Luxury 1 Hotel Group Opens First European Hotel In Mayfair, London

Mar 26, 2024

hotel lobby with real moss chandelier

1 Hotel Mayfair, is the first European property for the American-based, sustainable hotel group. The location is great, with Green Park across the road, museums like the Royal Academy down the road and the stylish shops of Bond street and Burlington Arcade nearby. This chic new luxury hotel claims to be London’s very first sustainable luxury hotel, a big assertion indeed but one that does appear to have substance. From the moment you walk through the doors, you’re surrounded by living things, natural materials and textures, complemented by muted colors from nature. Over 1,300 plants from 200 species can be found throughout the hotel.

Dovetale, 1 Mayfair Hotel

The nine-story hotel which includes two new floors of luxury suites has transformed a former fairly pedestrian Holiday Inn into a gorgeous new property. Opting for reconstruction over new construction, 80% of the existing structure was repurposed to minimise adverse environmental impact. Sustainably sourced and recycled materials were used throughout, including reclaimed metal floor tiles, solar panels, and large areas of green living walls.

Lobby, 1 Hotel Mayfair

The lobby is stunning, from the check-in counter, made of a 200-year-old oak tree, to the wall of Yorkshire stone behind it, to Rainforest, an incredible living chandelier by French designer Patrick Nadeau. Measuring four meters in diameter, the chandelier is covered with over 50,000 strands of Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish moss). The plants making up this dome, grow without the need of soil and are usually found attached to trees in the tropical forests of Central America. The Rainforest dome, perennial, organic and lively, greets guests and sets the tone of the place from the hotel entrance. Other specially commissioned artworks are each inspired by the natural environment including Flow a circular 3D piece by marine-plastic artist Steve McPherson and Torrent, by Kate McGwire, a 3,000 feather installation moulted from pigeon racers under the entire length of the glass bar counter at Dover Yard.

Skyline One Bedroom Suite

The 181 guest rooms (137 rooms and 44 suites) include the largest one-bedroom Penthouse in Mayfair. This top suite features a wrap-around terrace with retractable sliding doors with park views. The decor in guest rooms is muted with a color palette of slate grey, beige and green, complemented by attractive British Oak flooring from fallen trees on the Windsor Estate. And every room has a small section of living moss wall. The bathrooms feature Welsh slate and refillable toiletries from British sustainable brand Bamford. Sensors ensure electricity isn’t wasted by turning off both the lights and air conditioning. Other eco-friendly features include wooden rather than plastic keycards, guestroom glassware made of used and re-purposed glass and hangers made from recycled materials. Instead of wasteful bottled drinking water, there’s a filtered water tap in every room.

Raw bar and starters selection at Dovetale, 1 Hotel Mayfair

Food and drink options are great with a neighborhood coffee shop, cocktail bar Dover Yard and the excellent Dovetale from Chef Tom Sellers, renowned for his Michelin-starred establishment, Restaurant Story. Sure to quickly become a destination restaurant, Dovetale’s modern British menu uses seasonal and organic ingredients and showcases the Chef’s commitment to local suppliers like La Latteria, an Italian cheese producer based in London, Epping Honey and Wynford Wagyu in Shropshire. Menu highlights include grilled Cornish lobster salad, Orkney scallop with lemon oil, English burrata and roasted Hardwick lamb. A Knickerbocker Glory trolley is a fun touch offering a new take on the classic dessert.

1 Hotel Mayfair

And, opening soon will be a fitness centre with Technogym equipment and Bamford Wellness Spa with three treatment rooms and a selection of holistic offerings. In keeping with the brand ethos, nature is intertwined into everything and is intrinsic to 1 Hotel Mayfair’s design, layout, creativity, culture and service.

1 Hotels launched in 2015 with openings in Miami's South Beach and Manhattan's Central Park, followed by Brooklyn, West Hollywood, Sanya (China), Toronto, San Francisco, Nashville and Hanalei Bay in Hawaii. The brand is expanding with properties under development in Austin, Cabo San Lucas, Paris, Copenhagen, Elounda Hills (Crete), Riyadh and Melbourne.

Rates at 1 Hotel Mayfair start from approximately £500 per night.