The Beaumont unveils first phase of extensive renovation

The much-garlanded Beaumont hotel in London’s Mayfair has re-opened its doors, revealing a gentle evolution in several public and guest spaces, the first phase in a programme of works that will culminate in a significant guestroom and public area extension to the property, due for completion in early 2023. ReardonSmith Architects, the original architects on the hotel which opened in 2014, is leading the project team, working in collaboration with New York-based designer, Thierry Despont.

“The reconfiguration and redesign work to date is an exciting first phase in the plan that we have agreed with our client, Beaumont Hotel Property Ltd, to ‘revive the legend’ of The Beaumont hotel,” said James Twomey, Director of ReardonSmith Architects. “It is a sensitive continuum of the hotel’s spirit and all changes, both front and back-of-house, have been made to support the staff in a hotel that is recognised for its outstanding service.”

Image credit: The Beaumont / ZACandZAC

The lobby, which spans the entire front façade of the hotel, has been sensitively enhanced and given new purpose, leading in one direction to the new Magritte Bar and in the other to the concierge and reception desks. Here, a timber panelled portal has been introduced to frame the lift lobby and a grand hall which will eventually offer seamless entry into the new extension. Throughout the lobby, existing internal finishes have been revived, including the distinctive chequerboard marble floor and cherrywood panelling, while new fabrics soften the area.

Image credit: The Beaumont / ZACandZAC

As befits a hotel loved for its transatlantic Art Deco legacy, the brand-new Le Magritte Bar is inspired by the American bars that took 1920s London and Paris by storm. The architects repurposed and extended what had been a guest-only lounge into the 30-seater public bar, framing a fully glazed entrance with imposing backlit alabaster columns. Within, the space is entirely clad in European fiddleback cherrywood and a leather-topped ebony bar takes pride of place behind which hangs the Magritte artwork that gives the bar its name. The ambience is inviting and glamorous. To the side, a glazed door has been introduced to allow staff to service the new outdoor terrace.

At the heart of the ground floor, the former bar has undergone a complete transformation to create Gatsby’s Room. Extended, reproportioned and redesigned, it is an entirely new offering from The Beaumont – an intimate lounge for light dining through the day, afternoon teas to the sound of a grand piano, evening aperitifs and post-dinner drinks.

The Colony Grill has kept its clubby Twenties New York atmosphere. A new sommelier station has been introduced and elsewhere some of the finishes have been replaced or revived. New murals and artworks are a striking addition.

In addition, the hotel’s spa now benefits from an enlarged gym accommodating state-of-the-art fitness equipment as well as a fourth treatment room and a relocated and redesigned male changing room, while, on the first floor, two guestrooms have been converted into a Mayfair Suite and a third room upgraded to a Superior Room which may be linked to the suite.

Situated in the heart of Mayfair and the West End, The Beaumont embodies the spirit of the grand hotels of the 1920s, yet remains on an intimate scale, with just 50 guestrooms and 22 suites and studios, including Sir Antony Gormley’s ROOM, an inhabitable work of public art. Since opening in 2014, this privately owned and independently run five-star hotel has established an enviable reputation for its thoughtful, friendly service and beautifully appointed accommodation, winning many accolades, including the 2020 Condé Nast Traveller Gold List editors’ favourite hotels in the world.

The journey continues…

Main image credit: The Beaumont / ZACandZAC