Les Ambassadeurs Club
A private members' club and casino in London's Mayfair district.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Les Ambassadeurs Club, commonly known as Les A, is a private members' club and casino at 5 Hamilton Place in Mayfair, London. Its identity combines high-end gaming, historic interiors, private-club hospitality and a long association with affluent and internationally mobile clientele. The club was founded by John Mills in 1941 on Hanover Square and moved to Hamilton Place in 1950. Its present premises are a historically significant mansion constructed in the early nineteenth century and later remodelled for Leopold de Rothschild in a Venetian Renaissance style. The building is Grade II* listed, with period features including an elaborate oak staircase, finely executed historic woodwork and the Marble Room's oval ceiling fresco. The site's gaming history developed substantially after the Betting and Gaming Act 1960. In 1961, Le Cercle was established as a members' gaming operation within the club. The premises also hosted associated entertainment venues, including the Milroy nightclub and the Garrison Room. These facilities gave the address a broader social and cultural role beyond gaming, particularly during the mid-twentieth century. The venue became associated with musicians, actors, aristocratic society and prominent business figures. Its wartime and post-war history included high-profile social visits, while the Milroy was known for live music and dancing; Stéphane Grappelli led its band in the early 1950s. Les Ambassadeurs has also had an unusually visible place in popular culture. The club inspired the casino setting represented in Dr. No, the first James Bond film, in which Sean Connery's Bond plays chemin de fer. Although the casino interior shown in the film was recreated at Pinewood Studios, the set was based on Les Ambassadeurs. The Beatles filmed two sequences at the venue for A Hard Day's Night in 1964, including scenes in the Garrison Room and at the Le Cercle gaming tables. The business changed hands several times. Mills operated the casino until 1981, when London Clubs International acquired the leasehold. In 2006, the club was sold to Indonesian businessman Putera Sampoerna. The freehold of the Hamilton Place property was later offered for sale by the Crown Estate, and in 2016 Landing International Development announced an agreement to acquire all shares, reflecting an intended emphasis on Asian demand in London's casino market. The club subsequently came under the ownership of Paul Ho Chung Suen, who is also associated with Birmingham City Football Club. The main gaming floor has sixteen tables offering American roulette, baccarat, blackjack and Three Card Poker. Roulette and more private card games are available in the Marble Room, while a garden area provides an outdoor smoking space for players. The Red Room has a separate entrance at 6 Hamilton Place. The club's positioning is therefore rooted in exclusivity, discreet service, heritage architecture and premium table gaming rather than mass-market casino entertainment. Its history has also included regulatory and reputational difficulties, including legal disputes concerning gaming charges, a 1978 loss of the Le Cercle gambling licence following gaming-law convictions, and historical criticism over the exclusion of Jewish members during the club's early years.
History
Les Ambassadeurs began in 1941 when John Mills, a Polish-born soldier and businessman whose birth name was Jean-Jean Millstein, opened the club on Hanover Square. Mills was also connected with the Milroy nightclub on Stratton Street, which he co-owned with bandleader Harry Roy. During the wartime and post-war period, the venues formed part of Mayfair's elite social and entertainment circuit. The club attracted actors, musicians, photographers, aristocrats and business figures. A widely recalled 1948 visit involved actress Pat Kirkwood, photographer Baron and Prince Philip, who dined at Les Ambassadeurs before continuing to the Milroy. The club's early history also contains a serious discriminatory episode: Jewish members were reportedly not admitted until as late as 1943. In 1950, Les Ambassadeurs and the Milroy moved to 5 Hamilton Place, close to Park Lane. The building had been constructed between 1807 and 1810 by Thomas Leverton and subsequently remodelled for Leopold de Rothschild by W. R. Rogers of William Cubitt. Its Venetian Renaissance exterior and Louis XV and fin-de-siècle interiors were complemented by specialist craftsmanship. The oak staircase, library woodwork produced in the Florentine studio of Rinaldo Barbetti and the Marble Room's nineteenth-century ceiling fresco are among the features that underpin the site's heritage status. The building is listed Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England. The venue's entertainment history continued after the move. Stéphane Grappelli led the Milroy band in the early 1950s, while the basement later contained the Garrison Room nightclub. The passage of the Betting and Gaming Act 1960 enabled a new phase of regulated casino activity. Le Cercle, a members' gaming club within Les Ambassadeurs, opened in May 1961. Its operation soon became involved in a legal dispute about the charges applied to chemin de fer. Mills was convicted at Bow Street Magistrates' Court in 1963, but the appeal succeeded in the Queen's Bench Division in the case Mills v. Mackinnon. The club nevertheless faced further regulatory difficulties. Le Cercle lost its gambling licence in 1978 after convictions involving the company and a former manager for breaches of gaming legislation. The history of the casino also includes reports of very large individual losses. John Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby, reportedly lost £165,000 in one evening during the 1960s, an event that contributed to tension between Mills and fellow casino proprietor John Aspinall. Mills operated the casino until 1981, when London Clubs International acquired the leasehold. In 2006, ownership changed again when Putera Sampoerna bought the club for a reported £115 million. The ownership history then became connected with international property and gaming investors. The Crown Estate put the freehold of 5 Hamilton Place on the market in 2012, reportedly at £50 million. In 2016, Hong Kong-listed Landing International Development announced an agreement to acquire all the shares, describing the move as part of an effort to develop Asian market opportunities in London. The club was later sold to Paul Ho Chung Suen, who also owns Birmingham City Football Club. Les Ambassadeurs gained enduring visibility through film. For Dr. No, released in 1962, the production recreated a casino set at Pinewood Studios based on the club. The scene introduced James Bond, played by Sean Connery, while he was playing chemin de fer. In 1964, The Beatles filmed two sequences at Les Ambassadeurs for A Hard Day's Night. The film shows the group in the Garrison Room and includes action around the Le Cercle tables. These appearances helped establish the venue as a recognizable symbol of refined London casino culture. The modern club provides table gaming in a sixteen-table main room, including American roulette, baccarat, blackjack and Three Card Poker. The Marble Room is used for roulette and more discreet card games, and the property includes a garden area where players may smoke while betting. The Red Room has a separate entrance at 6 Hamilton Place. A former garden once extended toward what is now Park Lane; road widening in the 1960s reduced it. A later ground-floor extension was replaced by a terrace and green roof in 2014. Today, the club's proposition remains centered on private membership, premium gaming, historic architecture and discreet hospitality in Mayfair.
- 2016
Landing International share purchase announced
[1]Landing International Development announced an agreement to acquire all shares in the club.
- 2014
Terrace and green-roof redevelopment
[1]A former ground-floor extension was replaced by a terrace and green roof.
- 2006
Acquisition by Putera Sampoerna
[1]Putera Sampoerna acquired the club in a reported £115 million transaction.
- 1981
London Clubs International takes the leasehold
[1]The casino's leasehold passed from John Mills to London Clubs International.
- 1978
Le Cercle licence revoked
[1]The gaming operation lost its licence after convictions for breaches of gaming legislation.
- 1964
The Beatles film at the venue
[1]Two sequences for A Hard Day's Night were filmed in the Garrison Room and around the Le Cercle tables.
- 1962
Dr. No brings the club to popular culture
[1]The first James Bond film used a Pinewood set based on Les Ambassadeurs for its opening casino sequence.
- 1961
Le Cercle opens
[1]Le Cercle was established as a members' gaming club at Les Ambassadeurs after the 1960 gaming-law reforms.
- 1950
Move to 5 Hamilton Place
[1]The club and the Milroy nightclub relocated to the historic Hamilton Place property near Park Lane.
- 1941
Club founded on Hanover Square
[1]John Mills established Les Ambassadeurs as a private club and casino in London's Hanover Square.
Products and positioning
An exclusive, heritage-led London private casino combining premium table gaming, discreet hospitality and a prestigious Mayfair setting.
Casino table games
Main gaming floor
The main gaming floor contains sixteen tables and offers American roulette, baccarat, blackjack and Three Card Poker. It is the club's principal public-facing gaming environment within the private-membership model, combining formal table presentation with the venue's Mayfair heritage setting.
Private casino room
Marble Room
The Marble Room provides roulette and more discreet card gaming in one of the property's most distinctive historic interiors. Its role supports the club's premium positioning by offering a quieter and more private alternative to the main gaming floor.
Members' gaming club · 1961
Le Cercle
Le Cercle was created at Les Ambassadeurs in 1961 following Britain's post-1960 gaming reforms. Historically associated with chemin de fer and other card games, it became a major part of the venue's identity before losing its gambling licence in 1978 after gaming-law convictions.
Private members' club · 1941
Private club hospitality
Beyond gaming, Les Ambassadeurs offers the atmosphere and hospitality of a private members' club, supported by historic reception rooms, discreet service, private entrances and outdoor areas. The property has also accommodated entertainment and event functions, including the former Garrison Room nightclub.
Controversies
1978
Loss of Le Cercle gambling licence
Le Cercle lost its gambling licence after convictions involving the company and a former manager for breaches of the Gaming Act.
1943
Historical exclusion of Jewish members
Historical accounts state that the club refused to admit Jewish members until as late as 1943, a discriminatory practice associated with its early years.
Brand decisions
2016
Share acquisition announced by Landing InternationalM&ABackground
The announced transaction was presented as a way to pursue Asian market opportunities in London's casino sector.
Action taken
Landing International Development announced an agreement to purchase all shares in the club.
Aftermath
The club later changed hands again and subsequently became associated with Paul Ho Chung Suen.
2006
Sale to Putera SampoernaM&ABackground
The club was sold as an established premium London casino with a valuable Mayfair location.
Action taken
Indonesian businessman Putera Sampoerna acquired Les Ambassadeurs.
Aftermath
The transaction continued the club's transition from founder-led operation to internationally owned private casino asset.
Reported acquisition price. £115 million (2006)
1981
Leasehold transfer to London Clubs InternationalM&ABackground
After four decades under John Mills, the casino entered the ownership structure of a specialist casino group.
Action taken
London Clubs International purchased the leasehold and took over operation.
Aftermath
The transaction marked the end of Mills's direct operating period and began a succession of later ownership changes.
1961
Launch of Le CercleProduct launchBackground
Changes introduced by the Betting and Gaming Act 1960 created an opportunity for a new members' gaming format.
Action taken
The club established Le Cercle and expanded its regulated card-gaming offer.
Aftermath
Le Cercle became a central part of the club's historical gaming identity but later lost its licence in 1978.
1950
Relocation to Hamilton PlaceStrategyBackground
The original Hanover Square site was replaced by a larger and more prestigious historic property near Park Lane.
Action taken
Les Ambassadeurs and the Milroy relocated to 5 Hamilton Place.
Aftermath
The Hamilton Place address became the enduring home and defining physical setting of the club.
Recent events
- 2016
Landing International announces share acquisition[1]
M&A
Landing International Development announced an agreement to purchase all shares, with the transaction presented as an opportunity to serve Asian demand in London's casino sector.
- 2006
Les Ambassadeurs sold to Putera Sampoerna[1]
M&A
Indonesian businessman Putera Sampoerna acquired the club in a transaction reported at £115 million.
- 1981
London Clubs International acquires the leasehold[1]
M&A
John Mills ended his period operating the casino when London Clubs International purchased the leasehold.
- 1963
Mills v. Mackinnon reaches the High Court[1]
Lawsuit · Regulation
John Mills successfully appealed a magistrates' court conviction concerning charges imposed in chemin de fer at Le Cercle.
- 1961
Le Cercle established at Les Ambassadeurs[1]
Other
A members' gaming operation known as Le Cercle was created at the club following changes to British gaming law.
- 1950
Les Ambassadeurs relocates to Hamilton Place[1]
Other
Les Ambassadeurs and the associated Milroy nightclub moved from Hanover Square to 5 Hamilton Place after the leasehold was acquired for the premises.
Sources2 sources
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