The Raffles London at The OWO review

Raffles London at The OWO location

You possibly can’t get extra central than this. Because of its ministerial origin story, the resort sits in London’s historic locus of energy alongside Whitehall, working from Trafalgar Sq. all the way down to Parliament.

A taxi or ride-hailing service from London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) can take anyplace from 40 to 90 minutes and value $60 to $100. In case you are touring mild, you’ll be able to take the Tube’s Picadilly Line to busy Leicester Sq. in about an hour for simply 5.60 British kilos ($7), after which it is a 15-minute stroll from there.

Raffles London at The OWO reserving particulars

Standout options of Raffles London at The OWO

• A way of historical past is palpable within the grand public areas, together with the chandelier-lit central staircase.
• The sturdy slate of culinary choices ranges from up to date Japanese to traditional English tea, a James Bond-inspired speakeasy and two Riviera-inspired eating places from one of many world’s most acclaimed cooks.
• The subterranean wellness advanced features a attractive pool space and the U.Ok.’s first Guerlain Spa.

Drawbacks of Raffles London at The OWO

• The situation is walkable to many vacationer sights, however if you would like a extra neighborhood really feel, look elsewhere.
• The visitor lodging are amongst London’s largest but additionally amongst its costliest, and there is not a good way to redeem factors right here.
• Afternoon tea is attractive right here, however in the event you’re in search of extra pomp and circumstance, you would possibly wish to search out a scenier venue.

The vibe at Raffles London at The OWO

Again when the OWO was certainly the Struggle Workplace (not simply the previous one), solely officers and vital officers have been allowed to make use of the doorway off Whitehall and ascend the imposing break up staircase that occupied pleasure of place within the coronary heart of the constructing.

Today, nevertheless, it is resort company — an intriguing melange of suited businessfolk, visiting dignitaries and well-off People — you may discover swanning up the central function, which seems to be much more magnificent than ever because of a spruce up (together with the remainder of the resort) from late architect and designer Thierry Despont, whose work you would possibly acknowledge from the Ritz Paris and The Carlyle, a Rosewood-affiliated property in New York Metropolis.

Take a second to do the identical your self, admiring the deep-veined Piastraccia marble steps, the Brescia marble handrails and full-figured balusters carved from Derbyshire alabaster. Look upward and see in the event you can spot the Tudor roses alongside the cupola and the 50 acres’ value of plaster molding crowning the house. The centerpiece, nevertheless, is the Murano crystal chandelier by design agency iDogi titled “Meridies,” whose double globes comprise 3,000 items of glass and 96 lights, representing the approaching collectively of empires.

Similar to the chandelier, so many parts needed to come collectively to make this resort a actuality, and the result’s nothing wanting breathtaking.

Rooms at Raffles London at The OWO

Lodging on the Raffles London at The OWO vary from the usual Basic class as much as a handful of specialty suites named after British politicians and feminine spies (in any case, MI5 was based on this very edifice).

My Westminster Suite was situated within the north wing of the constructing on the second (third by American requirements) flooring, a brief stroll from one of many elevators and the central staircase, which I most well-liked to parade down as a substitute of taking the lifts.

Even the hallways displayed playful nods to the resort’s historical past and environment. They featured crimson carpets and drapes with leather-based borders — visible references to the uniforms of the King’s Life Guard sentries standing at consideration, plumed helmets and all, throughout the road on the Horse Guards constructing — and flooring grills patterned to resemble the casings of grenades.

Inside, my suite was a sprawling 688 sq. ft with a front room and a separate bed room, each with burnished oak paneling and filigreed crown molding on the double-height ceilings, in addition to carpets stippled in black and white just like the hand-laid mosaic flooring within the resort’s corridors. The doorway lobby additionally held a closet and a powder room simply contained in the entrance door.

The upholstery all through was a mixture of staid lotions and grays with numerous Glen verify accents natty sufficient for a Savile Row tailor store. The lounge additionally had a shapely picket work desk off to at least one facet (although I ended up working from the window-adjacent armchair and ottoman, largely) a small couch and a espresso desk going through a chest with a flat-screen TV. Every little thing within the room, together with the lights, temperature and TV, may very well be managed utilizing one of many {custom} tablets, although the heaviest set of drapes on every of the big home windows needed to be drawn open or closed by hand.

The bed room lay by a set of huge picket sliding doorways and previous the minibar stocked with connoisseur goodies, together with canned Singapore Sling cocktails alluding to the Raffles model’s historical past, and an espresso machine.

The king-size mattress was wearing crisp white linens and a profusion of pillows with a easy squared-off bedhead and confronted a wall-mounted TV on the other wall.

By one other set of doorways off to at least one facet, there was a closet and dressing space full with its personal vainness, and from there, it was a fast flip into the marble-tiled lavatory with radiant flooring heating for these chilly London mornings.

To 1 facet, there was a soaking tub encased in marble slabs, and to the opposite was a two-sink counter with an enormous mirror and a picket base with drawers containing numerous facilities in case you left any toiletries at residence.

Lastly, there was a water closet with the bathroom, and previous that, a walk-in bathe with a glass door and each overhead and wall-mounted hand-held showerheads.

London perfumer Azzi Glasser created a bespoke vary of cleaning soap, hair and skincare merchandise for the resort dubbed “1906” after the constructing’s opening 12 months and scented with vetiver, sandalwood and neroli.

Visitors trying to immerse themselves even additional into the constructing’s historical past can e book one of many specialty suites, that are named after well-known figures in British navy historical past and notable ladies linked with the OWO, like Clementine Churchill and Christine Granville, a World Struggle II spy.

The suite named after the latter, which was previously the workplace of the chief of the overall workers and a banquet corridor, has its unique oak paneling and brass chandeliers courting to 1906, however the showstopper is its freestanding brass bathtub subsequent to a inexperienced marble hearth.

The glassed-in cubicles holding the bathroom and the bathe have been impressed by Nineteenth-century marketing campaign latrines. Even if you cannot afford the splurge, you would possibly be capable of sneak into a couple of of the suites on one of many historical past excursions the resort affords on a complimentary foundation to company.

Food and drinks at Raffles London at The OWO

With 9 eating venues and three bars, you won’t be capable of pattern the whole lot the Raffles at The OWO has to supply, even on a multinight keep. This is the place to focus your power.

Mauro Colagreco and Mauro’s Desk

The resort’s main advantageous eating experiences come courtesy of internationally famend chef Mauro Colagreco, whose flagship restaurant on the French Riviera, Mirazur, has three Michelin stars and was named the world’s finest restaurant in 2019 by the World’s 50 Greatest checklist.

The ethereal however cozy flower-filled eating room pays homage to traditional English gardens, full with colourful prints of produce adorning the partitions. Diners right here will discover the chef’s classics, like his grandmother’s heirloom ache a partager (pull-apart bread) served with lemon-ginger olive oil.

Nevertheless, the seasonal menu highlights rigorously sourced British produce and proteins with a hero ingredient listed for every dish. Radish from East Sussex, as an example, is painstakingly carved into the form of a rose, hiding luscious slices of sea bass sashimi and orange-grapefruit jelly in a Japanese dashi broth.

Blackberries are the celebrities of an entree of juicy roasted wooden pigeon with chanterelles in a butter-vermouth sauce. Visitors can select from a three-course a la carte menu ($136 per individual) or a five-course prix fixe ($205). There are additionally numerous pairings, together with a nonalcoholic choice ($99), a five-wine choice ($155) and a “Leisure Route Pairing” of advantageous vintages ($528).

If you happen to’re craving an much more decadent expertise, e book out Mauro’s Desk, a 20-person non-public eating room with an open kitchen the place every dish is ready in entrance of diners’ eyes to create an immersive expertise.

Saison

The resort’s all-day restaurant Saison (additionally from chef Colagreco) seems like a greenhouse on the Cote d’Azur because of its gazebolike trellised partitions, its saffron-hued central banquette, the profusion of greenery and the ample pure mild streaming down by its glass ceiling. You’d by no means guess that this was as soon as the constructing’s library, housing one of many world’s largest collections of navy literature.

Most company begin their day with breakfast right here, grazing alongside the buffet of house-made pastries, recent fruit and chilly cuts earlier than tucking into choices from the new menu, like buttery scrambled eggs heaped with smoked ChalkStream trout over toasted brioche. A la carte dishes begin at $17, whereas set menus that embrace the buffet and different gadgets vary from $43 to $56.

At dinner, the house feels extra intimate because of romantic lighting and Mediterranean specialties comparable to 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 every day, The Drawing Room seems like certainly one of London’s toniest gents’s golf equipment because of its good-looking wooden paneling and pillars, tufted leather-based cubicles and a baronial carved stone hearth, although there are additionally up to date components like finely feathered Venetian glass chandeliers.

The principle occasion right here is afternoon tea (beginning at $99 per individual), which features a alternative of 19 loose-leaf teas and tisanes produced for the resort by Camellia’s Tea Home, a savory amuse-bouche and a collection of 4 finger sandwiches, together with one stuffed with Severn & Wye Smokery gravlax with lemon confit and horseradish on beet-infused bread and one other honey-roasted ham, watercress and cep mushrooms on caraway.

After that, servers current multitiered plates displaying sweets like pumpkin-ginger cake with burnt vanilla and Gaya 64% darkish chocolate and occasional shortbread, fig and plum custard and, after all, fresh-from-the-oven buttermilk-sultana scones with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry jam.

Come after 3 p.m. to catch every day dwell musical performances.

The Guards Bar and Lounge

Taking inspiration from the Horse Guards simply throughout the road, The Guards Bar and Lounge seems like a swanky bolthole tucked into the southwest nook of the OWO, with a lounge-style room with low-slung vignettes of slipper chairs and love seats and a separate bar space for singletons on stools.

The intensive cocktail menu options quite a lot of new takes on the traditional Singapore Sling, together with a London model with Sipsmith Raffles 1915 gin, strawberry and oat Sipello liqueur, linden tea and cherry bitters ($32) and numerous sections dedicated to spicy, fruity, natural, tropical and floral flavors.

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

Spy Bar

Hidden in an underground stage down an simply missed hallway that was previously the phone change and the place you’ll be able to nonetheless spot reinforcement beams added throughout World Struggle II lies the Spy Bar. It’s denoted by a “007” on the door — a cheeky reference to James Bond creator Ian Fleming, who was impressed to write down his franchise from the years he spent working right here. The bar occupies a piece of the constructing as soon as used for interrogating sources and debriefing brokers.

Solely resort company and residents (and their invited company) are admitted, and no images are allowed. As soon as contained in the clandestine speakeasy, you will see an extremely well-stocked bar backed with the proper half of a shiny bullet-gray Aston DB5 (the traditional automobile from “Goldfinger,” amongst different Bond movies).

As you’d anticipate, the menu options quite a lot of traditional and inventive martini twists, plus a panoply of (somewhat pricy) cocktails that incorporate classic spirits like gins and vodkas bottled within the Nineteen Sixties.

Better of the remaining

The resort’s different eating places and bars embrace outposts of notable worldwide eateries.

Like its Paris namesake, Cafe Laperouse serves traditional French fare in luxurious surrounds and is housed in a jewellery boxlike pavilion within the resort’s central court docket with a trippy mirrored roof.

Close by, Paper Moon slings Milanese aperitivi and northern Italian dishes. A franchise of Langosteria may even open quickly.

Third-generation sushi grasp Endo Kazutoshi oversees each the izakaya-style, 25-seat Kioku Bar on the bottom flooring and the top-floor Kioku by Endo, which serves recent sashimi and sushi together with spectacular views of the town, particularly from its outside terrace and the non-public eating room ensconced in one of many constructing’s turrets.

Lastly, the resort’s wellness associate, Pillar Wellbeing, has a wholesome restaurant on the bottom flooring that serves smoothies and fresh-squeezed juices, espresso and tea drinks, savory snacks and extra throughout breakfast and lunch.

Facilities and repair at Raffles London at The OWO

Though you would possibly get your steps in exploring London and its many points of interest, the resort’s huge wellness middle contains 27,000 sq. ft throughout 4 underground ranges.

The 2-story Pillar Wellbeing portion features a fitness center and motion studios for yoga and stretching classes, plus a 65-foot indoor pool with fantastically lit, cloudlike wall paneling. The moist space additionally includes a vitality pool, a sauna and a steam room for visitor use.

Up two flooring from there, London’s first Guerlain Spa has 9 cocoonlike remedy rooms, however the expertise begins in a tranquil reception space with butterflies and flowers etched within the ceiling stucco. Together with a cup of lemon-lemongrass tea and a lavender-scented scorching towel, spagoers are requested to smell by the famed fragrance home’s numerous scents and choose the one that almost all fits their temper that day so their remedy may be tailor-made to it.

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

L’Atelier Guerlain is sort of a miniature spa and wonder salon situated on the bottom flooring. There, guests should purchase Guerlain merchandise and e book specific magnificence therapies, in addition to hair styling and colour providers carried out by Salon64 hairdressers.

Although not fairly an amenity, a few of the extra uncommon experiences on the resort are the historic excursions provided by its concierges. These begin from the concierge foyer, the place you would possibly spy hand-built Pashley bikes like messengers from the constructing’s heyday might need ridden round. You may also spot a monumental map on the wall of London from the seventeenth century and artist Saad Qureshi’s intricate sculpture Convocation depicting Britain’s advanced social and architectural heritage. These iron lamps? They have been constructed from captured German World Struggle I cannons.

The subsequent informative cease will seemingly be the constructing’s central corridor. You’ll want to rub the nostril of the lion sculpture on the proper banister for good luck, identical to Winston Churchill was stated to do every day earlier than ascending the steps to ship his morning briefing to the workers. The gilt clock on the touchdown was a present from former French President Charles de Gaulle to the British authorities for its assist in liberating France from the Nazis.

Different factors of curiosity alongside the tour would possibly embrace a number of of the specialty suites, relying on occupancy. On mine, we have been in a position to peek into 4 of them, the Churchill Suite, the place the Military Council would meet to plan campaigns, together with D-Day’s Operation Overlord. The inexperienced and gold damask wallpaper dates to the Nineteen Thirties (see in the event you can nonetheless detect a whiff of cigar smoke), and the chairs are unique, although reupholstered. The room additionally accommodates custom-made artwork items and crystal chandeliers.

Alongside the way in which, your information would possibly level out numerous portraits of troopers and Struggle Workplace staffers, area drawings from World Struggle I and different artifacts housed within the resort’s artwork assortment, which additionally consists of beautiful up to date works by artists like Priya Sundaravalli and Colette LaVette.

The tour was really a spotlight of my go to however just one occasion of how extremely hospitable the workers have been. My check-in course of ended up together with an in depth tour of the resort from the enthusiastic desk agent after I requested just some questions in regards to the facilities.

It appeared like each maitre d’, server and sommelier knew me by identify earlier than I even stepped right into a restaurant or bar, and every was solely too glad to take time to elucidate the dishes and drinks whereas answering some other questions I had. Likewise, the oldsters within the spa and health middle have been delighted to indicate me across the amenities regardless that I didn’t have an appointment. In brief, from the second a bowler-hatted doorman took my suitcases to the time the entrance desk known as a taxi for my departure, I felt welcomed and brought care of however not fawned over.

Out and about

The resort is situated within the coronary heart of official London, only a brief stroll from the Homes of Parliament and Massive Ben, in addition to Buckingham Palace by way of St. James’s Park in an space that’s populated by authorities ministries.

Meaning there’s not a ton of neighborhood stuff to talk of. However if you’re on the town for sightseeing, you’ll be able to attain Westminster Abbey by strolling about 10 minutes south of the resort. You’ll want to cease on the way in which on the Imperial Struggle Museum.

An identical stroll north brings you to Trafalgar Sq., The Nationwide Gallery and the Nationwide Portrait Gallery. Those that have somewhat extra pep of their step can attain the theaters of the West Finish and the retailers of Covent Backyard by strolling one other 10 minutes or so. Charing Cross, from which you’ll catch numerous rail providers and the Tube, is a 10-minute stroll as properly.

Accessibility at Raffles London at The OWO

Because of the truth that messengers would usually use bicycles to navigate the two 1/2 miles of hallways on the OWO, the resort’s corridors are 10 ft extensive and its public areas are wheelchair-accessible, and there’s a wheelchair-accessible entrance from the internal courtyard and no-step entrances to its numerous eating places and lounges.

You possibly can attain all flooring by way of elevators which have chair-height buttons. There are additionally accessible public restrooms. Whereas the pool space doesn’t have a everlasting chairlift, there’s a movable hoist that the workers can use to assist company enter and exit the water.

The resort has 5 accessible-designated rooms and suites which have options comparable to lowered lavatory counters and beds, roll-in showers and seize bars within the loos, and chair-height spyholes. Likewise, the spa and fitness center have accessible lockers and restroom amenities, in addition to an accessible remedy room.

Trying out

Though you will discover inns in historic landmarks everywhere in the world, the distinctive character of the Outdated Struggle Workplace constructing units the Raffles London at The OWO aside, not simply from different inns within the British capital, however from different luxurious inns throughout the globe. The palpable sense of historical past evident all over the place you go provides to the expertise of staying right here with out overwhelming current-day comforts, and the service is among the many finest within the metropolis.

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