Peninsula, the Emory, and the Mandarin Oriental, Mayfair (the group's second hotel in the capital, scheduled to open this fall). Others have been totally refurbished, such as the beloved Beaumont (doubles from $886), which has had a glow-up and added 29 rooms in an adjacent building. But all of them have been unveiled later than anticipated.
Only one year behind schedule, but perhaps the most ambitious, is the Singapore-based Raffles group's takeover of the Old War Office on Whitehall. This gargantuan, $1.8 billion project turned a 580,000-square-foot municipal building into a 760,000-square-foot luxury hotel, while somehow preserving the historical spirit of the place where Winston Churchill once worked.
Arriving at Raffles London at the OWO (doubles from $1,260), mere steps from Trafalgar Square, I entered a hallway dominated by a grand marble stairway, over which hangs a 26-foot Murano glass chandelier. Though the interior has been softened with carpets and lanterns, the building's sturdy civic bones shine through, and I could easily picture government employees rushing along its vast corridors, in and out of meeting rooms. Those oncedusty offices are now huge bedrooms and suites, with curtains, lighting, and TVs all controlled by an iPad that, in my case, always seemed to get lost in the high-thread-count sheets.
Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Travel+Leisure US.
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Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Travel+Leisure US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Second Course - Noma chef René Redezpi found fame ingredient-focused with fine dining. His new TV show goes even further.
This summer, chef René Redezpi and Travel + Leisure contributor Matt Goulding released their Apple TV+ docuseries, Omnivore. Each episode follows a single ingredient on its global journey, from harvesting to processing to cooking. T+L spoke to the Danish chef about the making of the series, and what's on his travel radar.
GBASS BOTS
On a road trip deep into the culinary heart of France, Rosecrans Baldwin visits the village restaurants and country hotels updating the age-old French tradition of cooking local.
DRINKING IT ALL IN
The rich, volcanic soil of central Chile has nourished a food and wine legacy that bridges cultures, from Indigenous cooks to globe-trotting vintners.
APPETITE for LIFE
Dandelion roots and pea greens, truffles and wild mountain thyme: a meal in Slovenia is like a walk in a fairy-tale forest. Sierra Crane Murdoch falls under the country's spell.
RAPPY VALLEY
For more than two decades, wine expert Ray Isle has been visiting Napa to uncover the best of the region. Here's his short list.
How to Actually Enjoy Dining Out with Kids
A flexible mindset-and proper preparation can help parents and children make the most of a foodfocused trip.
Mealtime in Manila
Creative young chefs are making the Philippine capital Asia's new culinary hot spot.
Hands On
Single-malt whiskies and triple-cream cheeses are the stuff New York's Hudson Valley is made of.
ALL ASHORE
Juneau is one of Alaska's busiest cruise ports-and it has a booming food scene.
AMONG THE GROVES
Two Puerto Rican hoteliers have opened their latest spot in Tuscany― and put the country's famed olive oil front and center.