It may not be as famous as The Savoy or as renowned as Claridge’s – but The Beaumont Mayfair, with its elegant Art Deco vibe, still packs a punch as one of London’s most glamorous hotels. Last month, it completed the final piece in its recent multi-million pound renovation with the opening of its new modern British restaurant Rosi.
Where?
The Beaumont Mayfair couldn’t be more central, found on Brown Hart Gardens in Mayfair, a few minutes’ walk from Selfridges on Oxford Street, yet it manages to feel wonderfully under the radar.
Interestingly, it is carved out of an original 1920s garage (conceived primarily for Selfridges’ shoppers) and designed by esteemed architects Wimperis and Simpson (who were also responsible for Fortnum & Mason). The Grade II-listed, colonnaded entrance and Neo-Classical exterior is the inspiration for the Art Deco-style interiors found inside.
Style
Public areas in The Beaumont Mayfair are a paeon to Jazz Age pizazz: think polished, chequerboard floors, oak panelling, cosy corners with club chairs, and a world-class art collection. All you need is a flapper dress and feather boa to fit right in.
Interiors were originally designed by the late French architect Thierry Despon to embody the spirit of the grand hotels of the 1920s. From the Gatsby Lounge (with its afternoon tea accompanied by tinkling piano and secret door to lead you out to the lifts) to the intimate Le Magritte Bar (check out the Surrealist artist’s painting, Le Maître d’École, hanging behind the bar), it is like stepping into the pages of a F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.
The hotel is now under the leadership of newly appointed CEO Stuart Proctor, who brings over 20 years of industry experience and a dedication to ‘old-school’ hospitality. The new era includes a recent expansion of 29 new rooms and suites (totalling 101) – including the hotel’s most unique asset: Anthony Gormley’s famous ROOM – an inhabitable work of art by the sculptor, in the shape of a giant, crouching figure.
Facilities
There’s a small spa with plunge pool, steam and sauna, and treatment rooms offering La Sultane de Saba experiences and signature therapies, such as the Beaumont Recovery, designed to help with jet lag and fatigue.
Food & drink
The final cherry on the cake is the new Rosi restaurant overseen by culinary director and one of the UK’s top chefs, Lisa Goodwin-Allen (she has helped hold a Michelin star at Northcote in Lancashire for over two decades). Rosi takes the reins from the hotel’s previous much-loved restaurant, The Colony Club, by Corbin & King (the duo behind The Wolseley) who opened the hotel in 2014 (and sold it to the Barclay family in 2018). While the restaurant has had a total makeover, the original buzzy New York-style vibe remains.
Start off with cocktails from The Great American Songbook menu in Le Magritte Bar – ‘Luck Be A Lady’ (with Champagne, Chambord and rose syrup) is a highlight. The pastel-hued dining room is named after Rosemary Saïd, wife of businessman and philanthropist Wafic Saïd, now the current owner of The Beaumont Mayfair, and features whimsical wall murals of characters (inspired by the owner’s family) by artist Luke Edward Hall.
You’ll sit in a dusty-pink velvet booth and order from a retro-inspired menu that celebrates seasonal British classics – from starters of prawn cocktail and old fashioned pork pie to chicken Diane and a standout Dover sole meunière for mains. There’s even a lamb suet pudding to take you back to school days (that is, if you went to the poshest school ever).
Overall, there’s a fun feel to the menu which feels like you’ve discovered one of London’s secret gems, with John Dory fish fingers and a make-your-own sundae for dessert. Saying that, serious foodies will also be pleased to find steak tartare, prepared table-side and grown-up steaks on the grill, including cuts of English wagyu, Lake District beef and heritage Hereford herds, all chosen for their flavour and provenance. Service is excellent.
Extra details
Suites have libraries featuring 1920s authors and London-themed books; while in the bathrooms you will find soft satin robes and a feast of toiletries from Dr Harris & Co. A bonus: there are no complicated light systems that are the norm these days. Instead brushed brass panels have easy-to-use bedside switches that are self-explanatory.
Which room?
It has to be the newly designed Roosevelt Suite which is epic in proportion and feels like an apartment straight out of a Hollywood movie. There are fabric covered walls, bespoke furnishings, antique bronze glass, silk window treatments and Art Deco furniture.
The private terrace offers sweeping views of the city’s skyline – order breakfast to eat here for a decadent start to the day. Named after Franklin D. Roosevelt, a renowned supporter of the arts, it also boasts a notable collection of original artworks, ceramics and glass dating from the 1930s to the present day. In its private entrance lobby, there is a specially commissioned portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt by Kate Boxer, and the other rooms include works by Alexander Calder and Robert Motherwell, as well as by leading contemporary artists such as Colin Reid and Rana Begum RA.
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Best for…
Boasting to your friends about knowing the most chic place to stay in town.
Last note
Staff will greet you by name as if you have returned home (the doormen swot up every morning on who is checking in that day).
Rooms from £600, suites from £1,564, B&B; thebeaumont.com
