We stayed at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong after staying at the Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel during our vacation in December 2018. The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong is the group’s first flagship property, so we were excited to experience it. The hotel did not have a big entrance as it was located along a busy street and there was only a small slip road for vehicles to come through rather than a proper dropoff.
We were provided with a welcome drink (lemongrass) upon check-in. The check-in experience felt hurried as the counter staff was quite impatient. He escorted us to our room but was not willing to help us connect to the wifi or explain much about the Fans of MO program. You can get complimentary wifi by joining the Fans of MO program.
Our room was spacious at about 40sqm. In Hong Kong, a 40sqm room is a real luxury. The decor was very well matched, it felt a little heavy initially but it grew on us over time. Quality amenities from Bottega Venetta were provided. Everything else (almost) was branded with Mandarin Oriental, even the shaving gel. One conspicuous exception of the compulsive branding was the mineral water bottles. Be careful on this one; the bottle cap and ring were sharp.
The bathroom was spacious, luxurious and lovely, I loved the thick round frame on the mirror. The overhead shower was very interesting, it had two shower heads for double action.
The housekeeping was faultless and the general service was friendly, although you can’t compare with the service in Taipei. The reception explained the Fans of MO and American Express FHR benefits and eligibility over the phone. Strangely enough, the concierge did not know much about rickshaw sightseeing bus when I enquired. Maybe their guests are too Atas and do not take buses. We had a surprise birthday cake and card. No exec lounge.
We were blown away with the breakfast spread and quality. We dined at the Clipper Lounge. The food was a tad salty (probably Hong Kong style) but nice. I am a choosy eater and so if the spread overwhelmed me, it was really overwhelming.The back bacon was fabulous. The breakfast area was spacious and had a relaxed feel. Although the hotel does not have an Executive Lounge, the Clipper Lounge beat the Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View’s Executive Lounge experience hands down.
We did not get to use the facilities but you will not be disappointed. There was an indoor heated pool of about 10m. The gym was nice and long with numerous treadmills and cycle stations. The gym had a very inviting aura with its Chinese decorated entrance. If you are not a gym fanatic, you will still want to head to the changing room. I went to the male changing room and it was gorgeous. The spa was located at the same level as the gym but the prices were lofty.
The hotel’s location is convenient within Central. Location is good at Central. There was no lack of shopping options within the hotel or at the neighbouring connected Prince’s Building and so on. If you enjoy high-end shopping, you will enjoy the convenient and also the proximity to the Lan Kwai Fung area.
We highly recommend the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. We hope to save up enough to come back again.