Raffles 1887

STORIED SUITES

The Churchill Suite at Raffles London at The OWO

FROM Cairo to Marrakech and from Dubai to Quebec, there are more ‘Churchill Suites’ scattered around the globe than you can shake a stick at. It’s unlikely that Winston Churchill slept in all of them, though it’s true he did visit a vast number of countries during his long life.

The Churchill Suite at Raffles London at The OWO, however, is the genuine article. Not only did the great statesman work in the Whitehall building between 1919 and 1921, but as Secretary of State for War he hosted some of the most important meetings of the day in the very room now named after him.

The War Office – or Old War Office as it eventually became known – was built in 1906 to house the country’s ever-growing number of military staff. With more than 1,000 rooms linked by 4 km of corridors, the building was so labyrinthine that boy scouts, sometimes on bicycles, had to be employed to run messages between employees – and search for the odd colonel who simply could not be found.

Up on the second floor was The Army Council Room. Unlike much of the building, this generous space was decorated with great care: contemporaneous photographs show a polished mahogany table flanked by enormous baroque fireplaces, walls lined with rich wood panelling and thickly carpeted floors. 

This image showcases a luxuriously appointed sitting area within a building, possibly a high-end hotel or private residence affiliated with Accor. The room is richly decorated with dark, polished wood paneling and ornate architectural details, including a large arched window that offers a glimpse of a neighboring building's facade and a partially visible sky. A large floral arrangement in a glass vase sits on a long, narrow table with a patterned fabric skirt and turned wooden legs, positioned in front of a sofa upholstered in a similar patterned fabric. Two armchairs, one with a chevron pattern and the other with vertical stripes in red, gold, and cream, flank the sofa. A small, round wooden ottoman rests on the patterned rug in the center of the seating area. A side table with a dark, possibly ceramic lamp and a book adds to the sophisticated atmosphere. The fireplace, framed by the intricate woodwork, has a dark green marble surround. The walls feature sections of green and gold damask wallpaper, further enhancing the opulent aesthetic. The high ceiling and large window contribute to a sense of spaciousness and grandeur. The overall mood suggests a setting designed for leisure, though it could also serve as a business meeting area. No people are visible in the scene. The room is well-lit, likely with a combination of natural light from the window and light from the lamps.

The Army Council Room was where all the major decisions relating to the governance of the army were made (including the formal acknowledgement that ‘shell shock’ was actually a psychological disorder). Later, this was where critical decisions were taken concerning the Second World War, including the planning of the D-Day Landings. By then, Churchill, who became Prime Minister in 1940, was based in the more secure basement of a nearby government building known as the Cabinet War Rooms. The Whitehall building continued to serve as the War Office until 1964, the same year Churchill retired as an MP. Even beyond this date it housed various military departments until 2011.

With many of its original features restored, including the grand fireplaces, gleaming panelling and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Horse Guards Avenue, The Army Council Room is now a grand two-bedroom suite named for one of the greatest statesmen the world has ever seen. In theory, of course, Winston Churchill never actually slept here. On the other hand, he was famous for his afternoon naps. A comfortable armchair by the fire in the Army Council Room would have been just the ticket. 