Interview with Simon Drake IN CONVERSATION WITH THE MANDRAKE HOTEL Simon Drake
Joining the boutique hotel on the eve of its second birthday, general manager, Simon Drake is spearheading the award-winning Mandrake to new, imaginative heights, firmly establishing its position as one of the most unique and enchanting spaces in London. A seamless blend of art, gastronomy, mixology and spirituality, it's no wonder The Mandrake is a favourite amongst world-famous guests. We caught up with Simon to find out the latest...
Describe The Mandrake in three words. Hedonistic, mysterious, oasis.
Tell us something surprising about The Mandrake. Winner of the AHEAD awards best outdoor space in the world!
What’s next for The Mandrake? The road to Michelin star status in our restaurant is underway with some exciting cultural immersion visits planned to South America. This is for many of our chefs to learn, inspire and develop new incredible dishes to be brought back to our restaurant to get the highest degree of authenticity.
What’s your favourite dish and cocktail offered at The Mandrake? The scallop ceviche is the perfect balance of ingredients designed to ensure the dish is like a perfect marriage of fruit and scallop. My cocktail of choice is the Passion
Flower. A perfect blend of the beautiful fruit in our hanging garden surrounding our incredible courtyard and some crisp Champagne.
Tell us about a time when The Mandrake went above and beyond to assist a guest. One occasion that stands out was for a milestone birthday of a guest. We have a dedicated spiritual wellbeing concierge service, which offers guests unique experiences to soothe their souls. On this day, we curated an experience like no other - after speaking to some of the members in her party we were able to create a day that blended spirituality with a beautiful sound healing and then served a specially built menu for the party.
Are you noticing any trends in what your clients are asking for at the moment? We find our guests are more and more adventurous in their tastes. The
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Mandrake was designed for those that do not wish to be inhibited by culture or stereotypes and this goes hand in hand with food and beverage choices. The team encourage you to try things
that you would never normally choose and subsequently we are seeing a significant uptake in requests for specific house cocktails compared to the standard mixed beverages that you can find at any bar in the city. Our practice of ethnobotany demonstrates our desire to develop a guest's wellbeing from the inside out by the use of plant life and vegetation as part of our ingredients as per their specific medicinal benefits.
The Mandrake was designed for those that do not wish to be inhibited by culture or stereotypes
"
What are currently your most popular source markets for business and leisure travel? Our predominant market is by far and away luxury leisure with a significant increase in rate and occupancy year on year at present. More and more guests are joining us to experience something truly unique.
What are your predictions for social media use and technology within luxury travel? As a business we encourage a policy of digital detox. Many of our travellers will continue to use social media and the major review and sales websites to plan their hotel stays. But, we encourage you to arrive and detox from the continual desire to be connected and flooded with the pressures of day-to-day life by
switching off and enjoying the unique oasis that we have created. A wellbeing treatment such as a crystal
healing session will permit your body to genuinely relax and recharge ensuring, you leave us with the best feeling of genuine rest and fulfilment.
How do you think luxury travel is changing? The future of luxury travel in my opinion is an ongoing desire for the client to try something different and to seek out new experiences that many will never have had before. That is why it is vital that The
Mandrake remains a truly unique oasis in a city as full of luxury hotels as London is.
Finally, on a personal level, what does luxury mean to you? Having my expectations surpassed at unexpected moments, starting from before I even arrive at the hotel to after I have departed with personal touches.
Facing page and above: The award-winning Jurema at The Mandrake Hotel; Simon Drake; the penthouse bathroom Pictures: The Mandrake Hotel, Sarah Lucy Brown
Connections Founding Member: The Mandrake Hotel, Fitzrovia, London (
themandrake.com)
December 2019 39
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