This Mayfair Hotel Feels Like a Private Pied-à-Terre

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair opened in June 2024 and has been quick to stake its claim as one of London’s most discreetly luxurious addresses. With just fifty suites, hand‑painted silk wallpaper in every corner, a 25‑metre subterranean pool, and a rooftop bar with skyline views, it balances intimacy, design and service.

What’s the neighbourhood like? 

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair sits on Hanover Square, one of the oldest and most composed corners in one of London’s poshest neighbourhoods. The hotel is a contemporary build by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, a glass-and-steel stunner that still pays homage to the Georgian terraces that frame the square. It feels calm, confident and very Mayfair. 

The entrance is deliberately understated. I walk straight past it the first time and have to double back, half convinced I am about to wander into someone’s private residence. Inside, the mood shifts from the bustle of Regent Street to something far more considered. This is Mandarin Oriental’s second London hotel, opened in mid-2024, but it already carries itself like it has always belonged here. 

Inside, the lobby feels more like a collector’s lounge than a grand hotel welcome. There is a Vivienne Westwood designed fan on display, a small but striking piece that hints at the level of artisanship threaded through the property. Nothing is loud. Everything is intentional. 

Where am I sleeping? 

My Deluxe Suite is one of only fifty, which explains why it feels like a private apartment rather than hotel stock. I push through the suprisingly heavy door, tired from two flights and a humid Tube ride. I catch myself sighing in a way that would embarrass me if anyone were around to hear it. 

My first move upon dropping my bags is changing into my kimono bathrobe; my second is falling onto the king bed.  

The design palette blends deep greens and maroons with shades of white, blue and grey. The hand-painted de Gournay silk wallpaper is the standout, a magnolia motif created specifically for the hotel. Cabinetry and furniture mix warm timber with brushed brass and marble. The bathroom has double vanities, a soaking tub I wish I had time to use, and an MO rubber duck that ends up staying dry. The wood-topped vanity becomes my staging point for primping and prepping before dinner.

What’s on the menu? 

I don’t have the chance to properly experience the hotel’s main restaurant during my stay, The Atrium. Even so, the space itself hinted at what could’ve been: a soaring glasshouse feel with soaring triple-height sky roof and attention-stealing marble staircase. The current menu is a mix of Mediterranean flavours prepared using Japanese and Korean techniques – tempura-fried zucchini flowers, bone-in ribeye glazed with gochujang, yellowtail crudo and ponzu.  

The hotel’s second fine diner is Somssi by Jihun Kim, an exclusive chef’s table experience. Limited to just 14 diners per sitting, the restaurant offers a Korean-inspired tasting for lunch and dinner. The setting, inside a moody cavernous space, is a striking backdrop for dishes served with precision and finesse.  

It’s one I’d bookmark for next time, if only to complete the picture. 

And how about the drinks? 

The rooftop Hanover Bar is a surprise for Mayfair. Down to the lobby, a lift change up to another floor and through doors leading to the building’s residence spaces has me feeling a little bit like Alice. The stylish 50-seat space spans indoor and outdoor perches, but the gardened terrace opens to a long view across London that takes in everything from the London Eye to distant tree lines in the north. Much like the hotel, it feels intimate without trying, the kind of bar where you settle in for “one drink” and end up staying long enough to watch the skyline change colour. 

A cocktail menu is inspired by the neighbourhood: The Hanover (plum bourbon, umeshu sake, vanilla amontillado sherry, maple syrup, chocolate bitter), The Bond (Beluga vodka, gin, Lillet Blanc, lemongrass, coconut oil), The Arcade (saffron and gold leaf-infused vodka, chamomile cordial, Sauternes, Champagne). Sushi, sashimi and small plates are available for light bites. 

What are the extras like? 

Two floors below street level is the spa. Studio Curiosity designed it using wood, stone and green Ming marble, and the effect is immediately calming. The 25-metre pool is pure social media fodder: the dark mirrored walls have a starlight effect designed to make it feel like swimming at night even when it is midday. 

The wellness offering is extensive. There is a large gym with Technogym equipment, a Pilates reformer area, sauna, steam room, vitality pools and cold therapy. Treatments range from long, unhurried rituals to short biohacking sessions that use binaural sound to reset the senses. A few of the massages and facials take their names from the neighbourhood, a small but thoughtful touch. 

What sets Mandarin Oriental Mayfair apart? 

It has the poise of a long-established hotel but the freshness of a new build. Nothing shouts for attention. The architecture and interiors reward anyone who looks closely, from the carved marble details to the hand-worked textiles. Service is attentive in a way that feels natural rather than rehearsed. 

Who will love Mandarin Oriental Mayfair? 

Travellers who want the best of Mayfair without the fuss. People who enjoy design at its most precise, food that has real intention behind it, and a hotel that feels like a private base rather than a spectacle. 

The writer was a guest of the hotel.