Pillow Talk: Between the Sheets of the Beaumont, Mayfair

Step inside the varnished lobby of this Grade II-listed 1926 building and you’d never know it began life as, ahem, a car park for the wealthy customers of nearby Selfridges. Understated rooms and silk-draped suites house original mid-century artwork, hand-picked books and toasty underfloor-heated bathrooms. Book the showpiece ROOM by Antony Gormley to experience the sculptor’s take on a superlative hotel suite. But before you dive into your cloud-like bed, stop by Le Magritte Bar for a sensual, smoky Empire of Light cocktail or treat your ears to live music in Gatsby’s Room, which hums with Jazz Age elegance.

Steaks, sommeliers and sundaes: that’s what you’ll discover in this mural-covered, New York-style grill set within the Beaumont. While you’re taking your pick of the menu, line up pairings from the Piedmontese wine expert to match your courses. If, after melt-in-the-mouth Suffolk wagyu and aphrodisiacal oysters, you have room for dessert, the must-try on the Colony’s menu is a build-your-own sundae. Let out your inner child and wolf down a scoop of each flavour, covered in rainbow sprinkles – nobody’s judging.

Leave your worries in the changing rooms of the Beaumont’s subterranean spa and cross the white marble threshold into a world of warmth. Settle into the sauna or steam room and complete the Scandi-style circuit with a rapid dip in the plunge pool. Or maybe you’d prefer a hammam ritual, which begins with a cleansing full-body wash with Moroccan black soap, followed by an exfoliation and a massage using melted shea butter. Found a hair out of place? Towel off and stop into the hotel hairdressers before greeting the city.

It’s only fitting you should pop into the UK’s second-largest department store (after Harrods), a three-minute hop from your room. Shopaholics know the glitzy window displays – which take months to conceptualise – are just a tiny taster of what’s inside: think outlandish-yet-effortless party dresses, intoxicating fragrances from British brands and even the latest luxury pet accessories. Shopping tends to work up an appetite, but luckily for you, there’s food to be found on each of Selfridges’ six floors – including a sustainably sourced pizzeria at the very top.

Some days, you just need fresh air. Enter, Hyde Park – the largest Royal Park in London – where locals like to loll about and drink in the heady heights of summer. Explore 350 acres (142ha) of perfectly landscaped greenery shaped by kings and queens, such as Queen Caroline who transformed it into the public haven it is today and created the centrepiece Serpentine lake. Row, paddle or swim, or take a seat on the UK’s first solar-powered boat: it’s a 20-minute stroll from the Beaumont, passing by pods of park-dwellers and picnickers.

Foodies, rejoice: the hottest street-food market in Mayfair is here. Housed in a deconsecrated church, the naves, altars and even pulpits of old St Mark’s are filled with snack peddlers and stomach-summoning aromas of all sorts. Tear into tender rotisserie chicken and wash it down with a German beer or a herbaceous G&T. In the summer, you’ll love looking out over Mayfair from the roof garden. In winter, cosy up with free live music in the crypt-converted wine cellar.

If the Beaumont has you in a F Scott Fitzgerald kind of mood, pay Jay Gatsby the honour of attending his “little party” at 56 Davies Street. This immersive theatre show puts you in the pages of the classic novel, where you’ll drink strong liquor that laughs in the face of Prohibition, lose your breath to trumpet-heavy Charleston tunes and chat to the characters in a swinging setting. Snappy suits and flapper dresses welcome.

Mayfair might be known for its exclusivity, but talked-about contemporary art gallery UNIT is determined to break down those barriers. Founded by two young artists, UNIT gives emerging artists a platform to explore and express their creative identities. From dynamic Neo-Surrealism to international portraiture, what’s in the frame at UNIT never fails to surprise.

Fancy yourself a Victorian explorer? Fulfil that dream with a drink in hand at this old Jules Verne-themed townhouse-cum-cocktail bar, where the walls are scattered with novel references to Around the World in Eighty Days, including a hot-air balloon on the ceiling to remind you of Phileas Fogg’s dramatic escape from Paris. Better still, your libation honours a 19th-century great: for instance, an inspired combo of Jagermeister, oolong tea and Scotch whisky pays tribute to Prince Albert.