The historic building, located on Whitehall in central London, will open as a new 5-star hotel and food hall in Spring 2023.
The Old War Office is one of London’s most iconic buildings, located on Whitehall and surrounded by buildings such as Parliament and the Ministry of Defence. The Grade II listed building was originally completed in 1908 and was subsequently used as the home and offices of prominent figures such as Sir Winston Churchill and Lord Kitchener. Now, the Old War Office, also known as OWO, has undergone a huge renovation to turn into the latest luxury hotel owned by the world-renowned brand Raffles. The hotel is set to have 120 rooms and suites, 85 private residences, including two penthouses, and eleven different restaurants and bars, including a rooftop bar with views over Parliament and Buckingham Palace. There will also be an internal courtyard and some rooms will have their own terraces. Raffles has partnered with beauty brand Guerlian to create a huge destination spa centre onsite alongside a wellness centre led by the nutrition brand Pillar. The spa will cover four floors, with nine treatment rooms, salon and Guerlain boutique, while the wellness centre has a gym, two swimming pools, sauna, steam room and café.
After being sold for over £350 million in 2016, the renovation has taken more than five years, with many delays due to Covid along the way, as the hotel originally planned to open in late 2022. Inside, the 580,000sq/ft building is designed in a classic Edwardian style with sweeping marble staircases, high ceilings with chandeliers and gilded portraits of historical figures. It has been designed by respected firm 1508, with the interior design led by Thierry Despont, who also worked on the Statue of Liberty. The largest suites in the hotel will be located in the former offices of famous political figures, and some of the private residences are expected to stretch over two or three floors.
The hotel will contain its own array of restaurants and bars, helmed by world-famous chefs, including three headed up by Chef Mauro Colagreco, who is famous for gaining three Michelin stars at his restaurant Mirazur. The only other restaurant to have been formally announced is Paper Moon, a traditional Italian restaurant which so far also has eateries in Milan, Doha and Hong Kong. There will be 7 other restaurants and bars to complement these, and the ground floor of the hotel is expected also to feature cafes and restaurants which will operate separately to the hotel.
