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3 September 2025Behind closed doors
Success isn't just based on a throw of the dice
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ocated in the heart of Mayfair and welcoming society’s finest since the early 19th century, 5 Hamilton Place, home of Les Ambassadeurs (known affectionately as ‘Les A’), exemplifies the very best in British gaming clubs.
Success isn't just based on a throw of the dice
L ocated in the heart of Mayfair and welcoming society’s finest since the early 19th century, 5 Hamilton Place, home of Les Ambassadeurs (known affectionately as ‘Les A’), exemplifies the very best in British gaming clubs.
Thought to have been built in 1810 on the site of one of King Henry VIII’s hunting lodges, this magnificent building has entertained royalty, millionaires, politicians and playboys since its earliest days. Indeed, Princess Margaret called it her second home.
Having previously been inhabited by the Fourth Earl of Buckinghamshire (Robert Hobart) and subsequently by the Third Marquess of Conyngham (a grander and more colourful man), Leopold de Rothschild, a thoroughbred racehorse breeder and member of the prominent Rothschild banking family, bought the house in 1879 to use as a London residence.
Heavily influenced by the fin de siècle Louis XV style with extravagant twists of Renaissance flourishes, Rothschild drastically remodelled the mansion to suit his tastes.
Rothschild commissioned world famous Florentine master woodcarver Chevalier Rinaldo Barbetti to create the magnificent library and the squeaky spiral staircase that still stuns the unaware to this day. The library remains one of the best examples of Barbetti’s work. Equally impressive is the ‘Four Seasons’ ceiling in the Marble Room, by Queen Adelaide’s appointed history painter – Edmund Parris.
This magnificent building has entertained royalty, millionaires, politicians and playboys since its earliest days. Indeed, Princess Margaret called it her second home
Les Ambassadeurs was originally opened in Hanover Square during World War II by John Mills. An international businessman of Polish origin Mills was rumoured to have been a government intelligence agent. Storylines are now blurred but the rumour was that Les A was set up to ‘see who could hold their liquor and who spoke freely.’ It seems appropriate that a James Bond movie has been filmed on location at Les A.
In 1950 Mills relocated Les A to 5 Hamilton Place and the limelight returned to this grandest of stages, decorated by Rothschild et al. Over the years Les A has played host to The Milroy nightclub, The Garrison Club and Le Cercle (one of London’s first gaming clubs).
On the back of this illustrious history, Les A has reaffirmed its place as the most exclusive private members casino in London. A spectacular multimillion pound refurbishment has brought back the jaw-dropping beauty and highlighted some unexpected details. The work has lasted a year and has included the use of expert building restorers who painstakingly uncovered and polished original panelling and murals and restored glorious tapestries previously hidden to the world.
Along with the refurbishments comes the garden development. In this busiest of London milieux, an oasis of tranquility has been created. In a garden area that has to be seen (and not heard!) to be fully appreciated, 213 square metres of outdoor space now boasts six gaming tables, underfloor heating, shower facilities, vertical flower gardens and a dining area.
All outdoors, all unbelievably quiet and all superbly protected from the elements.
Number 5 Hamilton Place always was one of London’s most indulgent addresses and it now plays host to one of the world’s most exclusive gaming clubs.