Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong

Hong Kong

The high rise silhouette of Hong Kong, a tiny patch of land, in which seven million inhabitants are packed in between skyscrapers and old fading apartment buildings, looks out onto the sea. Located on the east bank of the River of Pearls, on the southern coast of China, it is bathed by the South China Sea.

Once a practically deserted rock, its legendary name signifies ‘Port of Perfumes.” Hong Kong is a microscopic part of the former British Empire in Asia. Returned to China in 1997, it has maintained its reputation as a city for businessmen and inveterate shoppers. The streets continue to display both their English and Cantonese names, and the territory has preserved its relative autonomy.

As a world center for finance and commerce, it is also the wealthiest city in China. Behind the cliché of a thriving capitalist city with thousands of neon signs lighting up the streets at night, it remains a Chinese city whose population, for the most part, comes from Canton and Shanghai.

From the island of Hong Kong to Kowloon, the territory facing it, as well as the New Territories, it is a multi-faceted site with luxurious skyscrapers, brightly lit avenues but also temples and fishing villages thus creating the complexity of this very special territory. As a symbol of Asian growth and success, Hong Kong is spectacular, exotic but far from inaccessible.

A Hong Kong legend

The Mandarin Oriental, overlooking Port Victoria, is a veritable Hong Kong symbol. This first ultra luxurious hotel on the island is a leading member of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Since it opened in 1963, it has welcomed a great many of the world’s celebrities. Totally renovated in 2006, this legendary hotel is once again as luxurious as the day it opened.

Chic black halls lead to the hotel’s 501 rooms and suites. True to the characteristic refinement of its oriental culture, the rooms are among the most luxurious in the city. The cognac colored silk fabrics, elm wood panelling from China, honey colored leather armchairs, sumptuous carpeting and magnificent cupboards inspired by steamer trunks all reflect thecontemporary Asian style, perfectly combined with the latest technology. In the elegant Chinese travertine (gray rock) and marble bathrooms, the huge shower is Italian and the beauty products bear the prestigious Hermès name.

All the suites and rooms provide the services of a floor butler. ThePresidential Suite, the Mandarin, possesses precious and luxurious antique furniture, an exceptional view ofPort Victoria and the skyscrapers of Hong Kong, and a spa for two, a veritable private sanctuarydedicated to wellness.

Another exceptional advantage of the Mandarin is its impeccable fitness room with the latest exercise machines and a spa specializing in very highly reputed traditional Chinese treatments.

For dining, the Mandarin proposes 10 restaurants and bars including the one headed by the international starred chef, Pierre Gagnaire, who offers guests the perfect blend of Parisian passion and Hong Kong refinement. It’s the ideal and dreamlike place to enjoy exceptional French cuisine which changes according to the season. Its black tones and modern aspect is in total contrast with the Man Won, the highly traditional Cantonese restaurant next door, where pink tones and dark wood are dominant. Located on the 25^th floor, they both benefit from a unique atmosphere and a panoramic view of Port Victoria and the city of Hong Kong.

Another of the hotel’s musts is the Krug room, under the leadership of Chef Uwe Opocensky, which proposes creative cuisine served with the most prestigious world champagnes. If however, you prefer something more practical and informal, the Café Causette is the place to go for Asian specialties including “Nasi Goreng”, “Hainan chicken with rice” or moreclassic dishes like the “Mandarin burger”.

The Mandarin Oriental is also home to the M Bar, the refined epi-center of Hong Kong night life, the very British Chinnery and the Captain’s Bar, a Hong Kong institution, where one can come for a quick drink or to spend the evening.

The cost of the hotel’s renovation in 2006 was 150 million dollars.