The Mayfair, London
Charles
Oak
by Thomas Mizer
Charles Oak has the hospitality industry
in his blood. Raised in one of his mother’s Liverpool
fish and chip shops, he vividly recalls the buzz he got
chatting with customers and being able to give them what
they wanted before they asked for it. “I did feel
real glamour in that job when I eventually got my own
white coat and I was serving people on the counter and
dipping cod into batter,” he remembers with a bawdy
laugh. “I felt my life had peaked.”
Actually, it was only the beginning
of a career that would soon include a meteoric rise
through the world of luxury hotels. Quickly moving up
the ranks in management training programs, he became
the youngest ever deputy manager of a five-star hotel
at the age of 23. Following tenures with the Savoy and
Radisson Edwardian Hotel groups, he headed to Scotland
as general manager of Ackergill Tower and, most famously,
Skibo Castle. In the Highlands, he gracefully handled
everything from a request to arrange a midnight game
of strip croquet, to a certain “material”
girl’s paparazzi-stalked wedding.
All of these experiences prepared him
for his latest position as general manager of London’s
celebrated Mayfair Hotel (Stratton St. Tel: 011-44-20-7629-7777.
http://www.radissonedwardian.com/mayfair).
A showplace for royalty, both British and Hollywood,
the Mayfair has been a fixture of London’s fashionable
society since opening in 1927. Now, following a massive
renovation—ten opulent signature suites, a state-of-the-art
screening room, Fendi-furnished lobby, an Asian-inspired
spa—the hotel is attracting a new coterie of discerning
visitors eager to enjoy its relaxed, contemporary take
on high-style accommodation. At the center of this revitalization,
Charles is still happily anticipating his guests’
every need.
First things first. Madonna: Blushing
Bride or Bridezilla?
[She was] absolutely charming. From the outside
looking in, the wedding looked like it was huge in scale,
numbers, and complexity, but it wasn’t. It was
like a lovely house party with a very nice family, and
in the middle of the house party there just happened
to be a wedding.
After working at so many amazing properties,
what drew you to The Mayfair?
I think it’s such an iconic place. It’s a
landmark in London. It hadn’t really been kept
up in the way it should have been, so the huge challenge
for me was to come here with the amazing resources and
support of Edwardian Hotels and our chairman and a budget
of $150 million dollars, and be able to bring this amazing
property, in the most fantastic location, back to its
former glory and [turn it] into the country’s leading
hotel. I’m very proud of the renovation because
it is beautiful, but I’m most proud of the team
of people that we have who are completely engaged and
totally motivated about making all of our guests feel
special.
You mentioned the location; what
makes the neighborhood of Mayfair so special?
Mayfair is the most upscale, most sophisticated
part of London. It has also, in the last five years,
become the real heart of the business community; all
of the private banks are now in this part of London,
near Berkeley Square. The modern and contemporary art
world has based itself in Mayfair as well. [Of the galleries],
my personal favorite is the White Cube (25-26 Mason’s
Yard. Tel: 011-44-20-7930-5373. http://www.whitecube.com),
which is just over a five-minute walk from The Mayfair.
It is an old electricity sub-station and commands the
greatest respect from all international artists. (Experience
first-hand the provocative work of Turner Prize nominees,
the Chapman brothers, Jake and Dinos, at the White Cube
through July 12.)
 There’s
an amazing vibe here now. From seeming very formal,
very stuffy, it’s become very trendy, very hip,
very urban. Many trendy people, including Stella McCartney
and Alexander McQueen, have moved into the area. There
are also some great restaurants nearby, including Nobu
Berkeley St (15 Berkeley St. Tel: 011-44-20-7209-9222.
http://www.noburestaurants.com);
Hakkasan (8 Hanway Place. Tel: 011-44-20-7927-7000);
and Morton’s (28 Berkeley Sq. Tel: 011-44-20-7499-0363.
http://www.mortonsclub.com).
Meanwhile, the world’s best shopping is literally
a two-minute walk from our front door. Here you find
Chanel (173 New Bond St. Tel: 011-44-20-7499-0005. http://www.chanel.com);
Louis Vuitton (17-18 New Bond St. Tel: 011-44-20-7399-4050.
http://www.louisvuitton.com);
and Asprey (167 New Bond St. Tel: 011-44-20-7493-6767.
http://www.asprey.com).
Where do you recommend going to experience
London’s amazing theater scene?
From Mayfair, you can walk to almost every single
theater in the West End within five or ten minutes.
(This summer, claim bragging rights as one of the first—and
possibly only—people to have seen three much-debated
premieres on the West End, London’s “Broadway”:
Marguerite, a World War II romance from the Les Miserables
team, Never Forget, a coming-of-age tuner using the
songs of Brit boy band Take That, and Gone with the
Wind, an epic musical adaptation of the classic novel
and film.) I think the South Bank is also certainly
worth a visit. Along there we have the National Theatre
(South Bank between Blackfriars and Waterloo Bridges.
Tel: 011-44-20-7452-3000. http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk),
and we have the South Bank Centre (South Bank between
Golden Jubilee and Waterloo Bridges. Tel: 011-44-87-1663-2500.
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk).
(In July, the National Theater, known for its acclaimed
productions of new and classic plays, presents the world
premiere of Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s lesbian-themed
drama Her Naked Skin. The vibrant and eclectic South
Bank Centre has a summer season tailor-made for friends
of Dorothy: a visit from the English National Ballet
and a new The Wizard of Oz. For an insider’s view
of the entire London theater scene, check out http://www.whatsonstage.com
and its indispensable “review round-up.” For
discount ticket offers visit http://www.broadwaybox.com/london).
Continued
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