All listings featured on iBestTravel are independently selected by our editors.
First impression: I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole.
Staff: Dressed to impress with an exciting thirst to please.
Food and drink: Carefully crafted cocktails in the bar with a classic menu on the side.
Bed and bath: Easy to lose all sense of time in this level of comfort.
The crowd: A fashionable artistic set – young creatives, serious New Bond Street shoppers – as well as loyal followers of countryside classics Cliveden and Chewton Glen.
Sustainable credentials: There is a focus on supporting local – mini-bar products and bar spirits come from small-batch suppliers.
In a nutshell: Deco, fanciful and glamorous – the sort of place to come for a dose of whimsy.
Set the Scene
Walking into The Mayfair Townhouse feels like entering a jewellery box – mirrored ceilings, golden front desks and a shiny peacock sculpture in the lobby covered in 25,000 Swarovski crystals.
The staff have named him Alfie after Oscar Wilde’s secret lover, in homage to the history of the townhouse and its status as an inspiration for Algernon Moncrieff’s bachelor pad in Wilde’s most famous play The Importance of Being Earnest. The building runs the length of 15 converted Georgian homes – some Grade II listed – on Mayfair’s Half Moon Street behind Shepherd Market – once a colourful haunt for bachelors, bohemians and artistic types, frequently including Wilde himself.
What’s the Story?
This is the fifth property from Iconic Luxury Hotels, the group behind classic country house Cliveden and spa destination Chewton Glen, as well as Cotswolds bolthole The Lygon Arms and elegant Chelsea boutique 11 Cadogan Gardens. Their brand new opening, however, is a little less country home and more sophisticated city crashpad – a sparkly, sultry alternative to afternoon-tea-sipping Cliveden.
Although the buildings date from 1730, the hotel’s personality and design reflects the artists and writers of the late 19th century. Flamboyant and bold characters from Wilde’s fantastical storytelling, such as Algernon Moncrieff, are seen all over the walls – kaleidoscope branding, brightly coloured graphic art and the mischievous hotel mascot of the fox that leaps across a mural or is stealthily perched on each guest room door.
What Can We Expect from the Rooms?
They certainly are impressive. Contemporary in aesthetic but with bold touches such as metallic glass pendant lighting, free-standing tubs and marble everywhere, some bedrooms have views over the Victorian rooftops; others of leafy Green Park down the road. Some ground-level suites have their own miniature gardens while lovely touches in the penthouse suites include dramatic sapphire-blue tufted headboards, his-and-hers sinks and a mini bar stocked with cucumber and watermelon and Bloody Mary soda mixers by UK brand Double Dutch.
The larger rooms are enormous, with separate living rooms to settle down in for an afternoon of snacking on fluffy macarons and AR Lenoble Brut Champagne.
How About the Food and Drink?
The Dandy Bar is the beating heart of the hotel. An artfully lit saloon with a curated list of cocktails and a classic all-day menu open to all. Beeline for seats at the counter and ask Piero, dressed in the most beautiful red-velvet blazer, to lead you through the signature drinks.
A Mr Bosie (the nickname of Wilde’s beau), for example, is made with Belvedere Heritage vodka and Bombay Sapphire gin, topped up with house Champagne cordial, ‘Abbotts Bitter Edible Paint’ and an Artemisia jelly cube – bitter yet subtly refreshing. Fluffy artichoke croquettes and salty edamame pair well with the drinks before mains of lobster curry or 30-day-aged sirloin. The downstairs Club Room, where breakfast is served, is busy with local freelancers grabbing coffee and is filled with bright-red and mint-green walls adorned with delicate butterflies and golden hand-painted murals. There’s also the Den, the nook just off the dining room, designed with black tufted banquettes and fox-filled art on the walls – it has an air of sophisticated members club but without the frills of exclusivity: ideal for private morning meetings and late-night drinks.
Anything to Say About the Service?
The first thing you’ll notice are the golden safety pins on the staff’s lapels – a nod to one of the late Alexander McQueen’s final collections inspired by the dandy days of the past. It’s this attention to detail that the team embody from start to finish, from the front desk to the bar-backs and the smiling doorman. The team is a well-oiled machine, matching the waiting-on-your-hand-and-foot standards of its countryside siblings.
What Sort of Person Comes Here?
Cliveden regulars in town for a weekend of exploring. Serious shoppers with multiple Hermès bags in hand.
What’s the Neighbourhood Scene Like?
The nearby streets are packed with smart and shiny drinking dens, independent galleries, and high-end shops. Leafy Green Park is around the corner, as is Shepherd Market and one of our favourite London restaurants, Kitty Fisher’s.
