COMO Metropolitan London - Hertford Street Residences

The hotel opened back in 1997, but was renovated in 2015, and now presents itself as an “urban escape”. Singapore-based Como Hotels and Resorts is known for its emphasis on spas and holistic wellness, and has 18 other hotels, retreats and resorts worldwide, including boutique “townhouse” property COMO the Halkin not far away from the Metropolitan in London’s upmarket Belgravia district.

Situated close to Hyde Park Corner in the luxurious Mayfair district. Piccadilly, Knightsbridge and Bond Street are all within easy walking distance, and Hyde Park is just across the road. Hyde Park Corner on the London Underground’s Piccadilly line is a few minutes’ walk away.

You enter the lobby through wide revolving doors to a long reception desk and colourful lounge space with an imaginatively stylish décor. There are 144 rooms and suites in the main building (find our review of these here), and 19 private residences split between two locations – Brick Street and Hertford Street – just a minute’s walk around the corner. There are ten Brick Street residences and nine in Hertford Street, one of which is a standalone four-bedroom building at number 23, with the other eight within the building next door at number 22. A private, quiet and very pleasant shared open courtyard can be found between the two streets’ residences, where you can relax, have breakfast or lunch when the weather permits.

 The Hertford Street Residences range from 104 to 148 sqm and have been renovated in the past year in an “elegant yet contemporary style”. We were in a two-bedroom residence on the third floor, accessed through a traditionally grand door from the street and via a quiet lift. All the residences are fully serviced from the hotel, including 24-hour room service.

You enter the residence to a huge main living room on one side and a corridor on the other, off which is the kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms (one ensuite). The décor is relatively minimalistic, with blue carpet and light-brown wood flooring, and white walls that are mostly bare but with one artwork in the dining table area and a collection of three in the corridor to the bedrooms. There’s also a palm plant in one corner of the living room, and although it might strike some as sparse, I found it soothing and quite stylish – for long-stay guests a more overt or complex décor might prove jarring or contrary to personal taste.

The expansive living area is split between a three-piece suite facing an enormous flatscreen TV, and a large dining table and six chairs, with an easy chair with standing lamp in one corner, and a work desk in the other corner, on which stands a bluetooth Bose speaker (there’s another in the main bedroom). Wifi connection required no password and was very fast. 

A tablet in a docking station near the TV gives access to guest services, free online newspapers and magazines, and booking of COMO Shambhala Urban Escape spa’s treatments, among other things. (A small cupboard room opposite the entrance door also hides a steam iron and ironing board.)

The galley-style kitchen is compact but neat, modern, and fully equipped with a fridge-freezer, washer-dryer, dishwasher, microwave and convection oven (Bosch and Siemens branded), as well as a full complement of cooking and kitchen utensils. There were salt and pepper grinders, and in the fridge small bottles of complimentary juice and milk – a nice touch. There’s a Nespresso coffee machine with six pods, which were refilled daily during house cleaning (between 10am and 6pm).

Both bedrooms are equipped with wall-mounted TVs, and the main one is ensuite with a bath/shower, (the other bathroom off the corridor has an extra large walk-in shower). There’s plenty of wardrobe space in both rooms, and useful reading lights by the beds, which were very comfortable with firm mattresses and a selection of pillow types. Particularly pleasant was how quiet they were at night, since both face into the inner courtyard and not the open road.

The COMO Shambhala bathroom products in the bathrooms feature eucalyptus and peppermint – a really vibrant combination, while the toilets are TOTO branded, with remote controls for various bidet-like functions. The overall quality of the fixtures and fittings, and many extra touches made our stay feel more “homely” – it was a pleasure to come back to the residence each day as well as spend time in it.

Breakfast is available in either the White Room or Nobu restaurant (7-10.30am weekdays, 7-11.30am weekends) – I had one breakfast in each location – and is an à la carte affair, with some really delicious options to choose from, as well as lovely smoothies and bread selection. The Lobby Lounge is a bright, spacious place offering light bites and refreshments throughout the day, including healthy options from COMO Shambhala Cuisine. 

However, it’s the world-famous Nobu restaurant on the first floor that garners nearly all the attention – and rightly so. The Japanese-Peruvian cuisine on offer is simply superb. We were lucky enough to enjoy the signature omakase menu, a six-course taster menu (£125) comprising yellowtail tartare with caviar and wasabi sauce; sashimi salad with “Matsuhisa sauce”; a sushi board; black cod with miso sauce (a personal highlight); beef tenderloin with enoki and shiitake mushrooms in a sizzling ceramic bowl; and a chocolate volcano pudding with green tea ice cream to finish.

This menu is a well-refined and highly popular choice – I could not fault its balance of tastes and textures, and the knowledgeable serving staff and perfect accompanying wines and sake were the icing on the cake. Pricey Nobu may be – but this is cuisine of the highest quality.

The hotel has five meeting rooms and spaces. The Met Space contains built-in audiovisual equipment and a side room through sliding doors. The Met Boardroom and Met Studio are connected and can cater for 14 and six guests respectively (in boardroom style), while the Met Lounge can accommodate up to ten people. The most impressive event space is the White Room (first floor), with a pyramidal glass ceiling that floods it with natural light. 

The COMO Shambhala Urban Escape spa on the hotel’s second floor is an award-winning wellness centre with six treatment rooms and a host of offerings and experiences from acupuncture to signature massages using both ancient practices and modern science (open 9am-7.30pm daily).

The 24-hour gym is large and well kitted out with Life Fitness machines and weights, an area facing a large wall mirror with yoga mats and balls, and a personal trainer is available on request. However, it’s in the basement so there are no windows to look out over Hyde Park, which seems a shame. Down here there are also separate men’s and women’s steam rooms. 

Stylish but subtle design choices, an enviable location, and high-quality eating and spa options make these residences an excellent choice for a short, medium or long stay.  Jeremy Tredinnick

FACT BOX

• Best for Revelling in returning “home” at the end of a busy day in the city
• Don’t miss A wonderful culinary experience at Nobu
• Price Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in a two-bedroom Hertford Street Residence in April start from £1,345 per night including tax and surcharges
• Contact 19 Old Park Lane, London W1K 1LB; +44 (0)20 7447 1000; comohotels.com