Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park — London, UK

In the first phase of its top-to-toe refurbishment, London’s Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park is just emerging from behind a massive collage slash hoarding designed by Sir Peter Blake. The ambitious 18-month project which began last September has involved keeping the hotel running while a crack team - including local architects Purcell and Hong Kong-based design maven Joyce Wang - have worked behind the scenes to spruce up, in stages, all 181 rooms and public spaces.
Wang’s design scheme is informed by the hotel’s location next to the city’s beloved Hyde Park. What might, in less experienced hands, have turned into a literal translation of arboreal themes, has, instead, been translated into subtle gestures. The reception area, for instance, is dominated by a glass chandelier that echoes a spring bloom. Acorns are palimpsests for light fixtures, and rugs hint of autumn leaves. In the Knightsbridge-facing bedrooms (the Hyde Park-facing rooms will be completed in the second phase), grey paneled walls frame a palette of Art Deco features, leather tufted headboards and bathrooms lined in Volakas marble.
Elsewhere, Adam Tihany has been tapped to revisit the spaces he had originally designed for Bar Boulud and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. The hotel’s iconic marque of the open fan for the lobby, meanwhile, has been reinterpreted by Jenny Packham, the British designer fashioning the rosewood spokes on the railings of the gates of Apsley House, and sprinkling sequins and Swarovski crystals drops over organza chestnut leaves.
ADDRESS
66 Knightsbridge
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
'You can feel their presence': step inside the Eames' Pacific Palisades residence
Charles and Ray Eames’ descendants are exploring new ways to preserve the designers’ legacy, as the couple’s masterpiece Pacific Palisades residence reopens following the recent LA fires
-
The great American museum boom
Nine of the world’s top ten most expensive, recently announced cultural projects are in the US. What is driving this investment, and is this statistic sustainable?
-
Here’s how Heathrow is reimagining airport chaos as ambient music
Grammy-nominated Jordan Rakei turns travel noise into a meditative soundtrack by sampling everything from baggage belts to jet engines
-
Here’s how Heathrow is reimagining airport chaos as ambient music
Grammy-nominated Jordan Rakei turns travel noise into a meditative soundtrack by sampling everything from baggage belts to jet engines
-
Is this London’s slickest burger joint?
Already proven in Paris, Dumbo’s smash-hit formula of precision, confidence, and simplicity arrives in Shoreditch – and yes, it’s worth the wait
-
Canal is a new west London restaurant with a suntrap terrace
At Canal, the new restaurant at Mason & Fifth’s Westbourne Park hotel, expect modern European breakfast, lunch and dinner from the team behind Crispin and Bistro Freddie
-
This hidden London culinary haven is a refreshing take on the steakhouse
Mr Porter, a new steakhouse, bar and lounge in central London's swish Mayfair, is a hidden haven of strong flavours and minimalist dining
-
A European-style café opens next to London’s Saatchi Gallery
Designed by Dion & Arles, Cafe Linea serves fresh pâtisseries, global dishes and sparkling wines in a stunning Grade II-listed setting
-
Ready to unplug? Sign up for this digital detox retreat in Cornwall
Offline escape provider Unplugged has partnered with Cabilla Cornwall to offer a phone-free, nature-immersive group experience on Bodmin Moor
-
Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Project is London’s tastiest (and weirdest) summer tradition
The cult pop-up has returned, transforming a Belgravia corner into a sleek, steel-clad shrine to British pantry nostalgia
-
The best bars in London for bartending greatness
From chic hotel cocktail classics to game-changing flavour combinations, our resident drinks correspondent, Neil Ridley, explores ten of the best bars in London