It’s the London home-from-home for Paris Hilton and Lady Gaga; Peaches Geldof installed herself there – in an ‘ambassadorial’ capacity – a couple of years back (running up a £120,000 bill in the process) and Kate Moss threw a two-day birthday party in the penthouse. Then when London Fashion Week rolls around, much of the fashion world descends on the place…
We’re talking, of course, about The May Fair – the London stay of choice for the full spectrum of celebrity from A right the way through to Z. But aside from all the famous faces and the fashion-forwardness of it all there’s a key question: does The May Fair actually cut the mustard as a luxury London hotel?
And the answer is a resounding yes. The guestrooms at The May Fair range from sprawling, palatial and extortionate suites to decent-sized and for a lavish London luxury hotel, at least, fairly decently priced standard rooms. The style is contemporary chic – heavy on the bold colours, the patterning and tactile materials (from velveteen through to cowhide, suede and mock croc) – and the feel is foot-to-the-floor modern luxe throughout with plenty of little extras.
Elsewhere in the hotel there’s an excellent spa, a small casino, a couple of sleek bar areas - the May Fair Bar with its imperial purple sofas, gloomy slate-grey walls and champagne enclave 150 at The May Fair with its magnum-quaffing clientele - and Quince, the hotel’s well received new restaurant. As you’d expect for the price tag, the service is also absolutely impeccable. At the end of the day, the all-out celebathon may not be to absolutely everyone’s taste, but for glossy glitz and glamour in London, there aren’t many places that come close to it.
What’s hot?
- Dodging the paparazzi and popping flashbulbs as you come and go
- The shopping-friendly location
- The hypoallergenic room options
- The sense of sleek, modern luxury – a world apart from its more grande dame-y Mayfair counterparts
What’s not?
- It’s hardly a thing of great beauty from the outside
Need to Know: The May Fair
Number of rooms: 406
Check-in/check-out times: 3pm and 11am
Room service: Yes
Swimming pool: No
Spa: Yes. It specialises in wonderful hot stone massages and Moroccan steam treatments as well as microdermabrasion and Dr Murad facials.
Dogs welcome: No
Eating and drinking: Serving high-class Middle Eastern-leaning fare, Silvena Rowe’s Quince opened in 2011 to rave reviews. The May Fair Bar does a nice line in pre-night out nibbles and a mean cocktail.
Near to? Mayfair shopping and dining galore: Bond Street is within walking distance as are Nobu Berkeley, Annabel’s and Mahiki. Green Park is just across the road for a morning jog or an afternoon saunter, as is media breakfast joint, The Wolseley.
Getting there: The hotel is just across the road from Green Park tube station, and a five-minute cab ride from Victoria train station and the Gatwick Express.
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