Standing in the unfinished Royal Suite of the Waldorf Astoria London, looking through white sash windows down the Mall toward Buckingham Palace, you start to understand why this project matters. The regal balcony lines up exactly with the suite's windows. It may be the most distinguished hotel room view in Europe. After a century of keeping the public out, Admiralty Arch is almost ready to open its doors.
A Ceremonial Gateway Reimagined
Built in 1912 as a grand ceremonial gateway between Trafalgar Square and the Mall, Admiralty Arch housed offices for the Admiralty and the home of the Royal Navy's First Sea Lord. Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming both spent time within its Portland stone walls. At a time when Britain's navy ruled the waves, this was where the ruling got done. Now, after years of delays, a change of ownership and meticulous restoration, the building is entering its most public chapter yet.
The British government moved out in 2011, leaving the Grade I-listed structure in a sorry state. Its south wing had been converted into humdrum offices, its stonework dulled by a century of traffic fumes. Property investors David and Simon Reuben acquired the arch in 2022 and poured serious capital into bringing it back to life. Every stone inch of the exterior was cleaned and restored. Original shrapnel damage from Second World War bombing was retained. Two nine-foot statues originally planned for the facade but never sculpted were finally created and installed, only 112 years late.
Intimate Luxury Behind a Colossal Facade
Colossal from the outside, the hotel is surprisingly intimate within. Just 114 rooms, including four residences with kitchens and five suites, fill the warren of curved corridors and idiosyncratic spaces. No two rooms are the same. Warm woods, polished metals and stone complement carefully restored historic features, while the building's unconventional floor plan became an opportunity to add character rather than a problem to solve.
Three bars and two restaurants will anchor the food and drink offering. Coreus, a fine-dining seafood restaurant by chef Clare Smyth, whose London restaurant Core holds Michelin stars, is the headline act. Cafe Boulud, a brasserie by celebrated French chef Daniel Boulud, opens onto a panoramic roof terrace facing the Houses of Parliament, Nelson's Column and Buckingham Palace. Visitors not staying in the Royal Suite can rest assured: the views from up top are equally spectacular.
A Wider Trend of Landmark Conversions
The Waldorf Astoria is not alone. Across the British capital, former government offices, department stores and private clubs have been reimagined as high-end hotels. Raffles London at the OWO, the former Old War Office on Whitehall, reopened in 2023 with 120 rooms and 85 private residences. Rosewood's second London hotel, the Chancery Rosewood, repurposed the former US embassy designed by Eero Saarinen in 1960. Six Senses took over the former Whiteleys department store in Bayswater.
These buildings are vast, prominent and heavily protected by heritage orders. Many were sold off by the British government in successive rounds of cost-cutting. Converting them into luxury hotels, sometimes with residences attached, offers a financially viable path to preservation. The splendour, size and pedigree of these buildings create an atmosphere of history and place that new-build developers can only dream of matching.
Bookings Open for 2027
Bookings at Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch are now open from 1 February 2027, with doubles from around $1,055 per night. After a decade of planning, delays and painstaking restoration, one of London's most recognisable landmarks is finally ready to welcome the world through its doors. The ghost of Churchill may still linger in the corridors, but the future of Admiralty Arch belongs to a very different kind of visitor.