I’ll be honest – I walked past 1 Hotel Mayfair three times before realizing this sleek building on Berkeley Street was actually my hotel. The entrance is surprisingly understated for a five-star place, which I actually loved once I got inside and saw what they were going for. This isn’t your typical stuffy Mayfair hotel with gold everything and marble that echoes when you walk. Instead, it’s all about this really thoughtful eco-luxury thing that somehow doesn’t feel preachy or fake.
The location is honestly perfect if you know London at all. You’re literally a two-minute walk from Green Park station, and Berkeley Street puts you right in that sweet spot where you can easily walk to Bond Street shopping or duck into one of the tiny pubs tucked away on the side streets. What I loved most was stepping outside in the morning – you get this mix of locals heading to work and that calm, tree-lined feeling from Green Park right across the way. The noise level was way better than I expected too, considering you’re in the heart of everything. They must have serious soundproofing because I barely heard the traffic, even on the lower floors.
The rooms are where this place really shows its personality. Everything feels organic – and I mean that literally, since they use all these reclaimed materials and living walls that actually make the air smell fresh. The bathroom products are refillable (which sounds small but is actually brilliant when you’re staying a few days), and there’s this amazing rainfall shower that honestly made me late for dinner one night. You know what really impressed me though? The staff seemed to actually know the neighborhood. When I asked about breakfast spots, the concierge didn’t just rattle off hotel partners – he told me about this little café on Bruton Place that locals use, complete with warnings about their strong coffee. The rooftop bar gets packed after work hours with a surprisingly mixed crowd, not just hotel guests, which gives it this authentic London energy. Fair warning though – if you’re planning to eat at their restaurant, book ahead. I learned that the hard way on a Thursday night, thinking it wouldn’t be busy. Apparently half of Mayfair had the same idea. The whole experience just felt… effortless, I guess? Like they’d figured out how to do luxury without making you feel like you need to whisper or worry about touching anything.