Mandarin Oriental Mayfair London evaluation

Editor’s be aware: The Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London supplied TPG with a complimentary two-night keep in order that we might get an inside have a look at the resort and its facilities. The opinions expressed beneath are totally these of the creator and weren’t topic to evaluation by the resort or any exterior entity.

When you did not know to be looking out, you may miss the doorway to the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London. However that is sort of the purpose.

Though its brick- and metal-clad exterior is sort of modern in comparison with the opposite buildings surrounding bucolic Hanover Sq. (that is Mayfair’s first new-build resort in a decade), it blends into its elegant environment like the luxury pied-a-terre it’s meant to be.

Opened in June 2024 with simply 50 rooms and suites plus 77 adjoining residences, the property is among the many smallest within the luxurious resort group’s portfolio. It is actually extra diminutive than its beloved sister property on the intersection of Hyde Park and Knightsbridge, and far much less of an overt see-and-be-seen scene … which suggests you are truly extra more likely to spot an incognito movie star or two making an attempt to sit back, maybe within the moodily lit underground spa or on the top-floor ABar Rooftop overlooking the town.

However no matter brings you right here, you’re certain to really feel at residence — that’s, if your private home additionally has a floating spiral staircase comprised of uncommon inexperienced Ming marble and a profusion of attractive flower preparations — the second you cross the edge, due to workers who will know you by title upon arrival.

Here is what it is like staying on the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London and every part it’s best to see, do, eat and drink in your subsequent go to.

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London location

Whenever you’re staying at a Mandarin Oriental, you realize the neighborhood will probably be tony. That is why there’s one other outpost close by in Hyde Park. This new Mandarin Oriental, nevertheless, is in bustling Mayfair, nestled alongside historic Hanover Sq. so you may triangulate procuring sprees amongst among the metropolis’s greatest excessive streets.

And whereas a lot of the clientele may take personal vehicles to and from the airport, if the lion’s share of your price range goes towards your keep and also you hope to save lots of on transportation prices, you are in luck. The resort is only a block away from the Bond Road Station on the Underground’s Elizabeth Line. Meaning you may zip out to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in a mere 45 minutes with out altering strains — and at a value of beneath $20.

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London reserving particulars

Whilst you cannot use factors from one of many main resort loyalty packages to remain on the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London, the resort is a part of Amex Effective Lodges + Resorts, so these with The Platinum Card® from American Categorical or The Enterprise Platinum Card® from American Categorical who make a reserving by AmexTravel.com can get pleasure from advantages like complimentary every day breakfast for 2, room upgrades based mostly on availability, a $100 on-property credit score to make use of throughout their keep and assured late checkout.

Charges on the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London begin at $1,030 per evening for the standard class Deluxe Room, whereas the Deluxe Suite lodging I stayed in begins at $1,725 per evening.

Standout options of the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London

• With simply 50 rooms, the resort feels intimate and unique.
• The placement alone is a motive to e-book, with a few of London’s greatest procuring at the doorstep.
• Movie star chef Akira Again will ensure you’re well-fed whereas staying right here.
• The spa appears like a refuge from the hectic metropolis streets and is certainly one of London’s most original wellness areas.

Drawbacks of the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London

• As a consequence of development, put together to spend time in visitors if arriving or departing by automotive.
• You will not have skyline views from the common visitor rooms.
• There’s only one most important restaurant, although you will get bites at both of the bars, too.

The vibe on the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London

You will not discover an imposing historic edifice, tailcoated bellmen or dusty chandeliers right here. Fairly, the brand new Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London leans extra modern stylish than your run-of-the-mill London luxurious resort, from the runway-worthy uniforms of the pleasant bell workers to the light-filled central atrium and the cosy reception space.

And though its appears and feels totally contemporary and new, the resort additionally appears destined to belong on this subtle neighborhood due to little domestically impressed design touches, together with the resort’s bespoke symbolic hand fan (all Mandarins have their very own, and you may spy this one in its framed case in your approach in). It was designed by the late trend doyenne Vivienne Westwood, whose flagship boutique sits simply throughout Hanover Sq..

Your fellow friends are more likely to be designer-clad jet-setters in addition to members of bigger entourages on the town for weeks or months at a time, due to the sizable residential element of the undertaking. However you may spot a well-known face or two having drinks at ABar or dinner at Akira Again as nicely.

Rooms on the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London

Though many resorts declare to have “residential-inspired” lodging, my 549-square-foot Deluxe Suite truly felt that approach due to its distinctive structure.

It had a type of railroad apartment-style configuration folded in upon itself with every room main into the following, all framed by floor-to-ceiling home windows overlooking the encompassing buildings.

Stepping by the entry lobby, the primary area I got here to was the lounge, its partitions adorned in ornate, hand-painted de Gournay silk wallpaper with chinoiserie floral designs in turquoise impressed by Hanover Sq.’s magnolia bushes — a visually alluring nod to the resort’s distinctive locale.

The room — whose palette was a mixture of silver, platinum and gold — was anchored by a small sectional and ottoman piled excessive with artwork books, a number of curvaceous armchairs and a desk that doubled as my work desk throughout my keep, over which hung a flat-screen tv.

There was additionally a phenomenal mirrored minibar stocked with a Nespresso machine and an electrical kettle, plus complimentary treats together with a bottled cocktail from Akira Black.

Ducking by the far doorway, the bed room held a king-size mattress wearing immaculate white sheets with silver piping and framed by a top-lit overhang in addition to rectangular brushed-brass hanging lights to 1 facet.

Set between the 2 nook home windows, a wood-topped Artwork Deco-style vainness was the perfect place to primp, due to pure lighting and Dyson hair styling apparatuses.

Previous a wall of closets, the toilet was tiled in a panoply of cream- and brown-hued, deep-veined marbles.

On the far finish, previous the dual-sink vainness, was a soaking bathtub provisioned with Natura Bisse merchandise. The window subsequent to it regarded into the entry lobby however could possibly be fogged up for privateness with the contact of a button.

Subsequent to that was a water closet with a Toto rest room and a separate walk-in bathe with extra Natura Bisse facilities together with overhead and handheld bathe heads.

Total, the room felt brilliant and breezy but in addition like a non-public, comfort-filled cocoon after a day trip within the metropolis.

Foods and drinks on the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London

The resort’s most important restaurant comes courtesy of South Korea-born, Colorado-raised movie star chef Akira Again and sits on the coronary heart of the resort, one degree beneath the road and accessible by elevator or a dramatic glass-framed spiral staircase.

The atrium-like area is illuminated by monumental skylights and has dramatic creative installations together with a swirling picket sculpture affixed to the wall and work by the chef’s personal mom (you may also pick her designs on among the plates).

Breakfast is a leisurely affair as friends peruse the morning newspapers over dishes like avocado toast with artichoke pesto, confit tomato, pepper and seed tabbouleh with poached eggs ($24); a breakfast bento with salmon teriyaki, glazed mushrooms, spinach salad, onigiri, egg castella cake, miso soup and fruit ($48); and the specialty gianduja croffle with hazelnut ganache and vanilla Chantilly cream ($28).

The lunch crowd appears to draw a mixture of socialites, energy brokers and younger creatives who come to munch on the signature half-and-half pizza of tuna with umami aioli, shiso, truffle oil on one facet and trumpet mushrooms and truffles on the opposite, throughout an ultrathin wafer crust ($33).

Different specialties embody a melange of Western, Korean and Japanese fusion dishes akin to wagyu bulgogi tacos with roasted tomato ponzu ($23), Jeju domi sea bream with tobiko (flying fish roe) and savory-sweet chojang paste ($28), native lobster dynamite ($58), juicy Jidori hen with potato puree and savory teriyaki sauce ($35) and rolls just like the Cow Wow with marinated bulgogi and coleslaw ($28) and the Sizzling Mess with sashimi poke, crab tempura and spicy ponzu aioli ($28).

Be sure you question sommelier Andres Ituarte a few inventive pairing or two from the globe-spanning wine listing he is curated together with vintages from China and a sure bottle made in Sweden from grapes grown in Iran.

Go away room for luxurious desserts like Chocolate in a Cup with spongecake, banana foam and vanilla bean ice cream ($21.50).

At evening, you will discover a DJ spinning within the nook of the adjoining ABar Lounge, which serves Korean-inspired cocktails like a spirit-forward Makgeolli Colada with Hwayo soju, makgeolli rice wine, pistachio orgeat, strawberry and coconut ($26.50); the playfully named Javapolitan with Truthful Natural quinoa vodka, Cointreau, clarified cranberry, lime, Indian spices and purply butterfly pea tea ($24); and the nutty Peanutful with Suntory Toki whiskey, peanut butter oils, XO syrup, soy sauce and umami bitters with a chocolate truffle topper ($28).

The savory sweetness of the latter pairs nicely with the couple of bar bites I ordered together with piping-hot Korean fried hen with gochujang crimson pepper paste ($19) and silky smoked salmon tostadas ($18).

Open Tuesdays by Saturday evenings and tucked away down a brief hall between Akira Again and ABar Lounge, Dosa is an intimate affair, with a single seating per evening (at 7 p.m. sharp!) for simply 14 diners at a counter round an open kitchen helmed by government chef Jihun Kim. Visitors are handled — nicely, for 185 British kilos ($234) per particular person — to a multi-course menu that modifications incessantly and relies on seasonal elements and the “mineral parts of the earth.” (We have been requested to not take photos since our go to was in the course of the cooks’ prep time.)

Although not fairly open on the time of our go to, we did get a sneak peek at ABar Rooftop on the highest flooring. The Artwork Deco-style decor and the palette of blues and grays have been impressed by the London sky, together with a cloud-like textured mild fixture over the dramatic marble bar.

There’s area for 50 friends with numerous seating choices starting from bar stools to low-slung tables and even an out of doors terrace with some sweeping metropolis views. The cocktail menu was created by barman Paolo Silvestri and impressed by the seasons.

Facilities and repair on the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London

Two ranges beneath the road, friends will discover a serene subterranean sanctuary full with a gymnasium, indoor pool and spa.

Deliver your bathing go well with since you will not need to skip a dip within the 25-meter pool, which has completely different darkish and light-weight sections and is ingeniously lit with reflective surfaces so it feels such as you’re floating amongst the celebs. The moist space additionally features a sauna, steam room, small remedy swimming pools and loungers.

The gymnasium is provided with TechnoGym cardio machines and weights, a Pilates reformer and areas for stretching and yoga, and private coaching providers can be found.

The spa has simply two remedy rooms, together with a double suite with blond wooden paneling and flooring. Mainly, you choose the period of time you need to spend within the spa (an hour, 90 minutes, two hours, and so forth) and may create a tailored expertise for your self which may embody therapeutic massage, facials, physique wraps and extra.

Nevertheless, there are additionally particular experiences on supply that incorporate skincare manufacturers akin to Seed to Pores and skin Tuscany and Swiss Perfection. The 2-hour Tranquillity of Mayfair, as an example, is a four-handed therapeutic massage adopted by a binaural vibroacoustic remedy (like a sound bathtub) for 440 kilos ($555).

Out and about

As its title would recommend, the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London is within the midst of one of many metropolis’s most upscale neighborhoods, Mayfair, and a brief stroll to pleasant Marylebone, which appears like a little bit (albeit very costly) village within the coronary heart of the capital.

When you’re on the town for procuring, you are in luck, because the resort is positioned between Bond Road, Regent Road and Oxford Road, the place you will discover every part from international trend manufacturers to boutiques peddling customized designs, and never removed from modern Carnaby Road, whose pedestrianized lanes are glorious for window procuring. The resort can also be a brief stroll from the Royal Academy of Arts should you’re searching for tradition, or the hopping cafes and bars of Soho if you wish to expertise some energetic native life.

Accessibility on the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London

Because of the truth that this can be a new-build resort, you’ll find all of the up-to-date accessibility options you’ll anticipate, together with zero-step entry from the road and wheelchair-accessible elevators with chair-height buttons to entry every degree. With using a hoist, spa attendants can assist friends who want help coming into the pool.

Varied tailored room sorts embody facilities akin to wheelchair-accessible bogs with rest room and bathe seize bars and lowered counters and sinks, accessible mild switches, and visual doorbell notifications and hearth alarms. As at all times, name the resort immediately to make sure you can e-book a room that meets your particular necessities.

Testing

Luxurious resorts in London vary from the historic and grandiose to the tiny and tucked away. The brand new Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London skews extra towards the latter, with simply 50 rooms in a slender tower overlooking certainly one of Mayfair’s oldest squares.

Although small in measurement, due to its unparalleled location and show-stopping facilities — together with its attractive spa and Akira Again’s advanced of eating and ingesting institutions — the resort has already skilled a launch that may make even essentially the most formidable London debutante jealous.

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