One of the World’s Most
Historic Addresses
Buckingham Palace at the end of the Mall, the King’s Life Guards opposite, while St. James’s Park rises beyond the treeline. Few destinations place London’s history, culture and ceremony so intimately at the door – Mayfair, St James’s and the West End within moments. Once a seat of military power, today The OWO invites you in.
Edwardian Grandeur Faithfully Restored
Designed by William Young, crowned by the sculptures of Alfred Drury – Grade II* listed and Edwardian Baroque at its most commanding. Portland stone lines interiors where original plaster ceilings and oak panelling have been painstakingly restored to their full grandeur. From every window, London unfolds – the rooftops of Whitehall, the Thames, a city in motion. A building that rewards attention at every turn.
An Arrival Without Equal
Where Secrets Became Legend
Built for the British Army in 1906, a command centre through two World Wars where Churchill directed military strategy and the Secret Service Bureau sowed the seeds of MI5 and MI6. Among the officers who walked these halls: Ian Fleming – creator of James Bond. Somewhere within the building, a room is still numbered 007. The legend endures.
The Characters Who Shaped It
Sir Mansfield Cumming
The Secret Intelligence Service was born within these walls. Its first chief signed his orders in green ink as 'C' - a flourish every successor still observes.
T.E. Lawrence
Before the desert and the legend, he served here as a draughtsman. The marble staircase, he quipped, was for Field Marshals and charwomen alone.
Sir Winston Churchill
He strode these corridors as Secretary of State for War. His command post on the principal floor was the first of many chapters bound to this building.
John Profumo
War Secretary in the early 1960s, his tenure ended in the defining political scandal of the century - a story whose echoes have outlived him.
Sir Ian Fleming
Stationed here through the Second World War, he observed and imagined. The intrigue around him became the raw material for the world of James Bond.
Lords Kitchener and Haldane
His finger pointed the call to arms from these walls - the most famous recruitment image ever made. Beside him, Haldane quietly reforged the army for 1914.
From Palace, to Power,
to the
Most Coveted Address in London
1530–1698
1530–1698
Place of Whitehall
Palace of Whitehall stands on the site, home to monarchs including Henry VIII.
1898
1898
The Architect's Vision
Scottish architect William Young begins designing the New War Office, a project later completed by his son Clyde following William’s death in 1900.
1906
1906
The New War Office
The New War Office opens on Whitehall. Built in Edwardian Baroque style — 1,100 rooms, 7 floors, 2.5 miles of corridors, costing £1.2 million.
1909
1909
The Birth of British Intelligence
The Secret Service Bureau (the origins of MI5 & MI6) is founded within the building in September.
1919–1921
1919–1921
Churchill at the Helm
Winston Churchill serves as Secretary of State for War, operating from the building.
1964
1964
The Old War Office
The unified Ministry of Defence is formed. The building becomes known as the Old War Office.
1983–2015
1983–2015
A Bond Legacy
The building serves as a film location across five James Bond films, from Octopussy to Spectre, a legacy rooted in Fleming’s own wartime years here.
2014
2014
A New Chapter Begins
The Old War Office is sold as part of the disposal of British Government assets.
2016
2016
The Birth of The OWO
2023
2023
Raffles Comes to London
A Vision Eight Years in the Making
Behind the restoration of The OWO stand two partners, an alliance of craftsmen, and a single conviction: to honour the building’s history while shaping it for a new era.
Hinduja Group – Owners since 2016, the Hinduja family approached the restoration as a matter of legacy. The late Gopichand Hinduja remained personally invested in the project to the last, seeing it through to completion in 2023 – his gift, in his own words, to London.
ONEX Holding – A private investment group with a portfolio of consequential assets, ONEX partnered the project across its eight-year transformation, bringing the discipline and patience of a long-term steward.
Awards
- - Spears Super Prime Development of the Year
- - World's 50 Best Hotels 2025
- - Best Spa Hotel - The Luxury Spa Edit 2026
- - Michelin Guide 2025 - Mauro Colagreco
- - Elite Traveller 2026 Hotel Suites
