Churchill’s former London office to be site of Raffles’ first branded residences in Europe
- Raffles, widely known in Asia for the luxury Raffles Singapore Hotel, was tapped by the Anglo-Indian Hinduja Group to manage the property
- The Old War Office was responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964
Hongkongers can now own a property in one of London’s most iconic historical buildings, once the office of former British prime minister Winston Churchill, with a price tag of at least 5.8 million pounds (US$8.18 million) for a two-bedroom flat.
The Old War Office building – responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964 – has been under renovation for the past five years, and will now become The OWO Residences by Raffles, the company’s first branded residences in Europe.
Raffles, widely known in Asia for the luxury Raffles Singapore Hotel, was tapped by the Anglo-Indian Hinduja Group to manage the property, which comprises 85 homes and a separate 125-room Raffles Hotel. The Hinduja Group is owned by the UK’s third-wealthiest family.
“We had been searching for the right location in London for a long time, so when the opportunity arose with the Old War Office building to create a flagship Raffles hotel with spectacular branded residences, it was an easy decision to make,” said Jeff Tisdall, senior vice-president of residential development at Accor, which manages Raffles. “The architecture, the heritage of the building and its location on Whitehall naturally lent itself to being a Raffles.”
The Old War Office building, a Whitehall landmark with an Edwardian Baroque exterior, was used by Sir Winston Churchill, David Lloyd-George and John Profumo among many other British War Secretaries. James Bond author Ian Fleming took inspiration from the building for many of his spy novels.