Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park stands in Knightsbridge, a short walk from Hyde Park’s western edge. Built in 1889 as Hyde Park Court, a block of 138 exclusive flats, it was designed by Thomas Archer and Arthur Green before Archer completed the work with Francis Hooper. The building once reached higher than most in London and sparked debate for casting shadows over The Serpentine. After financial collapse and a fire in 1899, the property was bought by Harrods director Herbert Bennett, who converted it into a hotel with help from César Ritz and architects Charles Mewès and Arthur Joseph Davis. The hotel opened in 1902 with 268 bedrooms and soon became a favoured address for royalty and celebrities. Queen Mary and Edward VIII stayed here, as did silent film star Rudolph Valentino. In 1916, press baron Max Aitken received his peerage while in residence. The ballroom was redecorated in Louis XVI style between 1911 and 1912, and a palm court was added in 1925. Granada Group sold the hotel to Mandarin Oriental in 1996, leading to a £57 million refurbishment after a 2018 fire that mainly affected the courtyard. Inside, guests find three restaurants and a bar designed by Adam Tihany. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal offers historic British dishes, while The Aubrey and The Rosebery Lounge provide lighter meals and afternoon teas with around thirty teas to choose from. The hotel still preserves its original north entrance for royal use, a tradition maintained since King George V’s reign. Special events have ranged from Pavarotti’s open-air concert in 1992 to Margaret Thatcher’s 80th birthday party attended by Elizabeth II and multiple former prime ministers.