In Hong Kong, the Landmark Mandarin Oriental is an odyssey for the senses
Since it opened a decade ago, the Landmark Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong has earned its renown for being an urban retreat in the heart of the city. Catering to jet setters and celebrity types, the hotel is located in Hong Kong Island’s kinetic Central district, and is connected to The Landmark offices and its swish shopping complex.
Here at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, one finds a hospitality experience animated by iconic characters such as John the doorman and the gregarious Richard Ekkebus, Culinary Director and Michelin-starred chef at the hotel’s Amber restaurant. The hotel maintains a staff of 300 to manage 113 guest rooms, a ratio of nearly three members of staff to each guest room.
These guest rooms have just undergone refurbishment by architect and interior designer Joyce Wang who also had a starring role with the 50-room renovation at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. At the Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s indulgent L900 Landmark Suite, Wang offers her version of an urban sanctuary, with softened tones of brushed brass motifs, hand-painted wallpaper and fashionable hand-woven rugs. Step into the suite and be welcomed by a giant circular bathtub, a capricious invitation to relax and let the world swirl by. In all of the refurbished rooms, a cooled vitrine is Wang’s signature flourish; a cavity that sustains the freshness of treats such as yuzu lemon tarts from the hotel.
Over at the Oriental Spa, spirits are soothed by lilting lounge music, highly polished marble and glowing wall scones. Since 2012, France’s celebrity nail guru Bastien Gonzalez has taken up residence here, offering his expertise to complement the extensive menu of body massages, wellness and training programmes.
Also of note is the just-launched Diamond Infusion Facial, a luxury cleanse which features actual diamond dust. It works with a combination of peptides, an anti-inflammatory 24k gold bar and serum ampules scented by nectar, to rejuvenate skin, remove impurities and detoxify the skin. Sally, a therapist who has been with the hotel from its pre-launch phase, provides a detailed explanation of each step in the process, while offering a practiced touch to lull the senses.
At the Adam Tihany-designed Amber, one is offered the finest of Ekkebus’ culinary repertoire. You may want to opt for the Hokkaido Aka sea urchin before it is handed over to chef Corey Lee of San Francisco’s renowned Benu restaurant. This symbolic handing over of the dish is a bold gambit by Ekkebus who hopes his new abalone dish will be as successful as this eight-year menu staple. That most of the seafood ingredients is flown in on the same day itself helps, delivering an amazing freshness to the palate.
The same atmosphere of celebration permeates the modish MO Bar, which recently offered a British afternoon tea inspired by Burberry’s beauty box. A festive selection of roast beef sandwich, smoked salmon and traditional British finger sandwiches segue into cinnamon-accented carrot cake and Victoria Sponge, with guests also partaking in Burberry’s range of fragrances and runway icons.
