In our Suite Staycation column, Gina Jackson – hotel expert and author of British Boutique Hotels – tours some of the best hotel suites in the UK. Next up, Mandarin Oriental Mayfair.
Best for: a slick city sleepover
There’s no shortage of luxury hotels in London, with the city’s grand dames and flashy five-star players jostling for attention across Knightsbridge and Mayfair. One of the city’s shiniest new contenders is Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, the sleek sister property to the brand’s flagship hotel abutting Hyde Park.
Give us the lowdown
Perched on Hanover Square, and a short stroll from Oxford Circus, Soho, and the swanky boutiques along Bond Street, this is a discreet jewel box of a hotel, all sharp lines and glossy glass frontage. The only giveaway that there’s a hotel behind its doors is the fleet of immaculately dressed valets. Step inside and you’ll be greeted by a show-stopping, light-filled atrium, where a glistening, green-marble staircase spirals down to the hotel’s flagship restaurant. The reception is just as smart, with staff ready to pour you a welcome aperitif and swoop you up to your suite within moments of arriving.
What’s in the suite?
There are just 50 bedrooms and suites here: a sharp contrast to the 181 pads at Mandarin Oriental’s Hyde Park address. Rooms are outfitted in the same fashion as the spaces downstairs: neutral palettes offset by shades of teal and dusky rose, while glossy marbles and elegantly draped curtains abound. Glints of gold, extravagant light fixtures, and de Gournay silk wallpapers (hand-painted with floral motifs) give a nod to the brand’s East Asian heritage.
I checked into the Hanover Suite: despite this being one of the hotel’s flagship suites, it still felt compact and somewhat homely, with an open-plan dining area flowing into the velvety teal-toned lounge and adjoining bedroom. Wall-to-wall windows allow for uninterrupted vistas over Mayfair’s rootftops, while intuitive tech enables you to control the lighting, climate, and curtains from your bed. The bathroom was draped in marble and stocked with Acqua di Parma toiletries, while a sizable walk-in wardrobe was kitted out with hand-embroidered kimonos to swish around the suite in.
How’s the crowd?
Mandarin Oriental’s brand name has far-reaching appeal, so it’s natural that this latest outpost is favoured by a well-heeled international crowd. During the week, expect to rub shoulders with suited-up businessmen and women at the invite-only rooftop bar.
Where can we eat and drink?
The hotel’s restaurants have recently undergone a complete transformation. The flagship restaurant serves breakfast through to dinner, with a Mediterranean baseline complemented by occasional Japanese and Korean flavours: think burrata with kimchi coulis and scallop carpaccio doused with miso brown butter. Return for breakfast the next morning, where options range from matcha chia seed pudding washed down with juice shots to full fry-ups and hefty buttermilk pancakes. Meanwhile, the hotel’s intimate 14-seat chef’s table, Somssi by Jihun Kim, offers a seven-course tasting menu that’s centred around Korean flavours and traditional techniques (‘Somssi’ translates to “craftsmanship” in Korean).
Are there any stand-out touches worth mentioning?
After a morning spent racking up your step count along Bond Street, you’ll want to carve out some downtime at the serene spa. Anchored by Mayfair’s longest indoor pool – a striking 25-metre lap pool flanked by cabana-style loungers – the space also houses a handful of hushed treatment rooms where you can sink into East Asian–inspired therapies, before making a circuit of the sauna, steam room, and vitality pools. Or work up a sweat at the gym, which is kitted out with slick Technogym equipment, including a reformer Pilates machine with Reform RX classes that you can plug into.
What’s on the to-do list?
The best of London’s cultural and culinary scene spans out at your doorstep. You’ll be a few minutes’ stroll from the Royal Academy of Arts, with its ever-changing roster of exhibitions, while the West End’s world-famous theatres and Soho’s indefatigable restaurant scene lie just beyond. For retail therapy, Selfridges and Liberty are less than 10 minutes’ walk away – while the stylish boutiques and flagship stores along Bond Street are even closer.
What should we know before we go?
Both of the hotel’s restaurants have only just reopened under new leadership. Both remain untested – and have evolved since my stay – for now, the jury’s still out on both of them.
What should we pack?
Bring workout gear and swimwear to make the most of the superb spa. Smart dresses, suits, and heels won’t go amiss at dinner times – and will help you blend in among the swish crowd.
All image credits: Mandarin Oriental Mayfair
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