Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Luxury flats in Old War Office, London goes on sale this week

Luxury flats in Old War Office, London goes on sale this week

LONDON’S most luxurious apartments in the Old War Office, Whitehall are set to go on sale this week, a report said.

Owned by the Hinduja Group, the 85 lavish apartments retain many of the building’s original features and adjoin Raffles London, the British debut of the Singapore-based hotel group that covers the other half of the building, The Sunday Times (6) said.


Shalini Hinduja, the daughter-in-law of Gopichand Hinduja, who with his brother, Srichand, runs the global trading conglomerate, told the paper the toughest part of conducting the sale would be to price the property that has a great historical value and the best views in London.

A bid for a two-bedroom apartment of up to 3,000 sq ft would start from about £5 million, but for the vast three-bedroom homes or the duplex penthouses, Hinduja said her guess would be anywhere from £50m to more than £150m.

“It’s like selling artwork,” she was quoted as saying.

War time leader Winston Churchill, TE Lawrence (of Arabia), and Lord Kitchener all worked in the building’s oak panelled rooms.

Churchill served as secretary of state for war from 1919-21. His old office in the building can be used by residents for meetings and private dinners. The office has preserved a copy of the Mountbatten desk he worked at before moving across the road to Downing Street, the report said.

The building has thrilling nods to history everywhere.

The sale is certain to attract some of the wealthiest buyers in the world, The Sunday Times said.

The restored chandeliers are based on those at Hampton Court and many of the marble fireplaces came from Cumberland House and Buckingham House on Pall Mall.

Each apartment has a distinctive shape and layout. They all have full-height doors and are fitted with bomb-proof glass in the windows. The kitchens, designed by Smallbone of Devizes, are dark-stained walnut with brass fittings. The floors in all the main rooms are herringbone pattern oak.

Most homes look out over the city and the central quadrangle.

The upper three floors that are new-build have private gardens and terraces. Residents without outside space can use the private garden near the quadrangle.

All the renovations were overseen by the architectural firm EPR led by Scott Paton, the developer OHL Desarrollos and apartments’ interiors done by design studio 1508 London, the report said.

Raffles staff will service the flats. Apartment buyers will also be able to enjoy the rooms, restaurants and bars in the hotel, whose interiors are designed by New York-based Thierry Despont.

The building was originally designed by the Scottish architect William Young in 1898, and his son Clyde took over the project after William’s death in 1900. It took five years to complete the project and cost £1.2m at the time.

A decade ago, the government had put the Old War Office building up for sale as part of a £5 billion Whitehall cost-cutting programme.

In 2014, the Hinduja Group bought it on a 250-year lease in 2014 for a reported £350m.

“This was a building that wasn’t being used. It had been closed. We’re giving it new life, purposeful life. It’s a rebirth,” Hinduja said.

She added that the hotel will be open to the public and there will be tours of the historic suites ten days a year.

The Hinduja Group is also building “a memorial room”, to showcase the building’s history with archive photographs lent by the Imperial War Museum, she said.

More For You

Apple India Reroutes 97% of iPhones to US Amid Tariff Push

Apple iPhones are seen inside India's first Apple retail store in Mumbai, India, April 17, 2023.

REUTERS

Foxconn sends 97 per cent of India iPhone exports to US amid tariff push

NEARLY all iPhones exported by Foxconn from India between March and May were shipped to the United States, according to customs data reviewed by Reuters.

The data showed that 97 per cent of Foxconn’s iPhone exports during this period went to the US, significantly higher than the 2024 average of 50.3 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Weaker labour market data sparks debate on rate cuts

The Bank of England is weighing inflation signals ahead of rate call

Weaker labour market data sparks debate on rate cuts

PAY growth in Britain slowed sharply and unemployment rose to its highest level in nearly four years in the three months to April, official figures showed on Tuesday (10), potentially reducing the Bank of England’s (BoE) caution over further interest rate cuts.

Wage growth excluding bonuses slowed to 5.2 per cent, the weakest pace since the three months to September, and fell more than expected from 5.5 per cent in January to March this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
London Tech Week: Indian firms show investment intent

Keir Starmer at London Tech Week in London on Monday (9)

London Tech Week: Indian firms show investment intent

MORE THAN 350 technology companies from India joined London Tech Week, which began on Monday – making it the largest-ever delegation from the country to attend the event.

London mayor Sadiq Khan’s office, City Hall, described the rise in Indian participation as a reflection of deepening ties between India and London’s tech sectors, following the recent signing of the India– UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Keep ReadingShow less
London Tech Week

The discussion around inclusivity and parenthood is likely to remain in the spotlight.

Getty Images

London Tech Week: Woman entrepreneur says she was humiliated after being denied entry for bringing baby

A female entrepreneur has said she felt “absolutely humiliated” after being denied entry to London Tech Week because she was accompanied by her 18-month-old daughter.

Davina Schonle, founder and chief executive of AI start-up Humanvantage AI, had travelled from her home to attend the event at Olympia on Monday, 10 June. She said she had made a three-hour journey to London with her daughter, Isabella, only to be turned away on arrival because children were not allowed into the venue.

Keep ReadingShow less
Smartless Mobile launched by podcast trio

The move marks the first commercial spin-off from the Smartless podcast

Getty Images

Smartless podcast trio launches Smartless Mobile as low-cost phone service

The hosts of the popular Smartless podcast, actors Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes, have launched a new mobile phone service in the United States. Called Smartless Mobile, the service offers a budget-friendly alternative to traditional phone plans and is aimed at users who spend most of their time connected to WiFi.

The move marks the first commercial spin-off from the Smartless podcast, which is known for its celebrity interviews and humorous tone. The new venture was announced in early June 2025 and has already begun accepting sign-ups across the US mainland and Puerto Rico.

Keep ReadingShow less