Luxury hotel group Mandarin Oriental has reached a significant milestone with the opening of its 40th hotel. The group’s expansion continued apace last month with the launch of two highly anticipated properties in Oman and London.
Mandarin Oriental, Muscat, marks the brand’s debut in the Sultanate, while the new Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London hotel joins the brand’s established London flagship in Hyde Park. Both properties exemplify the group’s commitment to exceptional service and design, blending traditional Asian elegance with contemporary flair.
“I’ve been to our Muscat property – it’s phenomenal. They’re going to love it.” Geoffrey Webb – Vice President of Global Sales at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, tells TTN Middle East in an interview: “The Mayfair hotel is a wonderful complement to our Hyde Park hotel in Knightsbridge. It’s at the intersection of arts, fashion and culture, and offers a completely unique environment in the heart of Mayfair. It’s also the first new build hotel to open in the Mayfair area in over a decade. We’re very excited.”
The two openings coincide with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s 50th anniversary, a golden era for the company. The merger of the iconic Mandarin in Hong Kong and The Oriental in Bangkok in 1963 laid the foundation for the brand’s global success. Today, Mandarin Oriental remains synonymous with luxury hospitality, setting the benchmark for service excellence.
Looking ahead, Mandarin Oriental is entering a new phase of accelerated growth that will significantly strengthen its global offering. There will be one more opening later this year in Beijing, followed by 26 announced new hotels and 14 residences which will open over the next five years, with more in the pipeline.
Webb talks about the upcoming Downtown Dubai (Wasl Tower) project opening early next year, and properties under development in Vienna, the Maldives, and a third property in London. There are big plans for Saudi Arabia, but none can be disclosed when we speak. The properties that are operational are exceeding expectations.
“It’s been heartening to see the uplift in occupancies and rates at Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh and Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi. Owners are interested in what we’ve done. They’re fascinated by the turnaround we’ve achieved at Emirates Palace and now in Riyadh. So, we’re being approached more frequently. We’re just talking to the right people for the right projects.
“Our hotels elsewhere in the region are outperforming, many of them leading their competitive set.”
As the Vice President of Global Sales, Webb is proud of his colleague Nadia Beaulieu (ex-Jumeirah) who has been appointed to lead Mandarin Oriental’s sales efforts in the MENAT region.
A lot of companies are vocal about wanting to get as much business direct as possible, says Webb, but he thoroughly believes in the power of the trade. “We are absolutely channel agnostic,” he adds. “We want to grow our business. We don’t differentiate.
“We want to grow our trade business and so we’ve increased the size of our trade team this year as well as the number of the trade shows we’re attending. We’ve increased our cooperative marketing spend and support with many of our trade partners.
“Trade is here to stay,” concludes Webb.