Written by Menswear Style in Travel on the 25th January 2016

Opened in 1997, this 144 room hotel is located in one of London’s most prime areas overlooking Hyde Park and a hop to Mayfair. It was one of the first hotels to embrace a completely contemporary aesthetic, when Keith Hobbs of United Designers stripped back the non-essential elements. However, this year the hotel as evolved further with a complete redesign by Linzi Coppick of Forme Partnership who has introduced a fresh palette of natural hues and textures. Metropolitan by COMO, London continues to evolve with a shift from its hedonistic past towards a growing emphasis on wellbeing, smooth technology and redesigned luxury accommodation where comfort is everything.

The Room 

The cream luxury carpet is one of the first features you will notice upon entering your room. We instantly thought about taking our shoes off in fear of marking it. The design is stripped back and minimal, giving you a clear mind with no clutter and distractions. Our view over Hyde Park was peaceful and magical, especially since the entire suite had near floor to ceiling windows throughout. A luxurious King size bed appears to float on a timber base and each room comes with in-room technology, from air-conditioning to roller blinds, designed to operate intuitively at the touch of a button on a single console. There’s even a Yoga channel on the Loewe interactive TV and 2 yoga mats inside the wardrobe – true dedication to wellbeing.

Nobu Restaurant 

When you first walk into Nobu restaurant you instantly get the buzz of the room, which feels more like a bar with its low lighting and understated chairs and tables. But it’s all about the food at this well respected sushi restaurant. We were given a corner seat with a great view over the room so we could take in the atmosphere and fun of discovering and sharing intricate and tasty sushi dishes. The service was friendly and we made use of recommendations which did not disappoint.

COMO Shambhala Urban Escape 

The therapists here are very experienced, they're in a league above. This is Como Shambhala after all, it attracts the best of the best and this was certainly evident during our massage as it was one of the best we’ve ever received on our travel writing journey. They’re also “on the ball” when it comes to the recent growth in male grooming by offering male guests their new ‘The Complete Man Package’ which includes a 2 hour styling session with Daniel Johnson, one of the UK’s leading personal stylists for me. He arrives at the hotel with a pre-discussed wardrobe and will help create your desired look. Once this is done you can relax for the remainder of the afternoon with a treatment which combines a head, neck and shoulder massage, a Dr Hauschka holistic facial, hand scrub and nail tidy. You can then begin your evening with a cocktail of your choice at the iconic Met Bar.

We review the London Como Shambala urban retreat The Metropolitan Hotel located overlooking Hyde Park.