We Get an Early Glimpse of London’s New Mandarin Oriental Mayfair

SOMEONE AT MANDARIN ORIENTAL clearly loves London: its second hotel in the city has just opened in Mayfair and the group recently announced a third property would debut “south of the river” before 2030. Details on that forthcoming development are flimsy, but for now MO fans should be satisfied with the prospect of two distinctive hotels laying in such close proximity.

Operational since 2000 and overlooking Hyde Park, the original, storied Knightsbridge hotel is quintessentially English – its doormen are clad in elegant Beefeater-red trench coats and diners are served revived, centuries-old British recipes at Heston Blumenthal’s Dinner. Smaller, more discreet and connected to 77 branded residences, the new 50-key Mandarin Oriental Mayfair feels more international, a bit more business-minded, and leans more heavily into the brand’s Asian heritage and identity.

That’s most notable at Akira Back London restaurant, set at the base of a sculptural spiral staircase made of glossy green Ming marble from China. The restaurant is named after its chef, and its menu draws from his biography—he was born in Korea, raised in the US and worked in Japan—with dishes like “hot mess” rolls with sashimi, crab tempura and ponzu aioli, warming bibimbap, and scallop tartare with wasabi.

Though there’s a formality to the space, it’s softened by service that’s nicely engaging and convincingly friendly. By comparison, I found staff at breakfast slow and unsure about even straightforward aspects of the menu—hopefully these are just teething issues as the morning selection here, featuring kimchi muffins and mushroom-and-pine-nut porridge, alongside the more customary avo toast and viennoiserie, is one of the most interesting on offer at any luxury hotel in the city.

Also overseen by Back, the forthcoming Dosa will accommodate just 14 guests around a counter in a silvery chamber for a night of Korean fine dining; set menus are expected to start from around £185 per person. Due to open by the end of the year, ABar Rooftop will be one of just a handful of venues offering elevated views of the surrounding low-rise district. Quiet during my visit, the subterranean ABar Lounge cocktail bar should become lively as soon as Londoners learn it opens late for London on weekends (until 2:30am) and will host sets from a roster of DJs. For all of Mandarin Oriental Mayfair’s urbane sophistication, the capital’s rigid licensing laws mean the district can feel surprisingly sleepy past midnight.

Guests additionally have access to a slick wellness facility, with vitality pools, a small-but-stylish gym, and a 25-meter pool that is illuminated dramatically and beautifully by lantern-style lighting embedded in surrounding walls and pillars.

A good sign of its immediate popularity, the spa was fully booked during my stay – but its menu stood out as ambitious. Alongside the usual portfolio of massages and facials are options “combined with binaural acoustic and dynamic stimulation designed to synchronise with brain waves and induce a meditative, relaxed state.” Who knows what that means, but it sounds impressive, plus there are quick-fire biohacking treatments and IV infusions. A tribute to Mandarin Oriental’s Asian origins, the signature Oriental Qi massage works to improve the energy of the meridians using essential oils.

As for the accommodation itself, softly lit and golden-hued rooms and suites are supposedly inspired by jewelry boxes. But that could infer they’re glitzy or gaudy whereas I found them agreeably understated and comfy. Their decadence comes instead from the use of high-quality materials like burl wood and translucent porcelains, and some striking aesthetic flourishes like gorgeous hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper that features colorful profusions of magnolia blossoms. A reference to the blooms of the adjacent Hanover Square, the motif provides a subtle sense of place in a London hotel that goes quite a few steps further than the Hyde Park original in expressing Mandarin Oriental’s Asian origins and growing global ambitions.

From £920; mandarinoriental.com

BOOK YOUR STAY AT MANDARIN ORIENTAL MAYFAIR VIA BOOKING.COM

Images courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Mayfair.

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