The 1 Hotel Mayfair will set the benchmark for sustainable luxury stays, with an eco-building, biophilic design and a responsible restaurant from two-Michelin-starred Tom Sellers. Olivia Palamountain reports
The 1 Hotel Mayfair will be London’s very first “mission-driven sustainable luxury hotel” when it debuts on Berkeley Street this summer. The property will be the 11th outpost from the 1 Hotels brand, which also has hotels in the US and Mexico. Other new openings will be in Copenhagen, Paris, Melbourne and Austin.
Aiming to set the standard for premium hotel stays that positively impact the planet, the London hotel will serve as 1 Hotel’s UK and European brand flagship, set over nine storeys and housing 181 guest rooms and suites.
Elsewhere, guests will find Dovetale, a restaurant by two Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellers, a neighbourhood coffee shop and a signature bar. The property will also feature a bespoke fitness centre and Bamford Wellness Spa. Rates will start from £700 per night.A celebration of sustainability is intrinsic to 1 Hotel Mayfair’s design, layout, creativity, culture, storytelling and service, complemented by natural, biophilic elements intertwined wherever possible.
The team has reimagined an existing building for the hotel, retaining more than 80 per cent of the existing structure to minimise the negative impact from renovation and reconstruction.
Complementing the eco-conscious architectural bones are sustainably sourced and recycled materials which have been used throughout – think reclaimed metal floor tiles, solar panels and reclaimed Yorkshire dry stone walls. Further imaginative design elements include a reception desk created from one naturally felled piece of wood from Sussex and a leafy chandelier created from air plants and sliding rattan panels – a nod to the picnic baskets used in Green Park.
More than 200 plant species are found across the property, from living walls to the planting beds in the bedrooms as well as a newly added public space gifted to the neighbourhood.
Guest rooms feature living moss walls, timber flooring crafted from fallen trees from the Windsor Estate and Welsh slate bathroom vanities. The hotel is adorned with original art and curios by craftspeople and artisans from the UK and beyond, set to convey important messages on humankind’s impact on our natural environment.
These include specially commissioned pieces such as Flow by marine-plastic artist Steve McPherson and Kate McGwire’s feather sculptures.
At Dovetale, the menu will be rooted in a deep respect for seasonal produce, with an à la carte menu bolstered by a dedicated offering from the grill, a raw bar and an expansive wine programme. A Knickerbocker Glory trolley will offer a Dovetale take on the classic dessert, made table-side.
The restaurant will be joined by an adjacent destination cocktail bar – Neighbours – that will serve as a daytime cafe and evening bar with a central communal table crafted from raw timber to encourage conversation and collaboration.
Ready for some you time? The wellness area on the first floor will allow guests to work out in a dynamic, uplifting space, while in the wellness area, three spa treatment rooms in a calming, soothing palette provide the backdrop for Bamford’s holistic approach to relaxation, restoration and nurturing wellbeing.