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First look: 1 Hotel Mayfair

1 Hotel Mayfair, the first European property of 1 Hotels, has recently opened its doors in London's prestigious Mayfair district. Operated by Starwood Capital's SH Hotels & Resorts, the hotel aims to provide guests with indulgent luxury experiences while prioritising sustainability and environmental responsibility. With a range of amenities, innovative design features, and a commitment to preserving the planet, 1 Hotel Mayfair offers a unique and eco-conscious hospitality experience.

Luxurious Accommodations and Dining
Featuring 137 rooms and 44 suites, including the largest one-bedroom penthouse in Mayfair, 1 Hotel Mayfair promises a comfortable and opulent stay for its guests. The hotel also offers an impressive culinary experience, with the Dovetale restaurant helmed by renowned chef Tom Sellers, known for his two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Story. Guests can also enjoy signature cocktails at the Dover Yard bar, as well as casual dining and drinks at Neighbours, a daytime café and evening bar.

Sliding door 1 Mayfair Hotel

A Focus on Sustainability
Raul Leal, CEO of SH Hotels & Resorts, emphasises the hotel's commitment to providing luxury while minimising its environmental impact. 1 Hotel Mayfair has been built to meet BREEAM Excellent standards, a renowned measure of sustainable building practices. With 80% utilisation of the existing structure, the hotel significantly reduces its carbon footprint. The property stands out with over 500 square meters of living green-trellised exterior walls and each guest room featuring a moss wall, contributing to a total of more than 200 plant species and 1,300 individual plants throughout the hotel.

The Challenge
The construction industry is constantly evolving, driven by the need for high-performance buildings that meet specific requirements while maintaining an aesthetic appeal. 1 Hotel Mayfair, a prestigious hotel situated in a bustling urban centre, is a prime example of such a development. Let’s explore the technical challenges faced in manufacturing and supplying doorsets for this iconic establishment, emphasising the need to balance modern performance demands with the hotel's unique requirements for fire resistance, high acoustics, and natural components.

Fire Resistance
Ensuring the safety of occupants is of utmost importance in any building, especially in a hotel environment where numerous guests reside. The doorsets in 1 Hotel Mayfair had to comply with stringent fire safety regulations without compromising on functionality or design. Principal Doorsets faced the technical challenge of producing doorsets that could withstand intense heat and flames for a specified duration, creating a critical barrier against the spread of fire and smoke throughout the building. Employing advanced materials and innovative construction techniques. Because of the bespoke nature of the products, we had these doorsets tested by a third party to ensure that the bespoke design performed as required. We are happy to share that the doorsets performed way beyond their minimum requirement. These doorsets were meticulously designed to meet and exceed the hotel's fire safety requirements.

High Acoustics
The tranquillity and comfort of guests are paramount in a luxury hotel setting. To address this, the doorsets at 1 Hotel Mayfair had to possess exceptional acoustic properties. Manufacturers had to develop solutions that effectively minimised sound transmission between rooms and hallways, ensuring that guests could enjoy privacy and a peaceful atmosphere. The technical challenge involved combining specialised materials, soundproofing techniques, and precise engineering to achieve the desired acoustic performance without compromising on the doorsets' overall aesthetic appeal. Using a Moralt acoustic core that had proven to deliver above 43dB RW set that product out, we used this as the basis for our offer. The use of LVL panels within the construction, satisfied us that the door would be capable in a hard-wearing environment and offer longevity of service.

Natural room doorset

Natural Components
As an advocate for sustainability and environmental consciousness, 1 Hotel Mayfair sought doorsets that aligned with their commitment to using natural and eco-friendly materials. This added an additional layer of complexity to the doorset configuration and supply process. Principal Doorsets had to source sustainable materials, such as responsibly harvested wood and low-VOC finishes, to create doorsets that seamlessly blended with the hotel's interior design while maintaining the desired performance attributes. The challenge was to strike the right balance between aesthetics, functionality, and sustainability, delivering doorsets that met the hotel's unique vision. The use of stained timbers that had been wood grain scarified, to give a natural depth to the product throughout.

Manufacturing the Perfect Doorsets
Stan Bond Director of Principal Doorsets said “The technical challenge of manufacturing doorsets for 1 Hotel Mayfair lay in finding the optimal blend of fire resistance, high acoustics, and natural components. It required the collaboration of designers (Studio Moren, https://tinyurl.com/y2ebw666), contractor (County Contractors, https://tinyurl.com/4k4fmpdj), and Principal Doorsets (https://tinyurl.com/yc4mkt3w), to create bespoke solutions tailored to the hotel's specific requirements. Extensive research, rigorous testing, and continuous refinements were necessary to achieve the desired performance and aesthetic standards.”

Conclusion
The 1 Hotel Mayfair project exemplifies the complexity involved in manufacturing doorsets that meet the performance demands of a modern building while satisfying the unique requirements of a prestigious establishment. The successful integration of fire resistance, high acoustics, and natural components into the doorsets highlights the industry's ability to innovate and overcome technical challenges. By meticulously configuring and supplying doorsets that blend functionality, safety, and sustainability, the manufacturers have contributed to the overall success of 1 Hotel Mayfair, ensuring an exceptional experience for its guests, and setting a benchmark for future luxury developments.

Thank you to https://www.1hotels.com/mayfair/gallery for the use of photography.