More than three decades before the British handover to China, when Hong Kong’s now jam-packed Central District was home to few luxury hotels, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, opened its doors. Here’s how the iconic Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel is celebrating its golden jubilee.
A Year of Destination Dining
Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, is as revered for its restaurants as it is for its rooms, and to celebrate 50 years, the hotel is offering a host of culinary promotions through the end of 2013.
Starting in February, guests at the Krug Room will be able to travel back to the 1960s. Executive chef Uwe Opocensky will be taking ’60s dishes (such as a Julia Child-inspired beef bourguignon) and updating them for 21st-century palates. Likewise, in the Clipper Lounge, an exhibition of hotel photographs from the 1960s and 1970s will inspire the lounge’s pastry offerings; look for retro reflections in the afternoon teacakes. The exhibition runs from February 18 to March 24.
The hotel will also toast 50 years with notable chef appearances. For five days in March (13-17), Mandarin Oriental will play host to celebrated American chef Daniel Humm, executive chef at Five-Star Eleven Madison Park in New York, as he cooks at the Mandarin Grill + Bar. And the legendary chef Pierre Gagnaire will create a series of “1963 dishes” during one of three upcoming visits to his 25th-floor Pierre restaurant.
Overnight Bonuses
From February until the end of the year, book a two-night Golden Celebration Stay at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, and you’ll get a bottle of sparkling wine, a $50 spa credit and an anniversary gift to take home. Rooms start at around $600 and include a tasty breakfast spread.
Pampering Packages
In April, the Five-Star Mandarin Spa is rolling out a new facial: the Golden Utopia. This luxe treatment, at approximately $310, uses Gaylia Kristensen products and a 24-carat-gold collagen mask.
Artistic Melding
Art Basel will come to Hong Kong for the first time this spring, and Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, will be paying homage. From May 6 to 26, Chef Opocensky will be serving a sense-stimulating menu of art-inspired dishes, sided with two tickets to Art Basel itself. The hotel’s pastry team will crank out chocolate paint palettes, pencils and paintbrushes, and at M Bar, art-inspired cocktails will also reflect the occasion.
In addition, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, is offering an Art Basel package that includes champagne, passes to the vernissage and fair, and access to all events and the collectors’ lounge.
Photos Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
