Party Dispatch :: Mandarin Oriental's Summer Cocktails

August 14, 2007 at 9:30 AM | by juliana | Comments (3)

Last night HotelChatter was authentically/legally/officially invited to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group's Summer Cocktails at the new LA hotspot, Craft, in Century City.

The party was put on mainly to get to know the West Coast media as the chain kicks off a heavy expansion plan.

Full party dispatch is after the jump.

The pink drink looks all girly and sugary but it was really vodka-y. We just made up that term.

The Mandarin Oriental event took place in front of a few outdoor cabanas at Craft and guests were served petite hor' dourves along with red and white wine and a fruity East Meets West drink that contained a strong amount of vodka, grand mariner, lychee juice and strawberries.

Amazingly, we had the foresight to realize that if we downed that drink we might have had problems standing, talking and thus, getting to know more about what's in store for the hotel chain. Fortunately for you dear readers, we stopped halfway through the drink.

So, the Mandarin Oriental, well-established in Asia, Europe and big U.S. cities like New York, D.C., San Francisco and Miami, has yet to be an all-over presence like its luxury counterparts, the Four Seasons or the Ritz-Carltons.

But Mandarin Oriental will soon be in other U.S. cities like Los Angeles (2010), Las Vegas, Chicago and Boston, which is expected to open in June 2008.

In the meantime, the Mandarin Oriental in the Riviera Maya Mexico is set to open sometime this year as is the Mandarin Oriental Barcelona and the Mandarin Oriental Sanya. The chain will still expand in Asia with the Mandarin Oriental Beijing set to open just before the Summer Olympics next year. Literally, just before. Like a month before, according to Danielle DeVoe, the vice president of communications.

Chad Belisario, Public Relations Manager, sports his golden fan pin with pride.

Naturally, the brand has other intentions with the expansion plan, namely to maintain the Mandarin Oriental signature service at each property, to continue building the Mandarin Oriental hotel residences, to stay ahead of the hotel spa game and as Chad Belisario, the public relations manager said, "simply to be the best."

In the next breath, he admitted that was an ambitious statement but judging from what the rest of the Mandarin Oriental folks (helpfully identified by their golden fans pins) were saying, being the best is the number one priority. Ritz Carltons and Four Seasons, watch out.

Comments (3)

Return to » Party Dispatch :: Mandarin Oriental's Summer Cocktails

The only problem I could see that could hinder their effort to be on top in the US market is maintaining their "exclusivity." There are a lot of Four Seasons and Ritz Carltons in the US; however, there are only a few MOs. With expansion, in my personal opinion, comes a more cookie-cutter, less exclusive experience (for example: Starwood's St. Regis brand). Right now, there are so few MOs in the US that it is a very special experience if you stay in one (similar to Peninsula Hotels). Will MO be able to retain that feeling with their US expansion? I have my doubts due to the proliferation of less than stellar reviews for the MO in Washington D.C, one of their newer properties. Also, their property in Riviera Maya looks like it is situated on a sliver of land with little beachfront (looks like less than 1000 ft, but I could be wrong). For me, lack of beachfront is a big problem for an ultra-luxurious beach resort like MO, especially since places like Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos offer miles of private beaches for the same price. There is only so much a hotel can do to make up for a less that stellar piece of property, especially in the high-end sector where people expect the best. I just do not believe that MO will be able to compete service-wise with the Ritz Carltons or Four Seasons. Also, they must make their hotels convey a central theme (unlike St Regis brand), to be on top, which I believe is difficult with such rapid expansion. What does everyone else think?

PS- As you can see though, I do like the abbreviation MO that they use- it just sounds cool!

I mean, I am happy they are expanding, especially in Los Angeles but they will probably lose some of their exclusivity by being everywhere.

Then again, having $1000 room rates like the MO NYC does, might help to keep them a hotel that's "not for everyone."

I do agree with your MO New York comment- very good point.

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