Skift Travel News Blog

Raffles London at The OWO is set to open in London on Friday 29th September, the first hotel in the UK for Raffles Hotels & Resorts.

The hotel has been developed in partnership between Accor and the Hinduja Group, with the latter thoughtfully restoring Britain’s Old War Office to its former glory over the last eight years.

The new hotel will have 120 rooms including 39 suites, 85 Raffles Residences, a spa in partnership with Guerlain and Pillar, 9 restaurants, and 3 bars – one of which will provide access to a rooftop with panoramic views across St James’s Park, The Mall and onto Buckingham Palace.

The hotel will also feature a fully restored interior, with original elements of the building on full display, including hand-laid mosaic floors, oak panelling, chandeliers, and a marble staircase.

“Raffles seeks out astonishing settings for each of its properties, and Raffles London at The OWO offers this generously. The rich heritage of the city, as well as the Old War Office building, make London a natural home for the Raffles brand, which has long been synonymous with legendary service, glamour, art, and storied destinations,” said Omer Acar, CEO of Raffles and Orient Express, Accor.

Accor, the Paris-based hotel giant, said on Tuesday that Omer Acar will head its brands Raffles & Orient Express as of March 1. Acar will join Accor’s other brand CEOs in its luxury and lifestyle group (Fairmont, Sofitel & MGallery, and Ennismore) — all of whom report directly to group CEO Sébastien Bazin.

Omer will be based in New York and will represent Accor in North America. He has most recently been managing director for Europe and the Americas for Katara Hospitality, where he supervised 18 hotels including the Plaza in New York, Peninsula in Paris, Carlton in Cannes, Excelsior in Rome, Grosvenor House, and Savoy in London.

Accor has a separate organizational unit for its economy, midscale, and premium hotels.