Raffles to operate residences at Old War Office

As well as the 125-bedroom luxury hotel set to open within the Old War Office in London’s Whitehall, Raffles Hotels & Resorts will also operate 85 residences at the site.

Owner Hinduja Group and developer Obrascon Huarte Lain Desarrollos (OHLD) announced an extension to the partnership today as well as the name ‘the OWO’.

The hotel, Raffles London at the OWO, is due to open in the Grade II*-listed property in early 2022, along with the OWO Residences by Raffles, which will be the first Raffles-serviced residences in Europe

The Hinduja Group and OHLD announced plans to restore and redevelop the building into a Raffles hotel in 2017 – the venue will also feature nine restaurants and bars and a spa.

Sébastien Bazin, chairman and chief executive of Accor, which bought the Raffles brand in 2016, said: “We are thrilled to take part in this adventure and to add ‘the OWO’ to our Raffles collection, as this sublime location will undoubtedly make the list of the five most beautiful hotels in the world, alongside Raffles Singapore.”

Gopichand P Hinduja, the Hinduja Group’s co-chairman, said: “This is an exciting and momentous day for the Old War Office as we reach the highest point of the building and announce the official name of the project as ‘the OWO’. After an exhaustive process, Raffles were selected above other leading global hotel brands as our partner to deliver a world-class hotel experience of peace and warmth. We are delighted to announce Raffles as operators of the branded residences; the first of their kind in Europe. The level of servicing Raffles will offer to future residence owners is unparalleled and will set a new benchmark in London.”

OHL’s chief executive, Jose Antonio Fernandez Gallar, added: “The Old War Office has been an ambitious and technically complex architectural and engineering project, and we are delighted to achieve this significant milestone as we progress towards the project’s opening early 2022.”

The venue has been designed by UK-based EPR Architects, with the hotel interiors designed by New York-based designer Thierry Despont, and the residences by 1508 London. The Hinduja Group’s acquired the property for £350m in 2014. There are 16 Raffles hotels globally.

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