Raffles London at The OWO
A building that shaped the twentieth century — now London's most ambitious hotel.
The Story
For over a hundred years, no civilian could enter 57 Whitehall. Behind its Edwardian Baroque facade, Winston Churchill planned war strategy, MI5 ran covert operations, and Ian Fleming — the man who invented James Bond — worked as a Naval Intelligence officer.
In September 2023, the doors finally opened. Not as a museum, but as Raffles London at The OWO — a 120-room hotel that transforms Britain's former War Office into one of the most compelling places to stay anywhere in the world.
The £1.5 billion conversion took over a decade. The result is a building where original marble staircases coexist with freestanding contemporary bathtubs, where Edwardian plasterwork ceilings look down on Diptyque amenities, and where you can drink cocktails in rooms that were genuinely used for intelligence operations.
"For the first time in over a century, civilians can walk the marble corridors where Churchill strategized and Fleming dreamed up Bond."
Location
The OWO sits on Whitehall — between the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square. Step outside and you face Horse Guards Parade. Turn left: Big Ben in five minutes. Turn right: the National Gallery and West End theatres in ten.
This is not Mayfair shopping proximity. This is proximity to power. Downing Street is around the corner. The Cenotaph is across the road. The Ministry of Defence is next door. No other luxury hotel in the world sits so deeply embedded in a nation's political geography.
💡 Getting there: Westminster tube is a 4-minute walk. Heritage Suite guests receive complimentary house car transfers from Heathrow.
The Rooms
The 120 rooms and suites were designed by Thierry Despont — the same hand behind The Ritz Paris and Claridge's. High ceilings (a gift from the Edwardian proportions), custom furniture, marble bathrooms, and that careful tension between heritage and modernity.
The real magic starts at suite level. Twenty-four Ministerial Suites occupy the building's former ministerial offices — original fireplaces, ornate ceiling plasterwork, tall windows overlooking Whitehall. Eight Corner Suites sit inside the building's distinctive domed cupolas, each named after a famous woman or female spy connected to the building's history.
At the top: five Heritage Suites in the most historically significant rooms. The Granville Suite spans 162 square metres. Heritage guests receive genuine Raffles Butler Service — not performative, but someone who unpacks your luggage, presses your clothes, and secures impossible restaurant reservations.
"The butler service is genuine, not performative — your butler handles everything from unpacking luggage to arranging private tours."
💡 Booking tip: The Ministerial Suites offer the best value-to-experience ratio — original fireplaces and real architectural character at a lower price point than the Heritage Suites. Rates start from ~£950/night for a Classic Room.
Dining
Nine restaurants. Three bars. For a 120-room hotel, this is unprecedented. The OWO operates more like a dining destination that happens to have hotel rooms above it.
Mauro Colagreco — the headline act. The Argentinian-Italian chef behind three-Michelin-starred Mirazur brings hyper-seasonal British produce to a fine-dining setting. The restaurant earned its first Michelin star in 2026.
Kioku by Endo — Michelin-starred chef Endo Kazutoshi's Japanese rooftop restaurant. Omakase with panoramic London views. One of the hardest reservations at The OWO.
Saison — Colagreco's all-day Mediterranean restaurant inside a former library, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves retained from the building's previous life. Relaxed enough for morning coffee, polished enough for a business dinner.
Paper Moon & Langosteria — two Italian imports from Milan. Paper Moon for straightforward classics; Langosteria for refined seafood.
Café Lapérouse — a French courtyard café from the Parisian original. The most accessible option in the building.
The Bars
Guards Bar overlooks Horse Guards Parade with 16 signature cocktails — including the London Sling, a local riff on Singapore's most famous drink.
Spy Bar is the one everyone talks about. A late-night speakeasy in the basement, occupying rooms that genuinely served as MI5 offices. A James Bond car on display (nodding to Fleming's time in the building). Dark, moody, deliberately secretive. Hotel residents and invited guests only.
"You drink cocktails where intelligence officers once plotted covert operations."
💡 Dining tip: For a first visit, prioritize Saison for the library setting, Kioku for the rooftop, and Spy Bar for the atmosphere alone.
The Guerlain Spa
The French luxury house's first standalone spa in the UK. Spread across 4,500 square feet: treatment rooms, swimming pool, vitality pool, sauna, steam room, and fitness centre.
Signature facials draw from Guerlain's Orchidée Impériale and Abeille Royale lines. The pool is not enormous, but with only 120 rooms, it is rarely crowded. Heritage Suite guests can have treatments arranged in-suite through their butler.
The Heritage
This is what separates The OWO from every other luxury hotel in London.
Churchill's former office has been preserved within the hotel and is accessible through heritage tours. During both World Wars, this building was the operational hub for the British Army. Intelligence services — including MI5 — worked from within these walls.
The conversion by EPR Architects preserved the grand marble staircases, the original Edwardian tiling, the ornate plasterwork. Original features were not erased for a clean contemporary aesthetic — they coexist, sometimes dramatically, with modern interventions.
"The opportunity to sleep in a building that was genuinely central to twentieth-century geopolitics is not something most hotels can offer."
💡 Heritage tip: Ask the concierge about the guided heritage tour at check-in. Churchill's preserved office, the former MI5 rooms, the grand staircase — it transforms every corridor you walk through for the rest of your stay.
Who Is This Hotel For?
Perfect for history and architecture lovers who want substance beyond interior design. Food-focused travellers who want world-class dining without leaving the building. Milestone celebrations where you want something more memorable than a generic five-star.
Look elsewhere if you prioritize shopping proximity (head to Mayfair), want a large outdoor pool, or are budget-conscious — excellent alternatives exist at lower price points.
The Verdict
Raffles London at The OWO has no direct competitor. You cannot get this combination of historical significance, dining variety, and brand-level service anywhere else in London — or in most other cities.
The building's heritage is not a marketing angle. It is the foundation of the entire experience, handled with intelligence and restraint. The nine restaurants mean you could eat every meal here for a week without repeating yourself. The Guerlain Spa and Raffles Butler Service complete a property that sets a new standard for what a luxury hotel can be.
If your budget allows for a suite-level stay, and if you care about history, architecture, or serious food — this is one of the most compelling hotel experiences available in London today.
"The most significant luxury hotel opening in London in a generation."