Raffles London at The OWO

Visited on 1st May around 8pm for a food delivery and had a very unpleasant experience with the concierge staff. The person on duty was extremely unprofessional and disrespectful. He mocked me directly, repeated my words in a sarcastic tone, and behaved in a rude and aggressive manner for no reason. This kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable, especially in a role that represents the front face of the building. It reflects very poorly on management and raises serious concerns about how others are being treated as well. The management seriously needs to reconsider who they place in such positions. No one should have to deal with this level of disrespect while simply doing their job. A formal review of staff conduct is clearly needed.

With a long history as the War Office, the OWO Raffles building has been stunningly restored. We were lucky enough to to do the tour, which takes you behind the scenes of much of the building, including the old Minister of War’s office (now a luxury suite), and the areas where many of the key events of the Second World War were planned. Thanks should go to Emile who was an excellent “tour guide” This was followed by afternoon tea which was exactly as you would expect from one of the top hotels in London. Again our waitress (Krina) was excellent – friendly, helpful and professional in all ways. Raffles is not an hotel which immediately springs to mind for afternoon tea in London, but (to us), it’s one of the very best we’re had.

I consider myself an expert when it comes to afternoon tea. I have taken tea at some of the most prestigious venues around the world, including Raffles in Singapore. This is right up there and in my top 5. The building is impressive. The care and attention from all the staff (it was a Monday) was wonderful. The pianist played beautifully in the background and the location was excellent. The attention to detail with the Afternoon Tea made you smile. I was extremely impressed that they had taken note of our allergies upon booking and no prompting was necessary. All food was prepared without the ingredients we react to. The view over Whitehall and the Horse guards added to the experience. We were in the drawing room. No fancy table cloths but very comfortable seating. We saw two other restaurants, as we freely wandered, after our experience. They were more refined for lunch or supper. Aldwych and Micheal were very attentive during our visit and must be mentioned. We loved it and give this 10/10.

We went for the standing sushi experience which was lovely; made in front of us by a sushi master, and it was served to us as they are made on the spot. We had delicious sake cocktails and we were very well looked after by chief sake sommelier Anthony Yukio. The vibe is fun and cozy, little booths and even a record player to spin some tunes. Highly recommended.

My experience at the raffles hotel in London was nothing less than 5*, the junior suite was stunning the staff were amazing with the outstanding service, especially thanks to Marco Suparna and Ryan.