Raffles London at The OWO review: a quintessentially British stay

If you've walked from Big Ben to Trafalgar Square, or meandered from St James's Park to the Thames, the chances are you've seen – and admired – the Old War Office. The turreted, dove-grey building is one of the jewels of Whitehall, completed in 1906 to house Britain's imperial military machine.

For much of the 20th century, its offices were inhabited by Britain's leading politicians, from Lord Kitchener to David Lloyd George, along with their armies of staffers, cooks and typists. 

For a time it was the workplace of T.E. Lawrence, later Lawrence of Arabia. In 1914, he lamented to a friend that the grand marble staircase at the heart of the building was allowed to be used by "field marshals and charwomen" alone. 

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A century later, in 2016, the Ministry of Defence sold the building for a reported £350 million; and last year, after extensive but historically sensitive renovations, it opened as a five-star hotel, Raffles London at The OWO. 

From the street, The OWO looks much as it has since it was constructed but, inside, a transformation has taken place. Two new floors have been built, as have three new basement levels to make room for a ballroom, a swimming pool, an underground car park and more. Thousands of square metres have been added to the building's already considerable acreage, taking its total footprint to some 76,000 square metres.

The result is easily the most major hotel to have opened in the capital in a generation. 

Why stay here?

London isn't short of ultra-high-end hotels, but Raffles London at The OWO distinguishes itself from its peers in several ways. Its location couldn't be better: situated opposite Horse Guards Parade, it is ideally placed for visitors wishing to walk around the capital, or needing a central place to stay while doing business.

The hotel also has a tangible sense of place. You couldn't wake up in one of its rooms thinking you were in any major world city: it feels deeply English. The interiors, which were overseen by the feted designer Thierry Despont, skilfully marry old and new, allowing visitors to appreciate the old-world aesthetics of wood panelling and other original features, while enjoying high-tech loos, vast, comfortable beds and generously sized marble bathrooms.

The staff are knowledgeable and helpful, as willing to suggest childcare options as they are to come up with last-minute wardrobe help (during my stay, my dress's zip broke; within five minutes, room service had sent up a bag of safety pins). There are also a serious number of them: the ratio of staff to guest room is an astonishing 3:1.

Rooms and suites

There are 120 rooms and suites to choose from, none of which are the same, and none of which come cheap. Prices start at about £1,100 per room plus service and tax (and may not include breakfast, so look out for that). 

Many of the grandest suites are named after the great figures that worked in them: the Haldane, for instance, was occupied by successive Secretaries of State for War; while the Churchill Suite was originally the army council room, where critical decisions were made during the Second World War. There are also 85 residences – privately owned apartments with access to the hotel amenities.

Eating and drinking 

The OWO has nine restaurants and bars, including a rooftop restaurant with views over St James's Park. If you don't want to order room service for breakfast, it can be taken in a light-filled atrium where the buffet options are superb (the almond croissants are particularly good) and the menu options even better.

Acclaimed chef Mauro Colagreco is in charge of three of the nine restaurants, which include Mauro's Table, a private dining room with views over Whitehall. A pre-dinner drink at the Spy Bar, the hotel's "speakeasy", is a must, and gratifyingly hard to find.

 Other things to see and do

The spa is a big draw. Situated far beneath the ground floor, extending over four floors and designed by Goddard Littlefair, it features the usual steam rooms and saunas, and a large pool in a hall that is surprisingly tall for a room so deep underground. 

For those fussy about lighting, the spa – and in fact the rest of the hotel – knocks it out of the park: the lighting is warm and not abrasive; subtly different according to each space's requirements, but always exactly right. 

Look out for the hotel's remarkable collection of art, too: there's a six-metre high sculpture by Saad Qureshi and an oil painting, "Naval Officers of World War I", by Sir Arthur Stockdale Cope, on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, among other works.

The verdict

What the impressive statistics of The OWO don't capture is the hotel's style and grown-up charm.

Notable too are the warmth of its staff, and the intelligence with which this most storied of buildings has been coaxed into the 21st century, making this a truly unforgettable stay.

Leaf Arbuthnot was a guest at Raffles London at The OWO, Old War Office Building, 57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BX; raffles.com/london