Wayfarer exclusive: inside Britain’s luxurious Como Metropolitan London hotel in Mayfair

Old Park Lane, London, W1K 1LB

by James Wilkinson

In the heart of Mayfair and across from Hyde Park Corner, the Como Metropolitan London stands tall as one of London’s best hotels thanks to its fantastic location, stylish suites, brilliant restaurants and exceptional service.

The property constantly receives excellent reviews and thanks to some new food and beverage offerings, the bar has been raised even higher.

To find out the latest and why this hotel should be on any visitor to London’s radar, Wayfarer Editor-In-Chief, James Wilkinson, spoke exclusively to Como Metropolitan London’s General Manager, Javier Beneyto Benavides, in the UK recently.

Javier, thanks for your time today. What makes Como Metropolitan London so special in your opinion?

Como Metropolitan London is a boutique sanctuary, once you enter the Hotel from busy Park Lane, you experience a serene calmness. Our rooms are light, bright and spacious and whether guests have a park facing or city facing room, you have a sense of place within one of the world’s most vibrant cities.

Tell us about the rooms and suites on offer, which are some of the most spacious in Mayfair.

The Hotel has 144 guest rooms and suites, our deluxe city rooms are 29 square metres whilst our Metropolitan Park Rooms which are very popular with our guests are 33 square metres.

Our suites range from Junior City Suites, to our signature Como Suite which is located on our 10th floor which is 110 square metres and offers panoramic views across to Hyde Park.

This is a one bedroom suite but can become a two bedroom suite. It offers spacious living, dining and working space with a small kitchenette.

Our Park Suites are one bedroom suites and are very popular with first time and returning guests, they do have the option to become a two bedroom suite, connecting with a Metropolitan Park room and also have a small balcony.

You have some fantastic food and beverage on offer, including a fantastic Nobu restaurant and a pop-up that celebrates the best of Como. Tell us about that.

Nobu has been part of our hotel since the property opened in 1997, making it London’s original Nobu. It remains a very popular choice not only for our guests but those in London.

This year as an alternative dining option, we launched a Taste of Como Series, this started back in February with a Taste of Tuscany, working in partnership with our sister hotel, Como Castello del Nero, we then moved on to a Taste of the Mediterranean and last month we launched a Taste of the Ocean which runs until 19th November, then for the remainder of the year we shall open Taste of Le Bistro.

The idea behind this was to provide our guests with a gastronomic journey around the world led by our Executive Chef Ruben Briones and taking into account his career and experience gleaned from his Andalusian roots to his experience in France, with his culinary philosophy which focuses on classic techniques alongside the finest produce, varied colours and balanced textures.

Javier, Como Metropolitan London is home to a fantastic Shambhala Spa. Tell us about some of treatments and wellness offerings that help it excel.

At Como we have a lifelong commitment to lifelong wellness. At Como Shambhala Urban Escape we offer carefully curated therapies, all of our experts are trained in a variety of Asian techniques from relaxation to invigorating.

Our signature treatment, the nurturing COMO Shambhala Massage is our signature massage that uses our blended massage oils to completely calm the mind and gently rejuvenate the body.

The property has a fantastic location at Hyde Park Corner. What are some of your favourite things to do in the area?

We are lucky to have London’s largest park, Hyde Park on our doorstep, a walk in the park or run in this beautiful location is a great thing to do. Our location is also close to several galleries and museums, with the Saatchi Gallery and the Design Museum not too far away.

Our Mayfair location has local London in close proximity too, with Shepherd’s Market with its range of international restaurants, bars and boutiques also close by.

Javier, the property excels in many ways, but the x-factor at Como Metropolitan London in your opinion?

If I told you our x-factor it wouldn’t be an x-factor anymore! I can say that Como Metropolitan London brought a very different style of Hotel to Park Lane when we opened in 1997, to this day this continues to be one of our key points of differentiation and of course in the business of hospitality the other key factor is our team.

It goes without saying that people make the difference in the world of hospitality, our colleagues dedication and passion for providing service and responding to the individual requirements of our guests is a fundamental part of our guest experience.

GETTING TO LONDON

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