Since the opening of the first Hong Kong flagship more than 50 years ago, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has grown to exemplify luxury hospitality, representing 46 hotels, in operation or under development, with close to 11,000 rooms in 25 countries, across four continents today.

'Mandarin Oriental is renowned for delivering 21st century luxury with oriental charm,' says Michael Hobson, the group’s chief marketing officer. 'We have never aimed to be the biggest hotel group but rather we aim to be the best in each of our unique locations. We, therefore, continue to invest in and gain recognition for, our company’s core attributes, of design, innovative dining, holistic spas and of course legendary service, which underpins everything that we do.'

DEVELOPMENTAL STRATEGY

Earlier this year in July, the group opened the 104-room Mandarin Oriental, Milan, located close to the La Scala Opera House, with stylish interiors by Italian designer Antonio Citterio and dining overseen by award-winning Italian chef Antonio Guida.

The intimate Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech opened quite recently in Morocco, with 54 secluded villas and a further nine suites. The resort lies in 20 hectares of landscaped gardens and olive groves and has been designed to provide a unique oasis of luxury, just minutes away from the city centre. The property is close to a number of excellent golf courses and has a choice of dining options and a spacious spa.

Mandarin Oriental will open two hotels in China’s capital, Beijing over the next two years, and in May of this year, announced a joint venture to acquire the legendary Hotel Ritz Madrid in Spain, which will undergo a comprehensive renovation in 2017, designed to ensure it remains a destination of choice.

REGIONAL OPENINGS

'Looking ahead to next year, we are currently on schedule to open Mandarin Oriental, Doha which will be our first property in the Middle East. Located in Musheireb, adjacent to Souk Waqif and the city’s business centre in West Bay, the hotel will feature 160 guestrooms and suites, as well 95 serviced apartments, a comprehensive spa and a variety of fine dining options.

'Over the next few years, we will open further hotels in this region, including a property in Abu Dhabi and an urban resort here in Dubai, located on Jumeirah Beach Road,' says Hobson. The resort in Dubai will have 200 luxurious rooms and suites including 12 spacious and exclusive over-the-water villas, accessible via a private bridge. Each villa will have its own infinity edge pool and a private swim platform, allowing for direct access into the Arabian Gulf.

Mandarin Oriental, Dubai will feature nine dynamic restaurants and bars including a signature pier-top restaurant with dedicated docking facilities, allowing for access by private yacht guests.

Further dining venues will include a poolside restaurant, two lively bars including a sunset pier bar, a lobby lounge and a signature Mandarin Oriental Cake Shop. There will also be an all-inclusive Spa at Mandarin Oriental, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and an extensive fitness centre.

BEIRUT PROPERTY

'In September, we also announced a project in central Beirut, in the heart of Lebanon’s capital. This 280-room hotel together with 103 residences, is designed to provide some of the most desirable accommodation in the city.'

Scheduled to open in 2018, the overall development of the project comprises two adjacent buildings with Mandarin Oriental, Beirut in the south tower, with 280 well-appointed rooms and suites and 25 serviced apartments. The north tower will house 103 Residences at Mandarin Oriental.

Featuring local sandstone with shaded private outdoor spaces and colonnades, as well as extensive rooftop terraces, the entire project will reflect a sense of sophisticated, urban resort living.

The project is under development by the Saudi Arabian Olayan Group, with whom Mandarin Oriental recently jointly acquired The Hotel Ritz, Madrid.