Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong To Celebrate 50 Fantastic Years

Hong Kong, 2012-11-03 — /travelprnews.com/ — Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong will be celebrating ‘50 Fantastic Years’ throughout 2013, with a host of special promotions to honour this milestone achievement. The year-long offerings will commemorate the iconic hotel’s past 50 years as well as the next 50 years, here in the heart and hearts of Hong Kong.

The celebrations will start over the Chinese New Year and will take place throughout 2013 with a series of special promotions, including:

Golden Celebration Stay package, where guests staying between 1 February and 31 December 2013 can enjoy luxurious accommodation, a bottle of sparking white wine, USD50 spa credit and a special 50th anniversary gift. Rates start from HKD4,399 per night, plus a 10% service fee, for a minimum of two nights (subject to availability).

Home to 10 individually unique restaurants and bars, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is the only hotel in the world to boast three Michelin-starred restaurants, offering guests and visitors a wide range of must-try promotions within each of its outlets.  These include:

Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong Executive Chef Uwe Opocensky’s adaptation of 1960s dishes with a 21st century twist at the exclusive Krug Room. Guests can expect the unexpected with amazing and sense-stimulating creations such as “Fruit Loops 2013,” Julia Childs-inspired beef Bourguignon, “Baked Alaska” and “Ich bin ein Berliner.” Legendary Chef Pierre Gagnaire will also be adding his artistic twist to a series of 1963 dishes during one of his three visits to the two-Michelin-starred Pierre restaurant.

In March, the hotel will welcome the first of their celebrity guest chefs to the Michelin-starred Mandarin Grill + Bar. Chef Daniel Humm, one of America’s most talked about and acclaimed chefs from the three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park in New York, will be cooking his award-winning dishes from 13-17 March. During this rare visit, Chef Humm will bring with him a team of five, including Co-owner and Manager Will Guidare, to re-create some of his famous signature dishes for lunch and dinner.

The Clipper Lounge will become home to an exhibition of classic photographs of the hotel, allowing guests to look back and recall the 1960s and 70s. And, our creative pastry team will even incorporate these photographs into the afternoon tea cakes.

The Chinnery, tucked away on the first floor of the hotel, originally opened as a private gentlemen’s club in 1963, and did not allow women to enter until the 1990s. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, The Chinnery will be offering guests a special port flight throughout March and as part of the promotion an exclusive port dinner will be arranged where outstanding British dishes will be paired with the finest ports, including one from 1963.

The Mandarin Cake Shop’s Executive Pastry Chef Yves Matthey will create an amazing array of Golden Easter treats that will undoubtedly make sweet-lovers take a second look at the glittering delights before discovering that they are actually edible cakes.

Other events in store at the hotel throughout 2013 include appearances by two additional celebrity chefs, the unveiling of a series of 50 new embossed silver tankards and martini glasses, a chance for guests to experience a Michelin-starred “Food Safari” and savour dishes by three Michelin-starred chefs at one sitting and even a Fantastic 50 accommodation package in which guests will be collected from the airport in a 1963 Rolls Royce.

Renowned for providing a truly holistic approach to wellness, The Mandarin Spa will welcome spiritual teacher and world-renowned astrologer Gahl Sasson from 25 February to 4 March, during which he will be available to predict the upcoming year ahead.

BACKGROUND
In 1958, The Honourable Hugh Barton, Chairman of the Hong Kong Land Company, had a dream that Hong Kong’s Central district needed a world-class hotel. His dream became a reality on 1 September 1963, when the iconic Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong (formerly The Mandarin) launched with a soft opening. When the hotel officially opened on 25 October 1963, the 650-room, 27-storey hotel was the tallest building on Hong Kong Island and instantly became a historic landmark – a status it still holds today.

Upon its opening, the South China Morning Post went mad over the space-age elevators that seemingly catapulted guests to the top floor in just 21 seconds. Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong was the first hotel to have direct-dial phones and was also the first in Asia to have a bathtub in every room – leading the architect of the hotel to ask, “Are the guests amphibious?”

Following a USD150 million renovation in 2006 (more than double that which was spent on building and furnishing the original hotel), this landmark hotel was completely transformed to offer guests 21st century oriental luxury and modern technology, whilst retaining the much-loved character and soul of the hotel. This new 501-room hotel was the first hotel to have Technology Butlers available 24-hours a day and the first in Hong Kong to employ someone to oversee social media. Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is also the only hotel in the world to offer guests three Michelin-starred restaurants. The hotel has enjoyed continued success throughout the last 50 years and has been repeatedly voted the world’s best hotel since 1963.

One of the things this hotel is most famed and loved for is its staff. A staggering 15 members of the current staff have been at the hotel for over 30 years and an additional 368 staff members have worked at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong for over five years. Each of these colleagues works closely with new, younger members of the team, to ensure that they learn from the past experiences of the senior staff, whilst continuing to embrace the future.

This special hotel, which is the flagship of the Group, is situated in the heart of Hong Kong and holds a special place in the hearts of the local community. It is home to a legendary staff, 10 outstanding restaurants and bars, award-winning spa, barber, salon, 13 meeting rooms and a 24-hour business centre and fitness centre. With round-the-clock services, the hotel has a pulse at all times and functions smoothly like a Swiss watch, which is a bit coincidental, as General Manager Jonas Schuermann of Switzerland is at the forefront of the operation.

ABOUT MANDARIN ORIENTAL, HONG KONG
The iconic Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is the epitome of contemporary luxury combined with Oriental heritage.  Having delighted guests with award-winning service and impressive facilities for nearly 50 years, it is the much-loved address for those seeking an exclusive sanctuary in the heart of this exciting city.  The spacious rooms and suites offer magnificent views of the famous Victoria Harbour and city skyline.  A collection of ten outstanding restaurants and bars, including three with Michelin stars, and a Shanghainese-inspired holistic spa, indoor pool and 24-hour fitness centre make Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong the recognised home away from home for discerning leisure and business travellers alike.

ABOUT MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL GROUP
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world’s most prestigious hotels and resorts. The Group now operates, or has under development, 45 hotels representing almost 11,000 rooms in 28 countries, with 19 hotels in Asia, 13 in The Americas and 13 in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. In addition, the Group operates, or has under development, 14 Residences at Mandarin Oriental connected to its properties.

Visit Destination MO the online version of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s bespoke publication, MO. News about our award-winning hotels, the best dining experiences, spa treatments, travel retreats and interviews with the Group’s celebrity fans is now just a click away.

HOTEL CONTACT

Nina Colls
Director of Communications

+852 2825 4060
ncolls@mohg.com