There’s something rather secretive about St. Ermin’s Hotel in London. Long before it became a refined refuge for global travellers, this grand Victorian property was the clandestine epicentre of British espionage. It is the very birthplace of Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) – where codebreakers, double agents, and intelligence officers once huddled over gin cocktails to plan covert operations that changed the course of World War II.

The welcome

Every day throughout the Summer at St. Ermin’s, between the hours of 5.30pm and 6.30pm, the hotel invites you to unwind on the porch and enjoy their signature Wine Hour, alongside live entertainment. We arrived during this time on a Friday so were greeted with the English tradition of morris dancing but on other days, you’ll be treated to anything from a balloonist to a magician.

Reception – where our check-in was as smooth and efficient as last time I visited – lies just beyond a Division Bell which stands ready to summon politicians back to the nearby House of Commons at a moment’s notice.

There are even whispers of a secret underground tunnel that once connected the hotel directly to Parliament.

The room

On this occasion we stayed in a Family Room with two large queen beds. Even for a brief stay before an international flight, rather than for an extended stay in London, the space delivered effortless comfort.

Family rooms at St. Ermin’s are a generous 36–37 m² in size and include an additional daybed, so can sleep up to 5…

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