Opened in July 2023, 1 Hotel Mayfair has quickly established itself as London's first sustainable luxury hotel. And its Dover Yard cocktail bar attracts visitors from all over the city.
Here we are in the affluent heart of the English capital, on prestigious Berkeley Street, just a stone's throw from Green Park and Buckingham Palace. Here, 1 Hotel Mayfair, a nine-story, five-star hotel, is not only a luxury destination but a place that aims to set new standards for a high-end experience that also has a positive impact on the planet. The hotel's approach combines biophilic design, low-impact practices, and a total commitment to ecological responsibility.
Commitment beyond image
The hotel's philosophy is evident in every aspect of its structure. And it's not just marketing: instead of a new construction, two existing buildings were rebuilt, preserving over 80% of the original structure. This decision saved approximately 4,200 tons of carbon and achieved an “Excellent” rating (one step below the highest) for the BREEAM standard, a system for assessing the impact of buildings.
The design is dominated by nature: inside, there are over 1,300 plants, shrubs, and trees belonging to more than 200 local and regional species. The exterior walls are covered with large areas of vertical greenery, transforming the urban landscape that was craving a little green. The interiors are an ode to natural and reclaimed materials: the reception desk is made from a single 200-year-old oak trunk that fell naturally on the Balcombe estate in Sussex. The floors are made of British oak from trees that fell on the Windsor estate, while the walls feature Yorkshire dry stone and hand-crafted Welsh slate for the bathrooms.
In a hotel of this caliber, art is a must, so the establishment commissioned works from local artists who share the same philosophy toward the planet. At the entrance, Patrick Nadeau's “Rainforest” chandelier, composed of 50,000 Tillandsia threads, stands out, as does Kate MccGwire's “Torrent” installation in Dover Yard, made from approximately 3,000 pigeon feathers collected during the birds' natural moulting season. This commitment also extends to daily operations, with a room management system—there are 137 rooms plus 44 suites—that reduces electricity consumption, a practical tap in each room for dispensing water and eliminating single-use plastic, as well as a “True Zero Waste” program to minimize waste.
Dover Yard: the cocktail bar inspired by nature
Dover Yard is the hotel's cocktail bar and lounge. Much more than just a place to drink, it is a refuge from the hustle and bustle of city life, fully embracing the property's philosophy with a conscious and sustainable approach to hospitality. Led by Director Giulio Guarini, it offers an experience inspired by the beauty and simplicity of nature.
The drink list is guided by sustainability, and so we find “Repurposed Ingredients” as a distinctive category on the menu. The bar collects ingredients that would otherwise be wasted from the hotel's daily operations or reuses certain scraps, optimizing the facility's consumption. One example is the “Breaking Grounds” Espresso Martini, which uses coffee grounds. Many cocktails use ingredients from the kitchens of Dovetale, the hotel's restaurant designed by Tom Sellers, two Michelin stars at Restaurant Story.
Dover Yard's latest menu is called Regenerative Forces and draws inspiration from nature's ability to regenerate itself. It is divided into chapters that refer to natural elements: Elemental Flames, Earthly Revivals, Celestial Flows, and Aqua Vitae. Each section features fun twists on classic cocktails, and the physical menus themselves are made from recycled paper and unused hops. It is a celebration of fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients, with unique recipes created through extensive research, inventiveness, and a small in-house laboratory. The cocktails can be accompanied by simple cuisine with well-made snacks and even more complex dishes.
Accessible via a cobbled walkway (once a parking lot, speaking of repurposing spaces), Dover Yard overlooks a botanical courtyard, offering a serene atmosphere with a double-sided fireplace and live music on weekends. The bar is not just for hotel guests, but has become a landmark for the Mayfair scene.
1 Hotel Mayfair and its Dover Yard cocktail bar prove that luxury and sustainability can not only coexist, but also enrich each other. The hotel offers a unique experience while promoting a more conscious, low-impact model of hospitality, setting a new benchmark for the industry in London and Europe.
CONTACTS
1 Hotel Mayfair e Dover Yard
3 Berkeley St, London W1J 8DL, Regno Unito
Phone: +44 20 3988 0055
