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Reader Weighs in on a Tale of Two Mandarins

Earlier this week, we let you know about the Mandarin Oriental sister properties located right next door to each other in Singapore. We found the Oriental Singapore (pictured above) to be a better hotel than the Marina Mandarin and a reader agreed. So we thought would share his perspective and his tips with you.

As for the Oriental in Singapore, it is definitely way better than the Marina Mandarin. I haven't seen the renovation, but the building (especially the towering atrium) is quite nice. The Oriental has the benefit of being one of the first buildings that went up in the Marina area, giving it waterfront location and as said, the great views over the city. Marina is a nice area to stay, and it's easy to get around Singapore with the public transportation.

The Marina Mandarin is nothing really to write home about (although I will say I have only been inside, not as a guest). A great suggestion close by is the Conrad Centennial - nice, modern building, also some great views to be had, nicely furnished, neutral colors, blond woods, etc. It has made Conde Nast's best business hotel list a few times. Something I would be eager to check out though is The Fullerton, a former post office, which is supposedly very very nice.

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Tags: Singapore Hotel Reviews / Mandarin Oriental hotels / → All Tags

The Better Mandarin Oriental in Singapore

Where: 5 Raffles Avenue , Marina Square, Singapore, 039797

Skipping on over to Singapore, we found that the Mandarin Oriental hotel chain has two hotels next to each other so they decided to name one, Mandarin and the other Oriental.

Just kidding of course, but we were curious to see if one was better than the other. Over at the Oriental Singapore, the hotel seems to be doing nicely since it underwent a major top-to-bottom renovation two years ago, changing everything "except, of course the view."

The fan-shaped building features an 18-story atrium lobby, "subtley chic" decor which means simple dark woods and bright colors and the rooms sport high-tech amenities. There's also several dining options (although all expensive) such as Morton's Steakhouse.

And since we've never been to Singapore, we have to trust this reviewer's description of the hotel's location:

The location of the hotel is perfect. The Marina shopping centre it is attached to is one of the best we found in Singapore really. (MRT Station, great Restaurants, a bowling alley, cinemas and all the shops you could want.) The Merlion was an easy walk, river boat tours, fountain of wealth and Raffles Hotel.

Another good thing about this Mandarin is that unlike others in the states, this hotel is actually avoidable at around $250 a night. In the end, we think this Mandarin Oriental property is better than the one next door, the Marina Mandarin, which has less than stellar reviews on TripAdvisor and its new renovations don't seem to have the same effect as the Oriental. But feel free to tell us differently.

Random Fact: The hotel has its own Wikipedia page.

[Photo: Rdmsmith]

Related Stories:
· Mandarin Oriental Singapore reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Mandarin Marina reviews [TripAdvisor]