name a few. The popularity of the Adelphi Hotel as a first-class establishment did not wane throughout its existence. Notably, while it was renamed as the Nanto Hotel during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore (1942-1945), its reputation continued to be recognised by the Japanese military. In 1973, the proprietors of the Adelphi Hotel, New Adelphi Hotel Private Limited - decided to liquidate the company voluntarily. In turn, the land on which Adelphi Hotel stood on was returned to the owners, Chartered Bank Trustees (Malaya) Ltd. On 24 June 1973 the 110-year-old hotel held its last dinner and dance with proceeds going to the Singapore Chesire Home. Some 200 guests and “old-time” customers were invited to the farewell party that lasted until midnight.
Adelphi Hotel on Coleman Street
Adelphi Hotel stood alongside Raffles Hotel, Hotel de L'Europe and Hotel de La Paix as one of the Big Three hotels in Singapore at the turn of the 20th century.
Arathoon Sarkies and Eleazar Johannes purchased the originally small hotel on Coleman Street in 1903 and converted it into a grand 100-bedroom hotel, complete with a dining hall that seated 400. During the Japanese Occupation, the new masters of Singapore – renamed Syonan-to (the Southern Island of Light) – also saw it fit to claim the Adelphi Hotel as their own and called it Nanto Hotel, while Raffles Hotel became Syonan Ryokan.
In the end, Adelphi closed its doors on 25 June 1973, almost a century after its establishment, with a grand farewell party in its premises. The venerable building was demolished seven years later to make way for a less-impressive ten-storey office and retail complex.
Adelphi Hotel Singapore
The hotel history can traced back to 1850 in newspaper advertisement. It moved from High street to Coleman street in 1880s, at the corner of North Bridge Road, Singapore.
Formation of Malaysia started here. The Prime Minister of the Federation of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra had his speech at the Conference of Foreign Journalists' Association of Southeast Asia held at the Adelphi Hotel, Singapore on 27 May 1961.He pl anned and suggested Federation of Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo (Sabah) , Sarawak and Brunei to form a new country name Malaysia to form a stronger political and economical collaboration. Of course, there are others reason to be include in the formation including the invisible war against the communist and accelerate the independent process for all the joining counterparts.
Adelphi Hotel was officially closed on 25 June 1973 and was later demolished. Adelphi Complex (now known as The Adelphi) opened on its site in 1985 and the building is now known as The Adelphi.
ADELPHI HOTEL, SINGAPORE
The Adelphi Hotel at Coleman Street. Originally established in Commercial Square (now Raffles Place) in 1863, it was first moved to High Street before being located here. It closed its doors finally on 24 June 1973 and the building was demolished in 1980.
Adelphi Hotel
Some of the earliest mentions of Adelphi Hotel can be found in newspaper advertisements published in 1850. The proprietor of the hotel, C. Goymour, announced in the 7 May 1850 issue of The Straits Times newspaper that the hotel had moved to High Street. Subsequently, Adelphi Hotel moved to Coleman Street.1 It became one of the principal hotels in Singapore in the late 19th century, together with Raffles Hotel, Hotel de l’Europe and Hotel de la Paix.2 The hotel officially closed on 25 June 1973 and was later demolished. Adelphi Complex (now known as The Adelphi) opened on its site in 1985 and the building is now known as The Adelphi.
Adelphi Hotel moved from High Street to No. 3 Coleman Street, the residence of Singapore’s pioneer colonial architect, George Dromgold Coleman. The hotel was still housed at this location in the 1870s. During the following decade, however, it moved to Nos. 1 and 2 Coleman Street, at the corner of North Bridge Road. Around 1903, Messrs Sarkies, Johannes & Co. purchased the property and improved the small hotel beyond recognition. It was entirely rebuilt with a dining hall that could seat 400. There were 100 bedrooms with bathrooms attached and even a tennis court. The Billiard Room and the Reading Room on the ground floor were paved with white marble. The three-storey Adelphi Hotel became one of the eight major hotels at the turn of the century, placing it in the same league as Raffles Hotel, which had opened in 1887. Adelphi Hotel was also where General Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Japanese army met with Singapore’s 400 community leaders, the first direct contact with Singaporeans after the fall of Singapore. During the Japanese Occupation (1942–45), Adelphi Hotel was renamed Nanto Hotel.
With a history spanning more than a century, Adelphi Hotel was the oldest hotel in Singapore before its closure in 1973. On 24 June that year, the hotel held a dinner and dance to mark its last day and was officially closed at the stroke of midnight, on 25 June 1973. Proceeds from the dinner were donated to the Singapore Cheshire Home for the handicapped. Demolition began in 1979 and construction of a new building on its site started in 1980. Adelphi Complex, a 10-storey hotel, retail and office block completed in 1985, now stands on the site of the old Adelphi Hotel. The building is currently known as The Adelphi, which specialises in high-end audio equipment.
