The property will be Raffles’ first location in the UK and will also be the venue for the TTG Luxury Travel Awards 2024 on 1 March 2024.
As well as 120 rooms and suites, the Raffles property will include 85 branded residences, three dining outlets from chef Mauro Colagreco, as well as the Guerlain Spa with a health club run by Pillar Wellbeing. There will also be a grand ballroom as part of its meetings and event spaces.
The restoration of the central London landmark building has taken eight years, with the Raffles hotel being developed through a partnership between the brand’s owner Accor and the Hinduja Group development company.
There will be nine restaurants and three bars across the OWO complex, including a rooftop dining venue from the Creative Restaurant Group with views across St James’s Park and The Mall towards Buckingham Palace.
Sebastien Bazin, Accor’s chairman and chief executive, said: “Everyone at Accor feels honoured and privileged to be part of this historic project. Together with the Hinduja family, we proudly invite locals and travellers alike to experience this extraordinary hotel as well as the authenticity and graciousness of Raffles.”
The Raffles hotel was designed by the late French architect Thierry Despont, who died earlier this month. Despont had worked on the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in New York earlier in his career.
The most historic parts of the building, which were used by leaders such as Winston Churchill during the Second World War, have been converted into Heritage Suites. Several of these suites can also be combined for “exclusive reservations” as The Whitehall Wing for up to 12 guests.
Omer Acar, chief executive of the Raffles and Orient Express brands at Accor, added: “Raffles seeks out astonishing settings for each of its properties, and Raffles London at The OWO offers this generously.
“The rich heritage of the city, as well as the Old War Office building, make London a natural home for the Raffles brand, which has long been synonymous with legendary service, glamour, art and storied destinations.”
