Raffles London
THE GRAND STAIRCASE stretches upward with its red carpet tumbling over marble treads, splitting at the halfway point. DoI go left or right? But before I do, I’m told by Emiel Danneels that I must rub the nose of the lion’s head at the newel post, and the one on the right, to be exact. It would be what Sir Winston Churchill would do for luck, every morning, before climbing this same staircase. I give its nose a quick tickle.
The grand staircase at Raffles London at The OWO
An enormous crystal chandelier illuminates the steps, and the scene above: a balcony of arches that allow people to spy those below and from where Churchill would deliver his daily pep talk to his staff. Danneels is the concierge and hotel historian at Raffles London at The OWO, and he’s obliging a small group of hotel guests with a behind-the-scenes tour. Behind every door is a new plot thickening, antiqued-filled offices-turned sumptuous guest suites; walls lined with books; fireplaces awaiting a light.
The OWO is The Old War Office, and Raffles, one of the world’s most storied hotel brands. I am following the ghost of Churchill and his web of intrigue. Bits of the ghost of James Bond were spirited here as well, as the character’s creator, the author Sir Ian Fleming, worked in the building during the Second World War. His office numbers? 006 and 007. I feel less spy and more debutante as I climb the steps. How many diamonds may have descended these stairs during the season, I wonder? And, although there’s something unmatched by the original Raffles in Singapore, The OWO London must be the current jewel in the Accor crown.
The Churchill Suite at Raffles London at The OWO: This is the room where the army council met and Churchill would have held meetings of state, at that time the suite was called the Army Council Room.
Living in a building with so much significance to the Western world as we know it is a bit of a mind-blower. The Elizabeth Tower (and Big Ben, its bell), the Houses of Parliament, the Horse Guards Parade and Whitehall are all within view; Buckingham Palace a quick walk through St James’ Park. Built in 1906 as the new HQ for the British Army, it was a testament to Edward VII’s maximalist baroque tastes, perhaps a backlash of his mother Queen Victoria’s austere ways.
Austerity be gone, this was all in. And modern-day transformative master designer Thierry Despont’s vision plays well in this environment, building on the history with layers of heritage-inspired paint colours, fabrics and wallpapers and maintaining all of the building’s over-the- top characters. Crystal, polished wood, glossy marble, the eyes are delighted.
It brings the expected gravitas of the Raffles brand, but adds its own distinct personality. There’s no Long Bar, no peanut shells crunching underfoot or Singapore Slings on tap. At OWO, I’m snug in The Guard’s Bar, the hotel’s signature splashes of red (perhaps in reference to the colours of England’s patron saint, St George) add to the warmth of the narrow space.
Champagne is more the game; gin tonics and craft cocktails are at home here. There’s a speakeasy too, deep in the bowels of the building; the door is only marked by a number above it: 007. Upstairs, Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco lends his name and know-how to three restaurants. The bright and airy Saison is relaxed and welcoming and perfect for solo diners, Mauro’s table seats only 20, while his namesake resto is his homage to the seasonal English garden.
Saison Restaurant at Raffles London at The OWO
I’ve been booked into the Atkins Suite for the night. It’s named for Vera Atkins, said to be one of Sir Winston’s favourite spies. She worked in special ops in France. The suite is one of the hotel’s corner rooms, all eight of which are named for significant woman to the war effort – from spies to nurses to the influencers of the day, Nancy Astor and Clementine Churchill; the living area of the Atkins Suite is all curves and splashes of ruby red against wood panels.
Designed by Thierry Despont, the Westminster suites at Raffles London at The OWO feature spacious king sized beds with the most luxurious linens and elegant marble bathrooms.
But the bedroom is an oasis of serene calm. Cream and white with hits of gold and camel are a visual sigh, dark wood paneled built-ins the only sign of a building of an age. But modernity still reigns when it comes to amenities: the requisite hair dryer is joined by a straightening iron; the bath and yes, a bathtub! are stocked with 1906, the bespoke products doused with the fragrance created by London-based perfumer Azzi Glasser, giving a nod to the building’s birth year. The little half moon window faces the bed, and the shades swing open automatically as I enter the room. Here comes the sun.
The Dorchester
The Dorchester lobby by Mark Read
IF WE WANT to play history roulette, we could spin the wheel and land on The Dorchester, a true grande dame of London’s hotel scene. Off Hyde Park and on the edge of Mayfair, it may be away from the politics and intrigue, but it’s been a bastion of high society since it first opened its doors in 1931.
What started out as the estate of the Earl of Dorchester in the late 1700s morphed into the American Embassy in 1910 and acted as a hospital during the First World War. It was here that Eisenhower planned the Normandy invasion that would be the beginning of the end to the Second World War. Prince Philip threw his bachelor party here; rooms even displayed artwork by the now King Charles.
Liberace’s legendary mirrored piano – The Dorchester
When The Dorchester re-opened its first phase of a roof-to-basement refurbishment in February 2023, it brought with it air and light. Designer Pierre-Yves Rochon has given the hotel entrance and lobby a natural flow that makes one feel at home. In The Promenade, it’s clear Rochon was inspired by English design sensibility, incorporating nature’s hues and spectacular blooms of a country garden. Toss in oversized works of art, the glimmer of gold accents and the sparkle of a mirrored baby grand piano at the Artist’s Bar, and you’ve got a hot spot for glamorous afternoon tea or later in the day cocktails. Curved banquettes and couches are strategically placed, facing the room, where one can see and be seen. I could sit here all day, breathing in the fresh-flower scented air, watching Mayfair movers and shakers meet and greet.
Artists’ Bar – The Dorchester
I’ve booked into a first-floor suite, complete with a butler. He pours me a cuppa right away, makes sure I’m not allergic to the treats that come with the tea, asks if I need help unpacking and notices I’ve left my glasses on the desk. After I’ve come back from a walk in Hyde Park, I see he’s left me a lens cleaning cloth on the desk, and has discreetly removed any allergy-offending treats.
Dinner time at The Grill by Tom Booton means going all out with ‘All the Chicken’ – a whole stuffed crown, tangy barbecue-glazed wings, and our lush chicken and mushroom pies, finished off with a creamy sauce. – The Dorchester
Later, I’m having a pre-dinner drink in The Vesper Bar (yes, she was a Bond girl, too). The low-ceilinged room filled with green and turquoise velvets is like having a cocktail in a long-ago luxury cruise liner; the walls and ceiling reflect a bronzed glow from the low table lamps and opaque sconces. It’s clear the bartenders love it here; they’re all engaged in animated conversation with their guests. Everyone looks pretty in this room. But dinner calls, and I stroll across the hall to The Grill by Tom Booton. It’s Brit food at its best, with plenty of carving and serving tableside, roast and all the comfort foods, elevated. The chef ’s “All the Chicken” is an ode to the humble bird, as good as your grandmother (or a French country chef ) might do; Hispi cabbage, cod doughnuts, Cornish crab and chips – all a testimony to Booton’s commitment to British cuisine.
Sophie, my sommelier, is fearless in her pairings; her depth of wine knowledge belies her youthful appearance. And perhaps that’s the point. A grande dame like The Dorchester or Raffles London at The OWO may guard their secrets, but they show off their good bones, not by hiding their age, but by enhancing it and celebrating it, always moving forward.
