A defining feature of the development is the decision to prioritise adaptive reuse. The project retained more than 80% of the existing structure, with an estimated saving of approximately 4,200 tonnes of carbon when compared to demolition and a full rebuild. This approach is reflected in an interior language that emphasises material provenance, durability and craft, rather than high-turnover finishes.
1 Hotel Mayfair is the ‘first mission-driven luxury hotel in the UK’, claiming to set the standard for a luxury experience that ‘positively impacts our planet’
In parallel, the hotel’s façade delivers the brand’s sustainability goal through its green-trellised exterior walls that introduce living vegetation into the streetscape.
See also: CDL’s Newport Plaza brings nature back into the concrete jungle
Within the lobby, sustainability is communicated through an explicit material strategy. The reception desk is carved from a single weathered oak trunk sourced from the Balcombe Estate in Sussex, selected and shaped to retain its natural character rather than being homogenised through veneers or composite finishes.
A similar approach is applied to the concierge desks, produced from a single sycamore log removed for safety reasons after root decay.
The hotel also uses dry stone walls in the lobby and its bar and lounge space Dover Yard, formed from responsibly sourced Yorkshire stone and assembled by hand using traditional techniques, reinforcing a design preference for long-life, repairable construction methods and regionally rooted sourcing.
See also: Suite serenity
1 Hotel Mayfair features 181 guestrooms and suites
1 Hotel Mayfair features 181 guestrooms and suites. Guestroom interiors extend the biophilic concept while incorporating practical interventions to reduce single-use materials.
Upon entry, a moss wall is integrated with a water dispenser intended to remove reliance on single-use plastic bottled water.
British oak flooring is specified to provide warmth and continuity across room types, while planting is treated as an architectural element rather than just an accessory.
Furnishing choices deliberately avoid uniformity, including reclaimed wood elements, such as tree stumps used as side tables.
In the bathrooms, the space integrates tactile natural finishes with water-conscious specifications. Plumbing selections are aligned with water-saving regulations, with engineered shower heads designed to reduce water output.
The material palette, such as textured limestone and stone detailing, maintains the luxury aesthetic while reinforcing the property’s preference for natural and durable materials.
The hotel’s planting strategy is substantial and operationally central to its branding identity. The property incorporates 481.62 sqm of living green wall planting areas across interior and exterior zones, in addition to approximately 1,300 individual plants, shrubs and trees across more than 200 species distributed throughout public areas, guestrooms, suites and terraces.
Planting is deployed as an art and design feature, including Patrick Nadeau’s Rainforest living chandelier, which is a statement piece in the hotel lobby, featuring a planted dome 4m in diameter covered with over 50,000 strands of Tillandsia usneoides, an epiphytic plant that grows without soil and draws moisture and nutrients from the air.
Two Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellers starts a new chapter at 1 Hotel Mayfair. Dovetale offers a sustainably minded, produce-led a la carte menu of reimagined classics
In food and beverage areas, sustainability-led material selection is expressed through elements such as oversized cork pendant lights, emphasising renewable, low-impact materials as part of the overall design expression.
This sustainability positioning is reinforced by broader brand initiatives associated with Starwood Capital’s 1 Hotels platform. In December 2025, the brand introduced its Mission Membership, presented as a purpose-driven loyalty concept that places emphasis on environmental impact alongside personalisation.
Under the programme, 1% of qualifying spend is donated to one of three environmental non-profits: NRDC, Oceanic Global or Green Our Planet. Each new member also triggers a tree planted through an Arbour Day Foundation partnership.
Barry Sternlicht, founder of 1 Hotels and chairman of Starwood Hotels, characterises the intent in explicit terms: “With 1 Hotels Mission Membership, we’re disrupting loyalty and redefining what it means to be part of something bigger. This is about taking care of nature, taking care of people, and creating experiences that go beyond the stay.”
