Mayfair

Mayfair combines musical history, leafy squares and the enduring tradition of London bespoke tailoring within a compact urban area.

Musical History and Historic Addresses

The Handel House occupies four floors of 25 Brook Street, where the composer George Frideric Handel lived from 1723 until his death in 1759. The restored historic rooms include Handel’s bedroom and dining room. He rehearsed his musicians and singers there and often gave informal concerts for friends and neighbours. The rooms therefore convey not only a biography, but also a tangible impression of how the house was used for music.

The Hendrix Flat offers a different musical perspective. The permanent exhibition explores Jimi Hendrix’s place in the musical and social world of 1960s London, as well as his influences and legacy. Together with Handel House, it creates a chronological arc from 18th-century music to 1960s pop culture.

The history of individual London personalities is also present in the cityscape. Number 64 South Audley Street in Mayfair was the location of Constance Spry’s shop for more than 25 years. The foundation stone of Grosvenor Chapel was laid on 7 April 1730. Its music programme includes the weekly Mayfair Organ Concerts, while the garden of Grosvenor Square is home to a statue of Franklin D. Roosevelt, unveiled by Eleanor Roosevelt on 12 April 1948.

Garden Squares and Urban Contrasts

Brown Hart Gardens is a raised terrace garden in Mayfair, immediately south of London’s Oxford Street. The space was created in 1906 above the former electricity substation on Duke Street. The substation was covered by a 950 m² roof, a vaulted pavilion and stairways at both ends. This origin makes the garden a particularly clear example of how technical infrastructure and public open space were combined in London.

Grosvenor Square is London’s second-largest garden square after Lincoln’s Inn. The Mount Street Gardens retain a different character: they have largely preserved their original planting and layout. For planning a day out, this makes it possible to compare different forms of urban green space – a raised terrace garden above a former substation, a large historic garden square and a space with a largely preserved original design.

Bespoke Tailoring on Savile Row

Savile Row is known for bespoke tailoring. Each suit is made to fit the customer. The street therefore represents a craft-oriented side of Mayfair that clearly differs from the district’s musical and horticultural themes. When choosing a hotel in Mayfair, you can take these different focal points into account when planning your days in London: historic musical venues, sacred architecture, garden squares and the distinctive tradition of Savile Row belong to different, clearly recognisable facets of the same district.

Other Districts in London

For comparison with other London locations, you can also find New Malden, Ruislip, Barnet, Bexley, Leyton, London, Surbiton and Brixton.