The Raffles London at The OWO review

Raffles London at The OWO location

You can’t get more central than this. Thanks to its ministerial origin story, the hotel sits in London’s historical locus of power along Whitehall, running from Trafalgar Square down to Parliament.

A taxi or ride-hailing service from London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) can take anywhere from 40 to 90 minutes and cost $60 to $100. If you are traveling light, you can take the Tube’s Picadilly Line to busy Leicester Square in about an hour for just 5.60 British pounds ($7), and then it’s a 15-minute walk from there.

Raffles London at The OWO booking details

Standout features of Raffles London at The OWO

• A sense of history is palpable in the grand public spaces, including the chandelier-lit central staircase.
• The robust slate of culinary options ranges from contemporary Japanese to classic English tea, a James Bond-inspired speakeasy and two Riviera-inspired restaurants from one of the world’s most acclaimed chefs.
• The subterranean wellness complex includes a gorgeous pool area and the U.K.’s first Guerlain Spa.

Drawbacks of Raffles London at The OWO

• The location is walkable to many tourist sights, but if you want a more neighborhood feel, look elsewhere.
• The guest accommodations are among London’s largest but also among its most expensive, and there isn’t a great way to redeem points here.
• Afternoon tea is gorgeous here, but if you’re looking for more pomp and circumstance, you might want to seek out a scenier venue.

The vibe at Raffles London at The OWO

Back when the OWO was indeed the War Office (not just the old one), only officers and important officials were allowed to use the entrance off Whitehall and ascend the imposing split staircase that occupied pride of place in the heart of the building.

These days, however, it’s hotel guests — an intriguing melange of suited businessfolk, visiting dignitaries and well-off Americans — you’ll find swanning up the central feature, which looks even more magnificent than ever thanks to a spruce up (along with the rest of the hotel) from late architect and designer Thierry Despont, whose work you might recognize from the Ritz Paris and The Carlyle, a Rosewood-affiliated property in New York City.

Take a moment to do the same yourself, admiring the deep-veined Piastraccia marble steps, the Brescia marble handrails and full-figured balusters carved from Derbyshire alabaster. Glance upward and see if you can spot the Tudor roses along the cupola and the 50 acres’ worth of plaster molding crowning the space. The centerpiece, however, is the Murano crystal chandelier by design firm iDogi titled “Meridies,” whose double globes comprise 3,000 pieces of glass and 96 lights, representing the coming together of empires.

Just like the chandelier, so many components had to come together to make this hotel a reality, and the result is nothing short of breathtaking.

Rooms at Raffles London at The OWO

Accommodations at the Raffles London at The OWO range from the standard Classic category up to a handful of specialty suites named after British politicians and female spies (after all, MI5 was founded in this very edifice).

My Westminster Suite was located in the north wing of the building on the second (third by American standards) floor, a short walk from one of the elevators and the central staircase, which I preferred to parade down instead of taking the lifts.

Even the hallways displayed playful nods to the hotel’s history and surroundings. They featured crimson carpets and drapes with leather borders — visual references to the uniforms of the King’s Life Guard sentries standing at attention, plumed helmets and all, across the street at the Horse Guards building — and floor grills patterned to resemble the casings of grenades.

Inside, my suite was a sprawling 688 square feet with a living room and a separate bedroom, both with burnished oak paneling and filigreed crown molding on the double-height ceilings, as well as carpets stippled in black and white like the hand-laid mosaic floors in the hotel’s corridors. The entrance foyer also held a closet and a powder room just inside the front door.

The upholstery throughout was a mix of staid creams and grays with various Glen check accents natty enough for a Savile Row tailor shop. The living room also had a shapely wooden work desk off to one side (though I ended up working from the window-adjacent armchair and ottoman, mostly) a small sofa and a coffee table facing a chest with a flat-screen TV. Everything in the room, including the lights, temperature and TV, could be controlled using one of the custom tablets, though the heaviest set of drapes on each of the enormous windows had to be drawn open or closed by hand.

The bedroom lay through a set of massive wooden sliding doors and past the minibar stocked with gourmet goodies, including canned Singapore Sling cocktails alluding to the Raffles brand’s history, and an espresso machine.

The king-size bed was dressed in crisp white linens and a profusion of pillows with a simple squared-off bedhead and faced a wall-mounted TV on the opposite wall.

Through another set of doors off to one side, there was a closet and dressing area complete with its own vanity, and from there, it was a quick turn into the marble-tiled bathroom with radiant floor heating for those chilly London mornings.

To one side, there was a soaking tub encased in marble slabs, and to the other was a two-sink counter with a huge mirror and a wooden base with drawers containing various amenities in case you left any toiletries at home.

Finally, there was a water closet with the toilet, and past that, a walk-in shower with a glass door and both overhead and wall-mounted hand-held showerheads.

London perfumer Azzi Glasser created a bespoke range of soap, hair and skin care products for the hotel dubbed “1906” after the building’s opening year and scented with vetiver, sandalwood and neroli.

Guests looking to immerse themselves even further into the building’s history can book one of the specialty suites, which are named after famous figures in British military history and notable women connected with the OWO, like Clementine Churchill and Christine Granville, a World War II spy.

The suite named after the latter, which was formerly the office of the chief of the general staff and a banquet hall, has its original oak paneling and brass chandeliers dating to 1906, but the showstopper is its freestanding brass bathtub next to a green marble fireplace.

The glassed-in cubicles holding the toilet and the shower were inspired by 19th-century campaign latrines. Even if you can’t afford the splurge, you might be able to sneak into a few of the suites on one of the history tours the hotel offers on a complimentary basis to guests.

Food and drink at Raffles London at The OWO

With nine dining venues and three bars, you might not be able to sample everything the Raffles at The OWO has to offer, even on a multinight stay. Here’s where to focus your energy.

Mauro Colagreco and Mauro’s Table

The hotel’s primary fine dining experiences come courtesy of internationally renowned chef Mauro Colagreco, whose flagship restaurant on the French Riviera, Mirazur, has three Michelin stars and was named the world’s best restaurant in 2019 by the World’s 50 Best list.

The airy but cozy flower-filled dining room pays homage to classic English gardens, complete with colorful prints of produce decorating the walls. Diners here will find the chef’s classics, like his grandmother’s heirloom pain a partager (pull-apart bread) served with lemon-ginger olive oil.

However, the seasonal menu highlights carefully sourced British produce and proteins with a hero ingredient listed for each dish. Radish from East Sussex, for instance, is painstakingly carved into the shape of a rose, hiding luscious slices of sea bass sashimi and orange-grapefruit jelly in a Japanese dashi broth.

Blackberries are the stars of an entree of juicy roasted wood pigeon with chanterelles in a butter-vermouth sauce. Guests can choose from a three-course a la carte menu ($136 per person) or a five-course prix fixe ($205). There are also various pairings, including a nonalcoholic option ($99), a five-wine option ($155) and a “Leisure Route Pairing” of fine vintages ($528).

If you’re craving an even more decadent experience, book out Mauro’s Table, a 20-person private dining room with an open kitchen where each dish is prepared in front of diners’ eyes to create an immersive experience.

Saison

The hotel’s all-day restaurant Saison (also from chef Colagreco) feels like a greenhouse on the Cote d’Azur thanks to its gazebolike trellised walls, its saffron-hued central banquette, the profusion of greenery and the abundant natural light streaming down through its glass ceiling. You’d never guess that this was once the building’s library, housing one of the world’s largest collections of military literature.

Most guests start their day with breakfast here, grazing along the buffet of house-made pastries, fresh fruit and cold cuts before tucking into options from the hot menu, like buttery scrambled eggs heaped with smoked ChalkStream trout over toasted brioche. A la carte dishes start at $17, while set menus that include the buffet and other items range from $43 to $56.

At dinner, the space feels more intimate thanks to romantic lighting and Mediterranean specialties such as a mille-feuille-style zucchini tart with goat cheese and lemon sabayon ($24) and citrusy lobster bolognese with house-made spaghetti alla chitarra ($60).

The Drawing Room

Open for breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner daily, The Drawing Room feels like one of London’s toniest gentlemen’s clubs thanks to its handsome wood paneling and pillars, tufted leather booths and a baronial carved stone fireplace, though there are also contemporary elements like finely feathered Venetian glass chandeliers.

The main event here is afternoon tea (starting at $99 per person), which includes a choice of 19 loose-leaf teas and tisanes produced for the hotel by Camellia’s Tea House, a savory amuse-bouche and a selection of four finger sandwiches, including one filled with Severn & Wye Smokery gravlax with lemon confit and horseradish on beet-infused bread and another honey-roasted ham, watercress and cep mushrooms on caraway.

After that, servers present multitiered plates displaying sweets like pumpkin-ginger cake with burnt vanilla and Gaya 64% dark chocolate and coffee shortbread, fig and plum custard and, of course, fresh-from-the-oven buttermilk-sultana scones with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry jam.

Come after 3 p.m. to catch daily live musical performances.

The Guards Bar and Lounge

Taking inspiration from the Horse Guards just across the street, The Guards Bar and Lounge feels like a swanky bolthole tucked into the southwest corner of the OWO, with a lounge-style room with low-slung vignettes of slipper chairs and love seats and a separate bar area for singletons on stools.

The extensive cocktail menu features a variety of new takes on the classic Singapore Sling, including a London version with Sipsmith Raffles 1915 gin, strawberry and oat Sipello liqueur, linden tea and cherry bitters ($32) and various sections devoted to spicy, fruity, herbal, tropical and floral flavors.

I tried a tropical cocktail with Glenfiddich 15-year-old whisky, British salted butter, pear, fig leaf extract, Capreolus perry pear eau de vie and simple syrup that tasted like a fresh but mellow Manhattan ($31).

Spy Bar

Hidden in an underground level down an easily missed hallway that was formerly the telephone exchange and where you can still spot reinforcement beams added during World War II lies the Spy Bar. It is denoted by a “007” on the door — a cheeky reference to James Bond creator Ian Fleming, who was inspired to write his franchise from the years he spent working here. The bar occupies a section of the building once used for interrogating sources and debriefing agents.

Only hotel guests and residents (and their invited guests) are admitted, and no photos are allowed. Once inside the clandestine speakeasy, you will find an incredibly well-stocked bar backed with the right half of a shiny bullet-gray Aston DB5 (the classic car from “Goldfinger,” among other Bond films).

As you’d expect, the menu features a variety of classic and creative martini twists, plus a panoply of (rather pricy) cocktails that incorporate vintage spirits like gins and vodkas bottled in the 1960s.

Best of the rest

The hotel’s other restaurants and bars include outposts of notable international eateries.

Like its Paris namesake, Cafe Laperouse serves classic French fare in sumptuous surrounds and is housed in a jewelry boxlike pavilion in the hotel’s central court with a trippy mirrored roof.

Nearby, Paper Moon slings Milanese aperitivi and northern Italian dishes. A franchise of Langosteria will also open soon.

Third-generation sushi master Endo Kazutoshi oversees both the izakaya-style, 25-seat Kioku Bar on the ground floor and the top-floor Kioku by Endo, which serves fresh sashimi and sushi along with spectacular views of the city, especially from its outdoor terrace and the private dining room ensconced in one of the building’s turrets.

Finally, the hotel’s wellness partner, Pillar Wellbeing, has a healthy restaurant on the ground floor that serves smoothies and fresh-squeezed juices, coffee and tea drinks, savory snacks and more during breakfast and lunch.

Amenities and service at Raffles London at The OWO

Although you might get your steps in exploring London and its many attractions, the hotel’s vast wellness center comprises 27,000 square feet across four underground levels.

The two-story Pillar Wellbeing portion includes a gym and movement studios for yoga and stretching sessions, plus a 65-foot indoor pool with beautifully lit, cloudlike wall paneling. The wet area also features a vitality pool, a sauna and a steam room for guest use.

Up two floors from there, London’s first Guerlain Spa has nine cocoonlike treatment rooms, but the experience starts in a tranquil reception area with butterflies and flowers etched in the ceiling stucco. Along with a cup of lemon-lemongrass tea and a lavender-scented hot towel, spagoers are asked to sniff through the famed perfume house’s various scents and pick the one that most suits their mood that day so their treatment can be tailored to it.

The signature experiences on offer include the 90-minute Spirit of London LED light-therapy massage ($385) and the 60- or 90-minute Black Orchid age reversal facial ($447 to $547).

L’Atelier Guerlain is like a miniature spa and beauty salon located on the ground floor. There, visitors can purchase Guerlain products and book express beauty treatments, as well as hair styling and color services performed by Salon64 hairdressers.

Though not quite an amenity, some of the more unusual experiences at the hotel are the historical tours offered by its concierges. These start from the concierge lobby, where you might spy hand-built Pashley bikes like messengers from the building’s heyday might have ridden around. You might also spot a monumental map on the wall of London from the 17th century and artist Saad Qureshi’s intricate sculpture Convocation depicting Britain’s complex social and architectural heritage. Those iron lamps? They were made from captured German World War I cannons.

The next informative stop will likely be the building’s central hall. Be sure to rub the nose of the lion sculpture on the right banister for good luck, just like Winston Churchill was said to do each day before ascending the stairs to deliver his morning briefing to the staff. The gilt clock on the landing was a gift from former French President Charles de Gaulle to the British government for its help in liberating France from the Nazis.

Other points of interest along the tour might include one or more of the specialty suites, depending on occupancy. On mine, we were able to peek into four of them, the Churchill Suite, where the Army Council would meet to plan campaigns, including D-Day’s Operation Overlord. The green and gold damask wallpaper dates to the 1930s (see if you can still detect a whiff of cigar smoke), and the chairs are original, though reupholstered. The room also contains custom-made art pieces and crystal chandeliers.

Along the way, your guide might point out various portraits of soldiers and War Office staffers, field drawings from World War I and other artifacts housed in the hotel’s art collection, which also includes stunning contemporary works by artists like Priya Sundaravalli and Colette LaVette.

The tour was truly a highlight of my visit but only one instance of how incredibly hospitable the staff were. My check-in process ended up including a detailed tour of the hotel from the enthusiastic desk agent after I asked just a few questions about the amenities.

It seemed like every maitre d’, server and sommelier knew me by name before I even stepped into a restaurant or bar, and each was only too happy to take time to explain the dishes and drinks while answering any other questions I had. Likewise, the folks in the spa and fitness center were delighted to show me around the facilities even though I did not have an appointment. In short, from the moment a bowler-hatted doorman took my suitcases to the time the front desk called a taxi for my departure, I felt welcomed and taken care of but not fawned over.

Out and about

The hotel is located in the heart of official London, just a short stroll from the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, as well as Buckingham Palace via St. James’s Park in an area that is populated by government ministries.

That means there’s not a ton of neighborhood stuff to speak of. But if you are in town for sightseeing, you can reach Westminster Abbey by walking about 10 minutes south of the hotel. Be sure to stop on the way at the Imperial War Museum.

A similar stroll north brings you to Trafalgar Square, The National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Those who have a little more pep in their step can reach the theaters of the West End and the shops of Covent Garden by walking another 10 minutes or so. Charing Cross, from which you can catch various rail services and the Tube, is a 10-minute walk as well.

Accessibility at Raffles London at The OWO

Thanks to the fact that messengers would regularly use bicycles to navigate the 2 1/2 miles of hallways at the OWO, the hotel’s corridors are 10 feet wide and its public areas are wheelchair-accessible, and there is a wheelchair-accessible entrance from the inner courtyard and no-step entrances to its various restaurants and lounges.

You can reach all floors via elevators that have chair-height buttons. There are also accessible public restrooms. While the pool area does not have a permanent chairlift, there is a movable hoist that the staff can use to help guests enter and exit the water.

The hotel has five accessible-designated rooms and suites that have features such as lowered bathroom counters and beds, roll-in showers and grab bars in the bathrooms, and chair-height spyholes. Likewise, the spa and gym have accessible lockers and restroom facilities, as well as an accessible treatment room.

Checking out

Although you can find hotels in historical landmarks all over the world, the unique character of the Old War Office building sets the Raffles London at The OWO apart, not just from other hotels in the British capital, but from other luxury hotels across the globe. The palpable sense of history evident everywhere you go adds to the experience of staying here without overwhelming current-day comforts, and the service is among the best in the city.

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