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

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