Luxury is a concept that can crumble over time, especially if we are used to finest things around the world ; fortunately, some places are able to reboot your own definition of indulgence and that’s the case of the Mandarin Oriental Shanghai, which gave us one of the greatest Wow Factor we ever had.
Writing these words I am looking for a proper expression to describe what I felt after a 3-night stay there but sorry, it’s impossible… It’s a mix between feeling at home, feeling pampered and feeling in a palace at once. Yes, definitely, I am in love with the Mandarin Oriental Shanghai !
Living
This brand new location – it opened in May 2013 – is perfectly settled along the Huangpu river in the Pudong district, offering everything at walking distance: subway, parks, shopping center, the Oriental Pearl, Museums… And the building configuration allows a maximum of calm and privacy from the city noise ; to summarize, it looks like a luxury “urban resort”. The main entrance is very convenient when arriving by car and when you pass through the lobby for the first time, the magic of Mandarin Oriental Shanghai works immediately: you can admire an outstanding and colorful glass wall while doormen bring you to the Club reception for check-in. The Club is a cosy executive lounge located at the second floor and dedicated for Club room guests ; it is truely stunning and offers great snack and beverages all day long, 24H/24 ! Absolutely love the decoration and the material chosen for this lounge, as well as everywhere in the hotel actually.
Then the climax of the visit is certainly the Spa – in the basement – with a large indoor pool, a jacuzzi, a children pool and hammam/sauna rooms. Globally it is still very chic and well-designed, welcome to Mandarin Oriental Shanghai !
Room
Club River View rooms are strictly identical to Class River View room but they offer a Club access + all Club benefits. Location is still perfect, with direct view over the Pearl and the river ; honestly, whether by day or by night the scenery is quite impressive and probably one of the best in the whole city. Room could be a bit larger – especially if travelling in couple – however everything is well-arranged and very convenient. Bathroom is very modern with a built-in TV, two separate washbasins and luxurious amenities by Ormonde Jayne ; the overall is completely open-air to the bedroom. Domotic is present everywhere – for lights, curtains, sound, TV, etc – and contributes to make a very pleasant stay.
Dining
Mandarin Oriental Shanghai hosts one of the best Chinese restaurant in the city, the Yong Yi Ting. The Chef Tony Lu cuisine is very high-level but still easy to appreciate – even for western palates – and the place itself is a piece of Art. We had also a chance to experiment room service food, which was pricy but very good and served like in a fine-dining restaurant : hot, tasty and surprising.
Regarding breakfast we enjoyed it at the Club only, which was very nice with plenty of fresh-cooked hot and cold choices. Actually I would say that the Club is very valuable regarding food and beverages as you can easily have lunch and dinner for free there ; moreover the staff is very smart and attentive – like everywhere else in the hotel, to be honest – and I definitely recommend you to ask for a custom cocktail by Miker, the amazing Club Assistant Manager.
Level of exigency
Ok, now let’s deal with the most important part of our Mandarin Oriental Shanghai review, the service quality. I will be brief and clear : this is the best service we ever had in a luxury hotel or resort worldwide. And as you can imagine, we experimented a lot… Doormen were very friendly and proactive, Club staff were super attentive to the smallest of my needs, housekeeping is a gem – I never found such qualified people to take care of my clothes for laundry – and the whole atmosphere prevailing there is luxurious, relaxing and warm at once. Nothing else to add except : Thank You !
If you pass by the Old Continent, have a look at our list of best hotels in Europe.
Stay from 13th to 16th May 2014
The Mandarin Oriental Shanghai opened in May 2013 and is composed of 362 guest rooms and suites. We stayed in a 50sqm Club River View Room including access to the outstanding Club lounge ; public rate is 350 EUR/night.
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