Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

History

Although 1876 was the ‘official’ opening year of the Oriental Hotel, the origin of the ‘Oriental’ side of the Mandarin Oriental can be traced back as early as 1863, when two Americans, Captain Atkins Dyer and William West, opened the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Siam (now Thailand): however, the original building burnt down only two years later, on 11 June 1865.

However, the history of the ‘Mandarin’ side of the group is comparatively recent: the The Mandarin hotel only opened in 1963, in the Central District of Hong Kong Island. In 1973, The Excelsior Hotel, which continues to use a separate brand today, opened in Causeway Bay.

In 1974, Mandarin International Hotels Limited was formed as a hotel management company, with the intention was to expand into Asia. That year, the company acquired a 49% interest in the Oriental Hotel, resulting in two "flagship" hotels for the company.

In 1985, the Company combined the two hotels under a common name, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. In 1987, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group was floated on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong under the name of "Mandarin Oriental International Limited." Mandarin Oriental International Limited, is incorporated in Bermuda, and listed in London, Singapore and Bermuda. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Limited, which operates from Victoria City, manages the activities of the Group’s hotels.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group operates, or has under development, 41 hotels representing over 10,000 rooms in 27 countries, with 18 hotels in Asia, 12 in The Americas and 12 in Europe and North Africa. In addition, the Group operates, or has under development, 13 Residences at Mandarin Oriental, connected to the Group’s properties.

Starting in September 2005, Mandarin Oriental showed the "Moments of Delight at Mandarin Oriental" at all hotels. In 2007 this video was slightly updated to add new scenes and in 2014 it featured lyrics by Chinese singer, Sa Ding Ding.

Current properties

As of 2015, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group operates hotels in China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, United States and Morocco .

Atlanta

Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta is a five-star hotel in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. The hotel's 127 rooms and suites are housed in a 42-story skyscraper designed by American architect Robert A. M. Stern. Occupying floors 25 to 42 are The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta, homes managed by Mandarin Oriental.

Bangkok

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, is a five-star hotel in Bangkok, Thailand,on the banks of the small river. Today, the hotel is one of two flagship properties of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

Barcelona

Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona is a hotel in Barcelona, Spain, is located on Passeig de Grácia, regarded by some calculations as the most "expensive" street in Spain. Previously the location of the Barcelona head office of the Banco Hispanico Americano, the avant-garde hotel has 98 guestrooms and suites, a 1,000 m² (11,000 sq ft) spa and fitness center with an indoor lap pool, a restaurant, a rooftop terrace with a dipping pool, and private function rooms.

Bodrum

Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum is located on a 60 hectare waterfront site on the northern side of the Turkish peninsula. Built on a series of levels in the hillside, the resort has 109 guestrooms and suites, all with sun-decks, terraces or balconies, and some with private gardens and pools. The resort also has 10 restaurants and bars, and a 2,700 square meter Spa.

Boston

Mandarin Oriental, Boston, located on Boylston Street in the Back Bay neighborhood, opened in October 2008. A Forbes five-star and AAA five-diamond hotel, it has 136 guestrooms and 12 suites, and a Forbes Four Star Restaurant. and the M Bar & Lounge. In addition to the guestrooms and suites, the hotel operates 50 condominiums and 35 apartments, each with access to hotel amenities such as housekeeping, in-room dining, a concierge, and a 16,000 sq ft (1,500 m²), Forbes Five-Star Spa & Fitness Center.

In January 2016, it was reported that the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group International Ltd planned to purchase the hotel and 85-unit luxury condominium building from CWB Hotel LP for $140 million. The cost of this deal would be $945,945 per-room, making this the most expensive per-room sale of a hotel ever recorded in the city of Boston.

Guangzhou

Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou, designed by interior designer Tony Chi, opened in January 2013. Located adjacent to TaiKoo Hui, the Mandarin Oriental hotel has 263 guest rooms and suites, four restaurants and bars, a specialty cake shop and an expansive spa.

Hong Kong (Central, Victoria)

The hotel opened its doors in 1963 as "The Mandarin".

Hong Kong (The Landmark, Victoria)

Located in The Landmark office and shopping development in Hong Kong, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental is a Forbes Five-Star hotel with 113 of the largest guestrooms and suites in Hong Kong with an average size of 540 sq ft (50 m²). In addition to the rooms, the hotel operates the 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m²), Forbes Five-Star Oriental Spa, the MObar and the Michelin two-starred Amber restaurant.

Jakarta

The Mandarin Oriental in Jakarta is a five-star luxury hotel located at Thamrin Road near the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout. Construction of the hotel started in 1976 and was opened on 9 September 1978 as The Mandarin. The hotel was the last of the major hotels to be built during the 1970s hotel boom period in Jakarta. The hotel maintained its status as a five-star hotel throughout its history.

The Mandarin Oriental Jakarta contains 272 rooms. The hotel was renovated in 2008-2009.

Kuala Lumpur

The Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia opened in 1998 and has 632 rooms, 41 suites and 51 apartements. It is located directly next to the Petronas Towers, offers 6 restaurants and 2 bars, a fitness center, a spa and an infinity edge outdoor pool with views over the near located city center park. It has been rated as the best hotel in Kuala Lumpur several times and as one of the 100 best hotels in Malaysia. The Five-Star hotel is nationwide famous for its personal service, the different culinary offers by international chefs and the room views over the illuminated Petronas towers by night.

Las Vegas

Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, a Forbes triple Five-Star hotel, opened December 5, 2009. Located on the Las Vegas Strip, at the entrance to CityCenter, the 47-story, non-gaming hotel has 392 guestrooms and suites, a 27,000 sq ft (2,500 m²) spa and fitness center, and 12,000 sq ft (1,100 m²) of function space. Also located on property are the signature restaurant, Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, MOzen Bistro, the Tea Lounge, the Mandarin Bar, and Poolside Café adjacent to the outdoor pool.

London (Hyde Park)

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London is located on Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, opposite Harvey Nichols department store. Originally opened as The Hyde Park Hotel in 1902, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group purchased the property in 1996 and re-opened it as the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, in 2000. Today, the hotel contains 198 rooms and suites, and operates a spa and the two Michelin-Starred Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.

Macau

Mandarin Oriental, Macau is a Forbes Five-Star hotel located in the One Central development. The hotel has 213 rooms and suites, a restaurant, lounge, retail cake shop and a Forbes Five-Star spa.

Madrid (Ritz Hotel)

Mandarin Oriental purchased this hotel in May 2015 for $148 million, and intends to renovate it at a cost of a further $103 million. Currently, the Madrid Ritz operates under a separate brand, although it is part of the Mandarin Oriental website.

Miami

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s property in Miami, Florida, is located on Brickell Key, a 44 acres (18 ha) island in Biscayne Bay, and operates 326 guestrooms and suites with views of the Atlantic Ocean, Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline. The hotel also has the Azul and LaMar restaurants, a MoBar + Lounge, private beach and the only Forbes Five-Star spa in the state of Florida.

New York City

Mandarin Oriental, New York, is a Forbes Five-Star located in the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle in Manhattan. Set more than 280 feet (85 m) above ground in the north tower, the hotel's 202 guestrooms and 46 suites all have views of Central Park, the Hudson River and New York City's Upper West Side. The hotel operates Asiate restaurant, the Lobby Lounge, MObar and one of only two Forbes Five-Star spas in New York.

Paris

Mandarin Oriental, Paris, is a luxury hotel in Paris, France. The 138-room hotel opened in June 2011 in a restored Art Deco government ministry building. The hotel has two restaurants and bars – including two establishments by Michelin star-winning chef Thierry Marx – as well as The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Paris.

Sanya

The group's first property in Mainland China, Mandarin Oriental, Sanya is located in Hainan, China's southernmost island province. Opened in January 2009, the 12 hectares resort operates 297 guestrooms, suites and villas. The hotel has five restaurants, four bars, three landscaped outdoor swimming pools and a 3,200 square metres (34,000 sq ft) Spa Village.

Singapore

Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, is one of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s largest hotels, with 527 guestrooms and suites. The property is located in Marina Centre. The hotel has five restaurants, two bars, a spa, fitness center, grand ballroom and thirteen individual meeting rooms. The hotel opened in 1987; it underwent a renovation completed in 2005.

Taipei

Mandarin Oriental, Taipei, opened in May 2014 and is located in the heart of the city on Dunhua North Road, Taipei’s main boulevard.

Tokyo

Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, in Japan is located between the 30th and 36th floors of the 38-story Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, has 178 guestrooms and suites overlooking the Tokyo Imperial Palace garden to the West and Tokyo Bay to the Southeast. The hotel operates eight restaurants, a bar, lobby, tea corner and retail cake shop. Among the restaurants is the Michelin-starred Sense, serving modern variations of Cantonese cuisine.

Washington, D.C.

The Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C., is located in the Southwest quadrant of the city. Many of the 347 guestrooms and 53 suites feature views. Eric Ziebold's CityZen, the hotel's main restaurant, was one of the city's fine dining options. The more informal Café MoZU was replaced by Sou'Wester in 2009. Sou'Wester was in turn replaced by Muze in 2013.

Indian Himalayas

Opened as a full-service destination spa, Ananda - In the Himalayas was located in Narendra Nagar, Uttarakhand, set in the Indian Himalayas. It was operated briefly by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group from 2000 to 2001. Developed first by Rafael Hotels Limited in partnership with IHHR Hospitality Pvt. Ltd, the resort launch was completed by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (MOHG) when MOHG acquired Rafael Hotels Limited in 2000.

Koh Samui

The hotel is formerly known as Mandarin Oriental Baan Taling Ngam located in Koh Samui, Thailand. The hotel was later reflagged under the Le Meridien hotel group and is now operated under the Intercontinental Hotels Group brand.

Macau

Manila

Formerly The Mandarin Manila, the hotel opened in 1976 in Makati City, and was renamed Mandarin Oriental Manila in the 1980s. The hotel had more than 450 rooms. The hotel closed in September 2014, with a replacement scheduled to open in 2020 at a different location in the Makati area.

San Francisco

Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco, occupied the top 11 floors of the 48-story 345 California Center office in the financial district of San Francisco, California. The twin towers of the 151-room hotel are situated at 45-degree angles relative to the rest of the building, with two glassy skybridges that offer views of the San Francisco Bay Area. In February 2015, the hotel was sold to the Loews Hotel Company.

Surabaya

Formerly the Majapahit Hotel, this Indonesian historic hotel was thoroughly renovated into a five-star hotel and operated by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group from 1998 for about eight years as Hotel Majapahit, Surabaya.

Dhara Dhevi

The hotel is formerly known as Mandarin Dhara Dhevi located in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Proposed properties

As of 2015, hotels are under development in Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Beirut, Boca Raton, Doha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Costa Rica, Denpasar/Bali, Dellis Cay, Dubai, Grand Cayman, Honolulu, Istanbul, Maldives, Manila, Marbella, Moscow and Shenzhen.

Leslie Cheung suicide (2003)

On 1 April 2003, singer, actor and film producer Leslie Cheung leapt to his death from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental in Central, Hong Kong. Every year on the anniversary of his death, a fan-organised memorial event takes place outside the hotel.

Beijing fire (2009)

On 9 February 2009, the Beijing Television Cultural Center, which was to incorporate a Mandarin Oriental hotel, caught fire due to unauthorized fireworks celebrating the Chinese New Year. The structure was severely damaged but did not collapse and is now under repair. One fireman died from the incident.

Credit card breach (2015)

In March 2015, a number of Mandarin Oriental hotels were affected by a point-of-sale systems security breach.