The spectacular conversion of the grade II*-listed Old War Office building in Whitehall into a hotel-and-residences scheme has deservedly won our latest Project of the Week title.

One of Europe’s most talked-about hospitality schemes, Raffles London at The OWO is shaping up to be rather special.

A landmark project

Currently under construction, Raffles London at the OWO is being developed by Hinduja Group and its joint venture partner Obrascon Huarte Lain Desarollos (OHLD). EPR Architects has been brought on to oversee the architectural aspects of the project, with Thierry Despont designing the hotel interiors and 1508 London designing the residences.

The historic Old War Office building, originally completed in 1906, has been the setting for countless globally significant events involving the likes of Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George and Lord Kitchener down the years. Located near 10 Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament in Whitehall, it’s a stunning example of Edwardian architecture, complete with characterful English baroque influences.

An inviting new destination

The building’s transformative journey began in 2017 when Hinduja Group and OHLD first revealed plans to restore and redevelop it into a new 760,000 sq ft destination, anchored by a luxury hotel. On completion, the scheme will encompass a 120-room Raffles hotel along with 85 private residences, nine restaurants and bars, a destination spa and boutique shops.

In early 2020, Hinduja Group and OHLD held a topping-out ceremony for the scheme – and announced that Raffles would operate the private residences, as well as the hotel.

This flagship hotel-and-residences project is expected to complete at the end of 2022.

Many TOPHOTELNEWS articles draw on exclusive information from the TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database. This subscription-based product includes details of thousands of hotel projects around the world, along with the key decision-makers behind them. Please note, our data may differ from records held by other organisations. Generally, the database focuses on four- and five-star schemes of significant scale; tracks projects in either the vision, pre-planning, planning, under-construction, pre-opening or newly opened phase; and covers newbuilds, extensions, refurbishments and conversions.

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