The Mandarin Oriental Singapore: Oriental Luxury
8:01 AM
Location: Marina Bay, Singapore
I’ve been hearing raves
about the Mandarin Oriental (MO) brand for quite sometime and when the
opportunity came to finally try it, who am I to not grab it?
The occasion came when we
decided to escape to Singapore for her birthday. Plans were made here and there
and since the love for classic hotels runs in our veins, I just had to propose
that we stay at the MO Singapore.
I can’t deny it: I was
excited. We were excited. After all, it was our first taste of the MO brand and
surely, the property made quite an impression; It was not just a mere hotel, it
was a place where you go home to.
Location
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| Photo by Mandarin Oriental Singapore |
MO Singapore stands as if
resembling the iconic Mandarin Oriental fan at the heart of the Marina Bay
district; about 20-25 minutes from Changi International Airport. Being in this
area means one thing, it’s in the middle of (almost) everything! From the famed
Merlion to the Singapore Flyer, everything is in walking distance! Not to mention
360-degree views from your room!
Check-in
Since we had to reschedule
our flight to a much later time because of a prior engagement, we arrived at
the Mandarin Oriental in the evening instead of arriving in the morning. When I
stepped into their amazing lobby, the distinct smell of Mandarin Oranges
started to come into my senses and it was the most calming smell ever;
definitely the perfect welcome scent for someone who just travelled thousands
of miles.
I also noticed the
impressive John Portman-designed atrium that really screamed: minimalism is
luxury!
The check-in process was
pretty fast, taking just a few minutes, and we were personally led to our room,
which was a really personal touch.
Room
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| Photo by Mandarin Oriental Singapore |
We were booked at the
Mandarin Grand, which really resembled a Junior Suite and I was quite impressed
by the layout of the 56 square meter room. With a small foyer that leads to the
closet and the huge mirrored sliding doors of the bathroom on the right side
while the bed and the small living room are on the left side.
One thing I love about the
room is the huge bathroom. It has a separate shower room and toilet that I
really love and the black Italian marble made my every bath very luxurious; not
to mention their choice of toiletries that smelled impeccably.
I absolutely adore how this
room opens up to a balcony since I love looking at the city before I retire to
the amazing bed; reminds me that I am indeed, far away from home.
Where to Chow
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| Photo by Mandarin Oriental Singapore |
On our first night, we
wanted to have a few drinks to celebrate my sister’s birthday and of course, we
also wanted to check out the AXIS Bar and Lounge. Despite hosting so much
people at that time (since it’s grand prix season), the lounge was pretty
quiet- with just the calming voice of the jazz singer echoing around the area.
Halfway into our drinks, we
were shocked to hear the singer sing a Happy Birthday song! And the silent
crowd started singing too! The staff came out with a cake that we absolutely
loved. We found out later on that our very cheerful server (sorry I wasn’t able
to get your name), informed everyone that we were celebrating something! That
was a really wonderful surprise.
Service
Our stay with the MO
Singapore was more than pleasant but I think what stood out the most during our
stay was their high-level of service. Each night that we came back, the doorman
would ask us how our day went and would go all out of his way to help us if we
ask him about where we can experience the real Singapore.
But what really stuck with
me happened during our second night. We were in Orchard Road, and I think we
got caught up into our shopping that we didn’t notice what time it was.
Apparently, when the mall closes, taxi stands tend to get tightly packed and we
were in-line with a bazillion people. For some reason, we thought of contacting
the hotel concierge and see if they could arrange a car that could pick us and
take us back to the hotel. After a few minutes, we get a call from the
concierge telling us that our car is waiting for us! And when we get in, our driver
hands us 2-bottles of water telling us that we might be exhausted from waiting!
It was the nicest gesture, ever.
Check-out
After a very short 3-day
escape, it was time that we leave our Singapore home. As we boarded our
arranged car service to the airport, we thought to ourselves, when will we go
back?! We haven’t left the country yet but we were already thinking of coming
back again. Surely, The Mandarin Oriental brand did not disappoint and it
surely made a new fan.
"What about you?
What makes you a become a hotel brand fan?"
Mandarin Oriental Singapore
5 Raffles Avenue, Marina Square, Singapore 039797
For more information about Mandarin Oriental Singapore, click here.
Words and Photos by Passport Out (unless stated)
Words and Photos by Passport Out (unless stated)
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