The iconic Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong has stood the test of time and continues to be a landmark destination for luxury and culture in “Asia’s world city”.
As the oldest hotel on the island, the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong is a sure-fire way to get a taste of the city’s old heritage charm and new cultural offerings.
Located in Central, the property provides immediate access to some of the top art galleries, luxury shopping at the adjacent Landmark and a selection of the finest food (or street snacks!). Everything is on your doorstep.
Since opening in 1963, the Mandarin Oriental has been a prominent fixture on Hong Kong’s iconic skyline. It may be hard to believe now, but at 26 floors it was once one of the tallest buildings in the city. The hotel occupies a prime location on Queen’s Road – one of the city’s historic streets, built by the British Army in 1843 – and a stroll down this thoroughfare brings the visitor to H Queens, bustling with galleries including the likes of David Zwirner, Pace and Tang Contemporary and the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator system, as seen in the legendary Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express (1994), which will take you up to Tai Kwun, a renovated mid-19th century police station and prison now turned shopping and art hub.
History and culture are also infused within the fabric of the property beyond the façade, with spaces such as the Chinnery, a club-like retreat named after the painter George Chinnery, who lived in Hong Kong and Macau, and the Captain’s Bar, known to be one of the oldest bars in the city, with interior design attributed to Donald M Ashton, an Academy Award-nominated, BAFTA-winning art director known for his work on films including The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Billy Budd (1962) and Oh! What a Lovely War (1969).
The 387 rooms and 60 suites of the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong are imbued with glamour and character, offering unparalleled views of all angles of the city and creating harmony between the old and new. The Lichfield Suite is also dedicated to the memory of celebrated photographer, Patrick Lichfield, who was a hotel regular, while the 22nd floor Mandarin Suite hosts Celadon burial vases from the Sung Dynasty (960–1279) and a Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) embroidered robe hanging in the living area.
Throughout the hotel, more works of art can be enjoyed. The lobby features a 17th-century Ming gilt-bronze figure on horseback and a mural, created in 1963 by local artist Gerard Henderson and restored to its full glory with decorative gold leaf and oils in 1992. Henderson was also commissioned for several other murals across the property, including the Peking Chariots mural featured across the walls of the Mandarin Grill + Bar, a local favourite which has retained its Michelin star for the sixteenth consecutive year.
Culinary cultural offerings at the Mandarin Oriental are abundant with Michelin-starred Man Wah sharing Cantonese cuisine while overlooking the Victoria Harbour from the 25th floor. From here, guests can indulge in opulent dim sum, delicacies and local classics while watching the more-than-a-century-old Star Ferry chug back and forth over the water. Guests can also wind down in their home away from home at the Aubrey, named in the top ten of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, the perfect place to soak in the city lights as the sun sets over Hong Kong.
