Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London, UK
Mandarin Oriental’s latest offering brings urban luxury to the heart of London.
As openings go, like its hotels, Mandarin Oriental do it in lavish style and by 11am on a breezy June morning, guests were flowing through its smart doors as freely as the champagne that greeted them. Standing tall on the southern edge of Mayfair’s Hanover Square, the confident newcomer adds a healthy dash of reserved modernity to its storied location. Unlike its decorously turreted Victorian sister in Knightsbridge, Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, is a sleek, more intimate affair. Comprising 50 guestrooms and 77 private residences, Chef Akira Back’s eponymous London debut restaurant, one (soon to be two) bars, a luxe lounge and a beautiful spa, what it may lack in volume, it certainly makes up for in style.

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London, UK. Above: Akira Back restaurant, the standout restaurant space viewed from the Ming marble staircase. Top: ABar Lounge. Photographs by George Apostolidis
Planning permission doesn’t come easy in London’s super swish Mayfair, and the Mandarin Oriental is the first new build in over a decade. Drawing inspiration from its Georgian neighbours, internationally renowned Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) are the architects behind the hotel. The elegant contemporary townscape façade, clad with burnt red brick ‘baguettes’ (the longest in the UK), hides the building’s unique Vierendeel structure – one of the first used in the UK.
Responsible for the interior design of the public spaces, Tokyo-based design studio Curiosity, has created an elegant East meets West aesthetic as a respectful nod to the brand’s Asian roots. However, avoiding the ‘more is more’ aesthetic Mandarin Oriental’s fan base is more familiar with, Curiosity’s design narrative was inspired by a ‘walk in the park’ – taking wind, water, earth and fire as its primary inspiration. The result is an uber sleek contemporary hotel, which delivers luxurious attention to detail at every opulent turn.
That first turn is on arrival. Once through the smart glass doors, the herringbone floor, made from generous slabs of pale marble leads the way to the reception area. Separated visually by the introduction of walls and floors decked in rich green Ming marble – of the rarest kind I’m reliably informed – sits the welcome desk and intimate groups of curvaceous seating, clad in butter-soft leather. An installation hanging from the ceiling – of what appears to be a delicate albeit oversized bird’s nest – casts an intricate shadow below, throwing light on the ‘walk in the park’ reference. It’s quite hypnotic, moving gently with each passing guest. It’s all refreshingly simple, with vibrant flower arrangements on marble tables breaking the silence along the way.
Sweeping its way down to the restaurant below, a spiral staircase of the same Ming marble makes quite the statement. With veins that take on the look of grass blowing in the wind, it offers uninterrupted views of the long, triple-height, railroad-esque restaurant that stretches off to a vanishing point in the distance. Here the marble walls from the floor above are replaced with pale wood from which intertwined bentwood strips balloon outwards. It’s an interesting design, that quietly engages the senses, but will ultimately let the food it serves be the main ingredient.
In contrast, adjacent to the restaurant, the ABar lounge positively glows from the lighting reflected in the textured gold panels that hang from the ceiling. Here the design volume is pumped up and all eyes are drawn to sofas, chairs and wall panels, swathed in sumptuous fabrics – rich in both colour and texture – set against a backdrop of opulent gold walls.
Taking the lift to the floor below, as fully expected, the subterranean spa is as tranquil a space, that evokes a feeling of wellbeing the second you step across the threshold. Inviting you in with organic scents, natural materials and an otherworldly atmosphere, it offers signature treatments accompanied by soundwaves, a sauna, steam room, and a surprisingly spacious gym, filled with the latest Technogym equipment. But it’s the pool that ticks all the boxes here. Dark and atmospheric, it’s like walking into Van Gogh’s Starry Night. 25 metres of inky water (the longest pool in Mayfair) glistens seductively as the lights dance off its glassy surface.
Back in the luxurious reality of the hotel, the lift whooshes up to the guestrooms, which take up residence on the floors above. Here, there is a subtle change of design pace thanks to the introduction and creative vision of London based architect and interior design studio, Studio Indigo. Marking the firm’s first venture into the hotel business, it is responsible for the design of Mandarin Oriental Mayfair’s guestrooms, suites, and residences.

Suite Dressing Room. Above and below: The nature inspired guestrooms and suites are rich with an array of pattern and texture, including hand-embellished de Gournay wallcoverings.
Better known for its portfolio of luxury residential, marine, commercial, and retail projects, the studio has brought a refreshing ambience to the 22 suites and 28 guestrooms – more akin to a luxury apartment than a hotel. From the junior to the presidential (Mayfair) suite, each space has been treated as a ‘suite’ regardless of the category – all offering distinct areas for sleeping, sitting, and dining through the clever use of decorative screens and visual zoning. A beautiful mix of woods, marbles, silks and wallcoverings create a gentle layered look across the spaces, all of which feel spacious and airy. Drawing on its experiences in the yachting world, Studio Indigo’s design successfully maximises space and light throughout.
Complementing Curiosity’s ‘walk in the park’ narrative, Studio Indigo’s use of de Gournay’s bespoke chinoiserie wallcoverings bring each space to life with magnolias that reach out from headboards and delicate birds that chirrup against gold leaf. While the colour palettes vary, they are all elegantly mixed with brass, bronze, and gold detailing, and an array of Murano glass lighting that brings a richly lavish feel through sculptural and jewel-like shapes. The bathrooms are stunning and introduce a feeling of grandeur with baths and basins wrapped in beautiful contrasting marbles, and showers and toilets discreetly positioned behind glass doors, elegantly adorned with gold chainmail screens. The result is a collection of uniquely bold interior spaces that once again reflect the very best of design.
In a neighbourhood where five-star hotels are in plentiful supply this stunning addition promises to hold its own as a haven of urban elegance in the heart of Mayfair.