The Mayfair Townhouse sets Autumn 2020 opening date

Iconic Luxury Hotels, the group behind Cliveden House and Chewton Glen, has unveiled the opening date for its fifth property. Set to launch this Autumn, The Mayfair Townhouse comprises fifteen connected Georgian buildings on Half Moon Street in Mayfair, each of which overlooks London’s Green Park.

Built from 1730 and once the setting for Oscar Wilde’s most famous play, The Importance of Being Earnest, Half Moon Street was a colourful haunt for bachelors, bohemians and artistic types in Victorian Britain. During this time, many of the street’s townhouses were split into residential apartments for the elite to live before marriage. Iconic fictional characters, including Oscar Wilde’s Algernon Moncreiff and Bertie Wooster in P.G. Wodehouse’s comedies, resided here. As such, moments of this history are immersed throughout The Mayfair Townhouse and quickly become the central pillars of its design and personality.

Dandy is the cornerstone theme of The Mayfair Townhouse – building on the historic connections with Oscar Wilde, Half Moon Street and the dandy lifestyle associated with Mayfair. Capturing this playful spirit for today’s era, Goddard Littlefair has devised an authentic, quick-witted scheme that tells the tale of Oscar Wilde’s world through an imaginative lens. The designers have revived the townhouses, of which seven are Grade-II listed, bringing to life the Georgian heritage and blending it with a contemporary rhythm. The fox, the hotel’s motif, is woven throughout too, from the art collection to more intricate elements.

Art plays a pivotal part in the narrative, with Minda Dowling, founder of Minda Dowling Hotel Art Consultants, curating a selection of unique pieces to bring each space to life. The hand-picked series includes established names and emerging artists, take Clarita Brinkerhoff’s peacock sculpture, for instance – the piece sits at 67 inches high and is made up of 25,000 Swarovski crystals. Guests are also invited to learn about the art through QR codes that have been developed specially for the hotel.

Elsewhere, the aptly named Dandy Bar provides refuge from the bustling streets of Mayfair with its dimly lit yet theatrical atmosphere, serving bespoke cocktails such as The Mayfair Dandy, an avant-garde take on the classic Dandy cocktail once enjoyed by hedonists of the area; and AR Lenoble Brut Champagne, Oscar Wilde’s favourite. The flamboyance of feathers in flapper outfits and the traditional gentleman’s pocket is echoed throughout the interiors, from lamps with silk pleated shades to seating covered in printed velvets and leathers with marble, brass and high gloss timbers.

Whimsical touches make their way to the guestrooms and suites too, from the functional Classic Rooms to the indoor-outdoor living themed Garden Suites and the Dandy muse Penthouse Suites. Alongside premium linens and robes, luxury mattresses and his-or-hers toiletries, thoughtful details like a minibar filled with contents from local artisans, flamboyant spare socks, takeaway mints and in-room cocktail kits using the dandy’s ingredient of absinthe all reflect the hotel’s quick-witted personality.

Despite having no traditional restaurant, The Mayfair Townhouse invites guests to the lower ground floor – a library-esque space located off the entrance lobby for breakfast, work or simply relaxing. Beyond its walls lies a further dining room, which can be used for private gatherings and meetings.

The hotel’s Les Clefs d’Or (The Golden Keys) concierge is also on hand to book reservations at Mayfair’s many restaurants and bars, as well as providing knowledge on area’s hidden gems. Shepherd Market, for instance, is a charming square just a stone’s throw from The Mayfair Townhouse is Shepherd Market, which up until the mid-18th century held an annual May Fair that eventually gave the district its name.

“There is nothing like The Mayfair Townhouse. When the property debuts in Autumn 2020, you will see something that has not yet been done. We’ve created a product – a personality – that’s exceptionally unique to our collection at Iconic Luxury Hotels,” says Executive Director Andrew Stembridge.

“We’re looking to give London and travellers from all over the world something fresh, something totally different and unexpected. This is a new and exciting chapter for Iconic Luxury Hotels, and as we welcome our second property in London, we look forward to creating remarkable memories in the heart of Mayfair.”