Spies, secrets and Singapore Slings at Raffles London at The OWO

Headed to Europe or Asia for the holidays? Here are six places to consider staying at and the must-dos in the area

- Mavis Teo

LONDON - "If only walls could speak," says historian Emiel Danneels, who is also a concierge staff, in a conspiratorial whisper.

We are in the Churchill Suite, one of the grandest suites at Raffles London at The OWO, short for Old War Office. This was the former Army Council Room where top officers at the British War Office would meet, where the Allied victory over Adolf Hitler was announced, and where decisions that determined the course of two world wars were made.

The building was the central office for top army brass and war secretaries, including former British prime minister Winston Churchill. It was also the birthplace of MI5 and MI6 - British Secret Intelligence Services, where spies flitted in and out under the cover of night.

For nearly 120 years, these doors were shut to the public. Now, the building has been turned into the London outpost of Singapore's Raffles Hotel, which opened in September 2023.

Entry-level Classic Rooms start at a sprawling 31 sq m.