This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to London
The Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge occupies a juicily prime spot seconds away from the three Hs: Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Hyde Park. Did London really need another one in Mayfair, just over a mile away?
Possibly not. Do Mayfair and Knightsbridge attract a very different clientele from one another? Again, probably not.
But almost a year since it opened, this sexy new-build feels like a welcome addition to historic Hanover Square. Ever since Condé Nast left Vogue House in 2024 for pastures new, the square has needed an injection of the glamour to which it had been accustomed.
The sleek modern exterior, designed by RSHP (Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners), reflects the lines of its surrounding Georgian architecture, without being remotely pastiche. On my arrival, a small MO cart outside was offering cookies and coffee to the hotel’s taxi drivers and the odd passing policeman. A nice touch that hinted at more luxuries within.
The interior design has been done by Studio Indigo, which has brought style and verve to everything from superyachts and houses in the south of France to properties in the capital’s most sought-after postcodes, while the public spaces are by Curiosity, a Tokyo-based design company. The feel is entirely different from the dark sultriness of the Knightsbridge hotel — altogether lighter and more of the moment. The lobby is strikingly glitzy with a dangling light display of raw crystals by Preciosa, leading to a show-stopping spiral staircase descending into the hotel’s restaurant, under American-Korean chef Akira Back (see below). This kind of entrance encourages heads to turn — and this is definitely a destination to dress up for.
Rooms
Corridors are dark and glitzy with a nightclub feel, and each individual room door is so wide and large that it is like an apartment entrance. Inside, the feel is calm, ethereal and reassuringly expensive.
I love a bit of gold, and my spacious corner room had just the right amount, woven through a bedspread, all the taps, light and curtain controls — and a golden cube emblazoned with a QR code for room service. Walls are decorated with bespoke de Gournay wallpaper, hand-painted with magnolias to echo the trees in Hanover Square. The vast headboard above an amazingly comfy bed extended almost the whole way across the wall — another signifier of the slew of new hotels charging £1k+ per night. The mod cons are a sensible and pleasing mix of analogue and digital — none of that silly iPad-controlling-the-lights business.
A walk-in wardrobe contained both cotton kimono bathrobes and silk-woven kimono dressing gowns, the latter almost dinner-appropriate.
You could survive on the minibar alone for several days, helping yourself to the impressive range of teas, as well as cola, kombucha and something that is so rarely offered but so often called for — milk!
The bathroom was awash with Natura Bissé products — some to take home and some refillable. A Toto toilet, also a bit of a must these days in top-notch hotels, had a seat that lifted in a friendly way whenever you went near it.
Eating and drinking
Restaurant Akira Back
The density of high-end modern Japanese restaurants in this part of town is quite something, but I will wager none have quite the airy feel of Akira Back, with its super-high ceilings and extraordinary wooden vortex sculpture by Charlie Whinney emerging from the wall and casting different shadows throughout the day.
When we arrived, the 148-seater restaurant felt pleasantly calm, with just a few well-spaced tables occupied by couples and business associates. I started with a tuna tartare pizza — more of a tart to my mind, with raw slivers arranged on a deliciously thin flaky pastry base, while my fellow diner chose a tasty octopus crudo. Our charming waiter suggested the miso black cod as a main — always a good test in any upscale Japanese — which turned out to be quite the chunk of fish, served with yuja foam and Padrón peppers. We also loaded up on charred asparagus and tempura prawns, as well as an Italian take on miso aubergine, with melting mozzarella. A couple of glasses of Grüner Veltliner was advised as a suitable accompaniment to this feast.
Dosa by Akira Back, a small secondary restaurant, is a chef’s-table experience for 14 diners around an open kitchen that recently acquired a Michelin star. The focus here is a Korean tasting menu, highlighting the best fresh ingredients from wild sea bream to langoustine.
ABar
I particularly liked ABar, the hotel’s rooftop bar, as it has a slight 1960s first-class-lounge feel, with curved seating upholstered in cream leather and floor-to-ceiling windows that could look out on to a runway. But instead the 360-degree view is over Mayfair rooftops and the Post Office Tower, the London Eye and even as far as Hampstead Heath.
The cocktail list is short, divided cleverly into seasons and packs a punch. I opted for a peach and sakura bellini with sakura vermouth, and my husband the alluringly named Mango Tango — a potent mix of tequila, mezcal, mango and orange wine.
Spa and pool
The spa is often my favourite part of a Mandarin Oriental, and it is always a huge draw for guests. This Zen temple on floor minus 1 will not disappoint. I wrote about the spectacular 25m pool — the longest in Mayfair, with its firefly lights, and sparkling mosaics — here.
The “Tranquility of Mayfair” treatment is a hit with international executives — a two-hour, four-hands pummelling that will iron out the kinks of even the most stressed hedgie.
For gym nuts, the hotel has a partnership with BodySpace, providing “hyper-personalised programmes” from personal training to Reformer pilates. For those after something a little more relaxing, book an £80 Binaural Vibroacoustic session — a 22-minute acoustic, vibrational therapy designed to reset your nervous system and ensure a good night’s sleep.
At a glance:
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Rooms and suites: 50
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Good for: An elegant luxurious stay; fans of Asian-inspired cuisine
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Not so good for: Those hoping for a more typically British stay
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FYI: Complimentary rollaway beds for children under 12 can be arranged
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Doubles: From £1,000
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Address: 22 Hanover Square, London W1S 1JP
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Website; Directions
Rebecca Rose was a guest of the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair
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