At Raffles London at The OWO, the itinerary starts before you step outside. There’s Michelin-starred dining from Mauro Colagreco, a multi-level Guerlain Spa and a Bond-inspired subplot involving Ian Fleming, 007 film locations and cocktails below ground. When you’re ready to explore, Whitehall puts central London within easy reach – although your best evening may involve going nowhere at all.
You may recognise the setting from a few Bond films…
Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, was a regular visitor to the building, and scenes from several 007 films have been shot here. So while you’re admiring the grand staircases and Edwardian interiors, it’s easy to imagine a little more intrigue unfolding behind the scenes.
The connection gives Raffles London at The OWO a playful cinematic edge. You might spot a detail that feels straight from a Bond set, or simply enjoy knowing that the building has inspired more than a few stories over the years.
…and rooms 006 and 007 now serve cocktails underground
Two former Old War Office rooms, numbered 006 and 007, now house The Spy Bar. Once used for high-security storage, they have since traded identity papers and mission reports for cocktails, canapes and a strict no-photography rule.
Order the obvious Vesper, settle into the low-lit room and keep your phone in your pocket. You can also book a tasting experience featuring three cocktails with matching canapes – no tuxedo, secret code or international assignment required.
There’s more than one reason to stay for dinner
Beyond cocktails and espionage, the story takes a delicious turn with Mauro Colagreco at Raffles London at The OWO, which earned one MICHELIN Star in 2025. The restaurant takes its cues from the British landscape, with more than 70 varieties of fruit and vegetables appearing across its seasonal cooking.
This is not a menu where vegetables wait for their turn beside the main course. Plant produce leads the conversation, supported by ingredients sourced through relationships with British growers and producers.
For something even more immersive, Mauro’s Table places up to 20 diners around an open kitchen, where the meal unfolds directly in front of you. Saison by Mauro Colagreco offers a more relaxed Mediterranean rhythm, giving hotel guests two very different ways to eat under the same roof.
And that’s only the beginning: with nine restaurants and three bars onsite, you can keep changing the mood – from rooftop Japanese to Milanese aperitivi – without leaving the building.
Four floors of Guerlain make room for a proper reset
The Guerlain Spa stretches across four floors and 27,000 square feet, with nine treatment rooms, VIP suites, a 20-metre indoor pool, vitality pool, sauna, steam rooms and experience showers.
Guerlain has created treatments specifically for Raffles London, while Pillar Wellbeing adds movement, nutrition and recovery expertise. You can also visit L’Atelier Guerlain for express beauty treatments, hairdressing, make-up and fragrance consultations.
The appeal is simple: walk through Westminster in the morning, spend the afternoon being restored by a Parisian beauty house, then emerge in time for dinner.
The trophy cabinet is getting crowded
Raffles London at The OWO holds Three MICHELIN Keys, the highest distinction in the MICHELIN Guide hotel selection. It was also ranked No. 31 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 list and placed third in Travel + Leisure’s 2025 ranking of London’s favourite hotels.
The awards recognise different sides of the stay – the hotel as a complete experience, its international reputation, its appeal to London travellers and the standard of its service. Put simply, this is not a property relying on one good restaurant or one photogenic room to make its case.
The address makes sightseeing effortless
Raffles London at The OWO sits on Whitehall, with Horse Guards Parade directly outside. Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, St James’s Park, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square are all close enough to fold into a day of exploring.
The location also makes it easy to change pace. Walk out for landmarks, galleries or the theatre, then return for a spa treatment, a Michelin-starred dinner or a drink in the former 007 rooms downstairs.
That balance is the real luxury of the address: central London on the doorstep, with enough happening inside the hotel to make staying in equally appealing.
