Iconic Singapore Hotel To Shut Doors After More Than Five Decades

Hotel Miramar has watched Singapore change for more than half a century: from the city's early construction booms to its rise as a global destination. Now, the 1971 landmark on Havelock Road is closing its doors, leaving behind decades of memories and stories etched into its walls. On August 29, Hotel Miramar Singapore announced that it will cease operations at the end of October. In a joint statement with the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU), the hotel management said the decision came after "careful and comprehensive evaluation of the hotel's long-term business outlook."

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This will affect 108 employees. Both hotel management and the union pledged that affected workers would receive fair retrenchment packages, with extra recognition for long-serving employees. Even staff with fewer than two years of service will be granted ex gratia payouts. Managing director Ken Lim paid tribute to the workforce, saying, "Hotel Miramar Singapore has been part of the nation's hospitality story since 1968, but what truly defines us are the people behind the hotel," as per The Straits Times.

Of the employees affected, three have served for more than 50 years, Mothership reported, citing Lianhe Zaobao. Among them is 69-year-old Chen Jin Feng, who worked in the hotel's housekeeping department for 52 years. She had joined the hotel as a 17-year-old. The hotel awarded Chen 52 months' salary in severance, matching its standard of one month per year of service, even though she was a contract, not full-time, employee. Chen told Zaobao she was "deeply touched by the gesture," recalling how she had worked under three generations of owners who "treated their employees like family." Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the hotel reportedly did not lay off employees or cut salaries.

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Opened in 1971, during Singapore's first wave of international tourism growth, Hotel Miramar became known for hosting weddings, corporate events, and fostering strong bonds between staff and management. Ivan Lim, Hotel Miramar's director of operations, told Channel News Asia that the hotel has faced challenges in recent years. "Ever since COVID came, things have changed," he said, pointing to rising supply costs and competition from newer hotels. He added that business was better in the 1970s and 1980s, but "now, you have to do so much just to get someone through the door."