"The War Office is not the War Office anymore. It’s now the OWO (aka “The Old War Office”). It consists of Raffles London at the OWO, which takes up about half the building, along with some mighty luxe private residences and various other restaurants. It’s hard not to over-emphasize how little other London hotels can touch what Raffles has been lucky enough to tap into here. Historically, the building has perched at the very hub of the establishment. The hefty $1.9 billion restoration investment, over seven years, has included a 25-meter downward excavation (to create the wellness levels of the hotel). Nine restaurants and three bars join the 27,000-foot Goddard Littlefair–designed Guerlain spa (with three subterranean levels) and 65-foot pool. The final shimmering product has 120 rooms and suites, with an entry-level rate of more than $1,400 per night. All is presided over by the soave, somewhat slinky French hotelier Philippe Leboeuf, the Managing Director, Anglophile and self-professed Churchillphile. Price: Rooms from around $1,399 per nightAddress: 57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BXClosest tube station: Charing Cross" - Condé Nast Traveller, Steve King
