I went to the world’s best hotel and discovered a secret in the basement

The UK is home to some downright incredible hotels, with many located in London. There’s The Ritz, Claridge’s, The Savoy, and The Dorchester, to name but a few. But the capital is also home to one of the world’s best hotels, according to a new travel guide, and it’s one you may not have heard of. Forbes has named Raffles London at The OWO (Old War Office) as one of the top luxury hotels in the world, alongside The Cadogan.

This isn’t the first accolade The OWO has won — it is often praised for its lavish interiors and suites which can cost up to £1,000 per night. However, there’s another special feature hidden in the basement. The Slice is your weekly guide to what’s happening in London, so if you’re looking for restaurant reviews, drinks deals or just a great new exhibition to visit on a rainy Saturday in the capital, we’ve got you covered.

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Tucked beneath the hotel are simple storage rooms. Compared to the opulence that greets you in the foyer, it’s an unassuming space, with white brick walls, dim lighting and dark wooden doors. Take a closer look at one of these – specifically the door at the end of the corridor, just before you round the corner – and you’ll see that the plaque on it is a little different from the others. Instead of saying ‘store’, it reads ‘007’.

This is where you’ll find The Spy Bar, a James Bond-themed speakeasy that’s got an impressive history and is potentially the most secretive drinking spot in the UK. The OWO was once the epicentre of the British government, used as the headquarters for the War Office which today is better known as the Ministry of Defence. Churchill had an office there, T E Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia) was employed in the building back in 1914, and it was also where you’d find some of the UK’s most classified documents.

The subterranean storage room, behind the 007 door, once functioned as a high-security vault, containing identity papers and mission reports belonging to MI5 and MI6. While other rooms along the corridor also served top secret purposes, being used for briefing, debriefing and interrogating spies before and after they went into the ‘field’. Flash forward to today and secrecy is still paramount behind door number 007, and anyone going inside has to agree to follow a strict rule – no photos.

Photography is banned inside the bar, as a way of ‘honouring the space’, and they’re pretty serious about enforcing this, even going as far as to cover up the camera on guests’ phones. A sticker that reads ‘for your eyes only’ is placed over the camera lens before you enter, and just in case you didn’t quite get the memo, there’s also a large sign to remind you again as you head in.

Due to the lack of photos available, I didn’t really know what to expect from the bar, but my jaw dropped the moment I stepped inside. I doubt anyone has ever made a storage room feel as glamorous and intimate as this one does. It’s all rich maroon hues, shiny mirrored tables, flickering candles, and plush velvet chairs. Oh, and did I mention there’s a silver Aston Martin DB5 above the bar? Or at least, half of one.

The prop car, which has been sliced in half vertically, featured in several James Bond films over the years (although staff didn’t confirm which ones), and is now mounted on the wall, hanging above a vast array of spirits. As you head further in, you’ll see the room is divided into two areas; there’s the main bar area with glossy red stools, and several tables for two, and a space out back with booths for bigger groups to chat without disturbing everyone else.

I sat at a table in the corner of the main bar area, with the best view of the car, and the ability to keep an eye on the comings and goings of everyone here. The five-star hotel is known for having high-end clientele and staff say it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a celebrity swinging by for a drink, drawn in by the exclusivity, the privacy and the impressive menu The Spy Bar offers. There are two cocktail menus, a regular one with James Bond-inspired tipples, and a vintage cocktail menu containing drinks ranging from £200 to £350 in price.

Keep on flipping through the menu and you’ll spot a spirit that costs an eye-watering £10,000 per shot. The vintage Macallan Whisky from the 1980s was privately commissioned for Raffles Singapore and there’s only one bottle available for consumers – the bottle at The Spy Bar. No one has bought one of the pricey shots yet, but they are expecting a guest to purchase the entire bottle at some point for a jaw-dropping sum.