In a city bursting with world-class luxury hotels, the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair knew it had to come up with something truly special.
It hung hand-painted silk wallpaper in every room and suite. It fitted a show-stopping Ming green marble spiral staircase that sweeps majestically down to a Japanese–Korean fusion restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Akira Back (his first in the UK). It added a cool cocktail bar – the ABar Lounge – and Dosa, an intimate chef’s table restaurant where diners undertake an odyssey through the delights of Korean cuisine.
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Not satisfied with all that, the hotel opened a second ABar up on the rooftop while down in the basement it created a magical spa with a 25-metre pool cleverly lit to make you feel that you are floating in space. In the hotel world there are ultra-luxe, five-star hotels and then, up in the decadence stratosphere, there’s the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair.
Middle East Traveller checked into the Hanover Suite at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London.
The Arrival
The hotel looks more like a small block of luxurious Mayfair apartments and has a super-discreet entrance — the only thing giving it away being the silver Bentley Bentayga out the front, with its personalised M070 MAY numberplate.
Check-in is not usually done at the main lobby, but at a more private desk across a glass walkway. The hotel can also arrange even more exclusive arrivals in rooms and suites. Within minutes of arriving, I was checked in and had finished a delicious elderflower kombucha welcome drink.
The Room
I was in the 95sqm Hanover Suite, named after the famous square just outside the front door. Once through the solid walnut door (a great sound barrier), to my right the suite opened up into a large kitchenette with an open, mirror-backed glass cabinet, an adjacent dining table which would easily seat four, plus a spacious living area.
The walls were lined with hand-painted silk Chinoiserie wallpaper from the renowned, London-based family firm de Gournay, depicting pastel-blue-grey flowers inspired by the magnolias in Hanover Square, offset on one side by what are known as ‘leaf lamps’.
The other half of the suite was occupied by the grand bedroom and bathroom, complete with an oversized bathtub. Separating the lounge from the bedroom was what the hotel modestly calls a ‘walk-in wardrobe’ but it’s really another room with enough space for several people to admire and try on their clothes all at the same time.
The wallpaper here depicts exotic, fan-tailed birds perching on branches against a shimmering gold background. Hanging ready for use in the bathroom area are silk bathrobes and kimonos, designed exclusively for the signature suites by British heritage brand New & Lingwood.
All rooms and suites are sumptuous, from the entry-level Deluxe Rooms (33sqm) and Studio Rooms (38sqm) to the Executive Suites and Deluxe Suites (both 51sqm), the Studio Suite (61sqm), the Two-bedroom Deluxe Suite (86sqm) — plus the unashamedly lavish Mayfair Suite at a whopping 141sqm.
The Service
The check-in team were great, but the service came into its own in Akira Back restaurant. My waitress Vivienne knew every tiny detail about every dish and even how some of them had been conceived.
Accompanying her was hands-down the best sommelier I have met: a Russian called Stanislav. He took me on an eye-opening tour to some fascinating if unusual vineyards, including ones in Arcadia in Greece, Ningxia in China and even south-west Iran.
He explained how the vineyards came about, why the terroirs produce the grapes they do and how the flavours perfectly match Akira Back’s dishes. This was world-class hotel service.
The Activities
You could spend your time shopping down New Bond Street or strolling through Soho (and even get the hotel’s Bentley house car to spin you down there) but you would miss out on an amazing spa experience.
Just being in this space is incredible, before you even get to the treatments on offer. It is deliciously calm and luxurious, with soft, warm lighting, jade-green and bronze-panelled walls, plus calming wooden ‘Nest’ sculptures made from British willow by local artist Julia Clarke.
The 25-metre pool is lined with thousands of turquoise and black mosaic tiles. Inlaid into the black walls and columns are scores of white lamps that reflect in the water to give swimmers the sense that they are floating in space among the stars.
I was lucky enough to have the place to myself for half-an-hour and it was an ethereal, moving and utterly relaxing experience. The treatment rooms were all full (so it pays to book ahead) and lucky guests were being pampered with Energy Flow and Dream Sleep massages, Age-Defying facials and even Binaural Acoustic and Dynamic Stimulation, a therapy that trains the brain to relax. The pool had pretty much done that for me already.
The Restaurants and Bars
You first spot Akira Back’s eponymous restaurant from the lobby, at the top of a Ming green marble staircase that spirals down to the friendly staff at the greeting desk. It’s a pretty awesome entrance. As you walk down, whiffs of flavours emerge from the open kitchen: the freshness of yuzu, the sweet earthiness of chilli, the rich smokiness of roast aubergine.
You also get a glimpse the huge timber artwork that dominates the side wall, created by Young Hee Back, the chef’s mother.
My meal took high-end, fine dining to another level with Vivienne bringing out a parade of standout dishes including miso black cod with yuja foam and padron peppers, Orkney scallop with kimchi butter and – one Back’s signatures – tuna pizza with umami aioli, shiso and truffle oil. The overall winner was the melt-in-the-mouth salmon tataki with mustard su miso and kizami wasabi.
Diners can eat at normal tables or in more private booths with high seat-backs, and there are three private dining rooms for a more intimate and exclusive experience.
Next to the restaurant is ABar Lounge, a cocktail bar with up-lit, gold-painted walls, and Dosa, a 14-seat chef’s table restaurant where diners enjoy an immersive, Korean culinary experience — not just getting to taste the dishes, but also watching the traditional artistry involved in creating them.
Up on the roof is the exclusive, 50-seat ABar Rooftop lounge where visitors can gaze out across the chimneys and penthouses of Mayfair all the way to the London Eye, grab some Dynamite Crab sushi bites and sample fragrant cocktails (including non-alcoholic versions) from an innovative menu drawing inspiration from the seasons.
Why Stay?
Right now this is the epitome of five-star hotel luxury in Europe. It’s the perfect combination of impeccable service, world-class fine dining, no-expense-spared design and decor, and an imaginative and spellbinding spa.
The Essentials
- Rates: For August, a Deluxe Room starts from £950 (US$1,230), a Studio Room from £1,150 (US$1,490), a Two-bedroom Deluxe Suite from £2,750 (US$3,562) and the Hanover Suite from £8,000 (US$10,360), all including tax (VAT) and subject to a 5% discretionary service charge. When not included in room rate, à la carte breakfast is £40–50 (US$52–65) per person.
- Phone number: +44 (0) 20 7889 8888
- Website: mandarinoriental.com/en/london/mayfair
- Address: 22 Hanover Square, Mayfair, London W1S 1JP, UK
