One Raffles Place

I’ve never been to this shopping centre prior to renovations, but my first impression of the new digs are that it’s quite nice. The layout isn’t that confusing, but the escalators make it seem that way. After the second floor, the escalators only go up, so from the third floor onwards you will have to walk to the other side of the mall to get back down.
There are a lot of major shops here, and some boutiques as well. The retail options are typical; lots of clothing, accessories, and toiletry shops, and there are also some beauty services available (nail salons, a Browhaus and Strip.) I haven’t been to the basement, but I can confirm there are a few F&B options on the upper levels.
To echo another review, this mall has an H&M «trap» — you think you’re taking the escalator down to the second floor, only to find that you have no choice but to enter H&M. If you turn left, you’ll have to go through all the sales only to find a staircase that takes you downstairs but still makes you go through all of the merchandise. It’s best to turn right, avoid looking at all the enticing products, and take the escalator back down to earth!
Bottom line, this is a convenient mall for those who work in the heart of CBD; just beware of the H&M trap!

One of my more confusing shopping experiences, so much so, that I felt compelled to write.
‘New and exciting brands,’ ‘overall shopping and dining experience will be enhanced,’ so goes the marketing. I only agree in part. Yes there are great shops like H&M, the Hour Glass and Pandora. Once you venture to the upper floors, the same old feeling emerges. Small, nondescript clothing shops with limited inventory. Then once you are done and ready to leave, a very confounding thing happens. As you make your way down the escalators, you will likely find yourself funneled into the H&M store. But what if I dont want to go thru H&M. Tough luck, as I have not found an escalator that helps me avoid this. There are also 2 food outlet areas. Considering they took the time to redesign and remodel the entire retail space, the basement food area is as crowded as before with limited seating and narrow walkways. There is also a food court on the top floor and that holds more promise for seating but at the expense of more generic food outlets. I’m not a fan.

You can’t blame me for not knowing OUB Centre has been revamped into One Raffles Place. The auntie at the MRT control station gave me ‘the look’ when I asked her how come signboards don’t have OUB Centre. I don’t work in the CBD area, where all these buildings are ‘pulsating’ with classy vibes and corporate synergy.
Mountain turtle aside, I was surprised by how quiet One Raffles Place was during a weekday. Maybe it’s because it wasn’t eating hours, the shops were all quiet. The interior was a WOW though, I liked the design of the shops and how the edges jut and stack up when you see it from Level 1.
There’s practically everything that will allow the busy office worker to pop in and run errands during lunch. From telcos to shopping to hair salons to the famous beancurd to health juices, they are all out to woo the office crowd.