• The Sarkies Brothers – Martin (1852-1912), Tigran (1851-1912), Aviet (1862-1923) and Arshak (1869-1931) – from Isfahan in Persia, became the most important hoteliers of the East by opening the Eastern and Oriental Hotel in Penang (1889), Raffles Hotel in Singapore (1887) and the Sarkies Hotel (ca 1893) and the Strand Hotel (1900) both in Rangoon. [W04]

• The Sarkies Brothers were the proprietors of the Eastern Hotel which opened in Penang 15 April 1884. A year later they opened the Oriental Hotel and both hotels were combined and the company became known as the Easter and Oriental Hotel [E&O]. In August 1889, after renovation, the Oriental Hotel reopened and the brothers sold the Eastern Hotel but kept the name Eastern and Oriental Hotel.

• 1 December 1887 Raffles Hotel opens on Beach Road under the management of Tigran Sarkies, offering 10 rooms in an old bungalow-style building.

• 1910 The Raffles Hotel Post Office opened, serving Hotel guests and the surrounding area up to the late 1920s.

• In 1931, due to the Great Depression and the collapse of the rubber industry in Malaya and shortly after the death of Arshak Sarkies, the last of the four brothers, the business of Sarkies Brothers, Proprietors, went into receivership.

• 1933 a new public company called Raffles Hotel Ltd. was formed

• 1942 Raffles Hotel is taken over by the Japanese hands who rename it Syonan Ryokan [the Light of the South Hotel]

• 1945 Raffles Hotel reopens for business.

• 1989 Raffles International is formed

• March 1989 Raffles closes for a complete restoration

• 16 September 1991 Raffles reopens

Click to see the References

On the web:

http://www.amassia.com.au/Raffles.htm

http://www.getforme.com/homepage2003/attractions_raffleshotelchronology.htm

http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/article/FeatureStory/20060117111007/Article/index_html

http://www.raffleshotel.com/legend/chronology.php

http://www.rafflesinternational.com/corpinfo_history.shtml

http://www.crescent.edu.sg/ipw/2000/sec1/16g3-raffleshotel/Website/bibliography.htm