Earlier this month during a visit to London, we had an opportunity to visit the newly opened Raffles London Hotel at the OWO.
Standing in front of the grand, alabaster marble staircase lined with red, black and white carpeting with an enormous crystal chandelier floating from high above, we already had a feeling the hotel visit was going to be a special experience. Winston Churchill would stand at the top of the stairway, constructed in 1906, and address his officers below.
Perry Perou, the marketing manager, warmly welcomed us to the hotel. In the next hour he gave us an extensive and informative tour with detailed information about every aspect of the hotel. The most fascinating part was the incredible history of the building over the centuries.
The site dates to 1272, when King Edward resided in his new castle, covering 23 acres between Saint James Park and the Thames. In later centuries it became the Whitehall Palace, and in the 16th and 17th century it was inhabited by monarchs King Henry VIII and Oliver Cromwell. The site was purchased in 1892 by the Treasury to build the War Office building to house 2,300 government and military officers. Construction commenced in 1901 and completed in 1906 in an Edwardian style by architect William Young, containing 1,000 rooms and two and a half miles of corridors in a trapezium shape.
From the period of 1906 to 1964, during the prime of the War Office, some of the highest-ranking government officials, including Winston Churchill, Herbert Horatio Kitchener, Richard Haldane, John Profumo and Lawrence of Arabia, presided over significant political and military operations. Before writing his iconic “James Bond” novels, Ian Fleming was a frequent visitor when he was a journalist and naval intelligence officer, liaising with the Secret Intelligence Services during WWII. Another interesting fact about the OWO, it was the original headquarters for the first spy agencies of Great Britain, MI5 and MI6, and agents entered the building through an unmarked entrance door named The Spies Entrance.
In 2016, the Hinduja Group, an India-based conglomerate, purchased the property for £350 million for a 250-year lease and in 2018 it was assigned to the Raffles Hotel group.
Principal architects are EPR Architects, with the interior design by French interior designer Thierry Despont and a spa design by Goddard Littlefair. The project took six years to complete, and the hotel opened in September 2023.
The design team completely overhauled the building. There are 120 rooms including 29 suites along with 85 private residences on the seven upper floors, while the six lower floors are dedicated to a double-story indoor pool area and a double-height ballroom, the largest in London.
The rooms tour started with the Haldane Suite, at one time the office of War Secretary Lord Haldane and Winston Churchill, which measures close to 2,000 square feet. Technically a one-bedroom suite with a king-size bed, it can easily be turned into two bedrooms, and also extended into nine rooms with six more adjoining bedrooms to accommodate large parties and families. The beautifully appointed suite, with Edwardian-style décor and furniture, has original wood paneling and mantelpieces with a bust of Winston Churchill, a dining table and chairs, and floor-to-ceiling windows with views overlooking Whitehall and Horse Guards Parade. Services for this suite include 24-hour butler service and complimentary round-trip airport transfers.
Eight corner suites, measuring 1,000 square feet, are a tribute to the brave female spies of Great Britain, including Churchill’s wife Clementine. Suites are decorated in an Art Deco style and have portraits of the women, a living room area with curated artworks, custom linens and views of Saint James Park. The former council rooms, where Churchill oversaw D-Day landings of WWII, have been transformed into the Winston Churchill Suite. One of the grandest suites of the hotel, the sprawling, 1,550-square-foot space has a living room area with elegant dark paneling, green damask walls, floor-to-ceiling windows and a crystal chandelier.
The soap, shampoo, hand cream, hand gel and hair conditioner have a custom scent exclusively formulated for the hotel by prestigious London perfumer Azzi Glasser.
Contact Director of Sales Victoria Diez Davies and [email protected] for room reservations.
Food and beverage venues are a significant part of the hotel with its nine restaurants and three bars.
Argentinian Mauro Colagreco—the former head chef at the three-star restaurant Mirazur in Menton, France—helms three of the restaurants, bringing his south-of-France/Mediterranean cuisine to London. Colagreco has gone local and seasonal with a fondness for the English country garden, utilizing 70 types of fruits and vegetables grown on British Isles soil.
The most exclusive of the restaurants is Mauro’s Table, a private dining space that can accommodate up to 20 guests, where Colagreco creates a diverse tasting menu focusing on herbs, vegetables and fruits. The Mauro Colagreco dining room, the formal restaurant, offers a three- or five-course tasting menu. A five-glass wine pairing can be added.
We had lunch in the more casual brasserie-style restaurant, Saison. The former library is now an airy and light-filled room with high walls and a glass ceiling, giving the feel of dining outside. Our outstanding lunch included a starter of quail with smoked chestnuts and grapes, followed by wild sea bass with a delicate artichoke mousseline sauce, and a heavenly, light dessert of pear panna cotta with tea-infused shortbread. The service was attentive without being obtrusive. Contact Jordi Albacar Fumado, director of operations Mauro Colagreco, at [email protected] for reservations for any of the Mauro Colagreco restaurants.
The other restaurants are the Drawing Room, serving drinks, a snack menu and Raffles Afternoon Tea service; Café Laperouse, the first branch of the famed Parisian bistro outside of France; Paper Moon, an outpost of the chic Milanese restaurant; Pillar Kitchen, a takeaway health bar and kitchen, located on the spa level; and a rooftop restaurant with sweeping views of London and Asian cuisine by Michelin-starred chef Endo Kazutoshi.
Although we couldn’t see the inside of the Spy Bar, Perou informed us that it was the original bar where MI5 and MI6 spies convened, and, today, continuing the allure of being an exclusive hideaway, only guests of the hotel or invited guests are allowed, with photo-taking prohibited.
The hotel decided to go with a French influence for the spa and wellness center. Instead of selecting a modern company, it made a more traditional choice: The prestigious Guerlain brand, the oldest perfumer in France, at one time producing scents for French royalty. Measuring over 27,000 square feet and covering four floors, it’s the largest spa in London.
The reception area, L’Atelier, is a combination of a luxurious salon and boutique, with parquet floors, plush sofas and club chairs, long oval mirrors and a full range of Guerlain products available for purchase. Nine treatment rooms include three VIP suites and a private room for hair styling and makeup. The massive relaxation area, with double-height ceilings, has a 65-foot-long pool, a cold-water plunge pool, cushy chaise lounges, a steam room and sauna. Harry Jameson, a respected fitness trainer and a wellness consultant and writer, heads the Pillar Wellbeing center, which provides personal fitness sessions, nutritional advice and a fully equipped gym with cardio and weight training machines, plus Peloton equipment.
Centrally located, Raffles London at The OWO is a short walk to the National Portrait Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Saint James Park and the Churchill War Rooms at the Imperial War Museum.
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