Holiday and work in London: The best workation tips

A strategy meeting with a twist: Where the staff of the "Raffles London at The OWO" hotel fluff up their pillows today, Prime Minister Winston Churchill briefed his spies during World War II. The "Old War Office" was located here. You can dream in Churchill's former office or in the suite named after his favorite spy , Christine Granville . The rooms are popular with wedding couples – but they can also be rented for strategically important meetings. Sure to impress business partners – for a good €17,000 a night.

The hotel, with its historic charm, is operated by the Accor Group, but the building still belongs to Britain's richest man, Gopi Hinduja (85). The entire building is a gem—some even call it "the British Versailles"—and where else can you sip tea and check your emails under an art installation made of 117 glass, red poppy petals?

And then there's the "Spy Bar." Photos are taboo, even though MI5 and MI6 agents have long since left this place. Nevertheless, every man and woman who treats themselves to a martini (shaken!) beneath a silver Aston Martin, which appeared in several 007 films, feels very much like an agent. But of course, there are also more exclusive drinks in this establishment, such as 50 milliliters of Louis XIII cognac from Rémy Martin, starting at 400 pounds, caviar and a gold spoon included. Here, you might easily consider becoming a spy after all.

London is arguably the most cosmopolitan, but certainly one of the most expensive, cities in Europe. Flights here usually cost a fraction of the cost of a hotel, and coworking spaces cost less than lunch – simply because there are so many options available. Anyone wanting to open their laptop in London's financial center is spoiled for choice: from a club (“Mortimer House”) to a Zen apartment (“Labs 90 High Holborn”) to a greenhouse loft (“Second Home Spitalfields”), there's something for every taste. For 35 pounds, you can get a day pass at “Huckletree Bishopsgate,” in the heart of the financial district, where ferns grow from the ceiling. You can even log in at a church, starting at 10 pounds (with a drink) at the “Host Café” of St. Mary Aldermary Church near St. Paul's Cathedral.

If you want to get into the groove, watch the Netflix series "Buying London." The concept: unaffordable housing, fast cuts, alpha female real estate agents on the prowl for the best deal for real estate mogul Daniel Daggers (45). The real estate agent really does exist, and so does the market. More billionaires live in London than in Monaco. Many live permanently in hotels; not only the "OWO" offers residences for the settled, but also "The Peninsula."

The latter belongs to Michael Kadoorie (84), one of Hong Kong's richest men, and is a sober building from the outside, but inside, the tables are turned. Some consider the hotel (a member of the Leading Hotels of the World) the best in the city, overlooking Hyde Park. Buckingham Palace and Harrods are within walking distance, and the "Little Blue Noodle Bar" serves casual Cantonese food (beer and noodles for 20 pounds). Kadoorie is an airplane and car enthusiast, which is why a model of a Concorde hangs from the ceiling of the rooftop restaurant.

London's bar scene is also impressive – even if you have to hunt for some insider tips. The Bauhaus bar "A Bar with Shapes for a Name" in the trendy bohemian district of Shoreditch, for example, is marked only by a yellow triangle, a red square, and a blue circle. But of course, Google Maps also finds an address.