Two minutes with Duncan Palmer, Managing Director of The Beaumont
The Colony is one of Mayfair's most beautiful and vibrant dining rooms. Tell us about the inspiration behind the redesign in 2021.
The Colony launched as the most glamorous grill room in town in 2014, inspired by Manhattan’s iconic restaurants of the early 20th century, classical in style, relaxed, elegant, luxurious. The 2021 refurbishment retained its clubby 1920s New York atmosphere, its much-loved banquettes freshly upholstered in deep red Italian leather. In harmony with the restaurant’s theatrical tableside presentations, its walls were adorned with dramatic, colourful new murals of British landscapes and wines were brought centre stage, with an impressive wine display now a dramatic feature in the room.
Which of the new cocktails has become a signature drink since you opened?
The best-selling classic cocktail is the Negroni and the new signature drink is Empire of Light 1950 (smoky and spicy, with Mahani Mezcal, Cocchi Torino rosso, Amaro Averna and orange zest oil).
The Beaumont is known for its warmth and impeccable service. What do you think sets the Beaumont apart in this respect?
The Beaumont is a small, intimate hotel and designed right from the start with ‘heart and soul' at its core. Engendering a sense of belonging and comfort in a guest, over and above the requisite physical comforts, is our key aim. It is a hotel with an old-world aesthetic and values, very much focused on the guest. Knowing our guests - who they are, why they are there, responding to them as an individual is at the heart of what The Beaumont does well. As Thierry Despont, the architect and interior designer entrusted with the hotel’s recent refurbishment put it: “The Beaumont is the notion of the boutique hotel being like a club. It may not have the sprawling suites of some of the larger five star hotels, but the staff are fantastic: they know you.”