A recent report ten years in the making recently boldly selected The World’s 50 Best Hotels. So what makes a great hotel?
15.09.2023 - 16:55 / edition.cnn.com / Winston Churchill / Ian Fleming / London
It’s been hidden from public eyes for more than a hundred years. But in a few weeks time, the former Old War Office in London, Whitehall will finally open its doors after a multi-million-dollar transformation.
Previously home to the operations of military leaders like Winston Churchill, the property has been reinvented as the UK’s first Raffles hotel, with luxurious rooms starting at £1,100 (around $1,392) per night.
Featuring 120 rooms and suites, a 600-person ballroom and London’s first ever Guerlain-brand spa, Raffles London at The OWO, a collaboration with the late French architect Thierry Despont, is one of this year’s most highly anticipated hotel openings.
The building also happens to be the location where British writer Ian Fleming came up with the idea for the James Bond spy novels while working as a British Naval Intelligence Officer.
Fans of 007 may recognize some areas of the property, which was used as a filming location in more recent movies in the franchise like “Spectre,” as well as older ones such as “Octopussy,” and “Licence to Kill.”
But why has it taken the Raffles hotel brand, established by Armenian hoteliers, the Sarkies Brothers, in 1887 and named after Sir Stamford Raffles, considered the founder of modern Singapore, so long to come to the UK capital?
“We needed the right spot,” Philippe Leboeuf, managing director of the hotel, tells CNN Travel. “And we felt that this was the building for it.”
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Originally completed in 1906, the landmark building has undergone an eight-year renovation that saw hundreds of artisans drafted in to restore historic elements, including oak paneling and hand laid mosaic flooring.
And according to Jill O’Hare, director of sales and marketing for Raffles London, there was as much restoration as there was construction during the extensive process of transforming the historic building into a luxury hotel.
The grand marble staircase lined with red carpet with the original logo from the Old War Office is among the original Edwardian features within the property, and undoubtedly one of its most eye-catching and Instagram friendly features.
A huge custom-made chandelier hangs directly above it, while a stunning gold French clock hangs on the wall.
Original cobblestones have been painstakingly removed, restored and returned to the inner courtyard, which separates the hotel from the 85 residences that form part of the building.
Meanwhile, the one-time Spies Entrance, previously used by agents, is now the main entry point for residents of luxurious Raffles-branded homes, where prices for a two-bedroom residence begin at around $11.48 million.
Villa Palladio: India
A recent report ten years in the making recently boldly selected The World’s 50 Best Hotels. So what makes a great hotel?
An iconic cornerstone of London’s landscape, the city’s Old War Office building is set to settle into a brand-new identity this month. Sold to the Hinduja group in 2016, the building is opening its doors to the public once again, this time revamped into the Raffles London at The OWO. This will be Raffles Hotels & Resorts’ first location in the United Kingdom. Rаffles’ hotels are known for bringing together impeccable hospitality, design, and exclusive environments, and The OWO is no exception. Storytelling and preservation are the focus here, and Raffles properties allow guests to spend their trip basking in history.
The current generation of high-spending hotel guests don’t care about your thread counts, fruit baskets or pillow chocolates, says the CEO of one of Accor’s most ornate hotel brands. Raffles boss Omer Acar states that repeat business in luxury hospitality is achieved through intangible, romantic metrics such as personalization, respect and appreciation of ones’ time.
The One&Only Mandarina was recently named the number-one hotel in North America by the new global ranking of The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023. The list was announced at an awards ceremony in London and includes hotels across six continents worldwide. This list marks 50 Best’s first ranking in the travel space.
In the distance, the verdant North Downs stretch out for miles, the chalk hills gently undulating until their ridges merge with the horizon. Closer, still, are fields of white lacey Cowslip and wild yellow Woodsorrel which dot the landscape with pops of colour. It’s hard to believe that we’re a short drive away from central London.
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With its mild, pleasant climate, charming English Channel island Jersey, just off the coast of Normandy, is an excellent weekend break destination as it’s a very short flight from London. The landscape is varied, from rugged coastlines to pristine beaches and the history is fascinating, with castles, including Elizabeth Castle, where King Charles II hid during the English Civil War and bunkers from German-occupied Jersey in World War II. As a tax haven, it’s probably better served than similar islands of its size, with some lovely hotels, shops and good restaurants, including one with a Michelin star.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, September 12. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Overlooking the English Channel is a small resort town bedecked with freestone facades and half-timbered houses. English is heard everywhere, from the Art Deco Westminster hotel to the lighthouse, which, on the occasion of the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, was lit up with Her Majesty's favourite colours. The bells of city hall chime in an echo of Big Ben, and it was just announced that the town's airport will soon be rechristened after Queen Elizabeth II.
London is a vibrant, culturally diverse and perpetually evolving city made up of a series of interconnected, but independent, neighborhoods. In all, London is broken up into 32 boroughs that make up what is known as Greater London. Within those 32 boroughs there are roughly 48 neighborhoods as some straddle between two boroughs.