John Lobb Chair: Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
The little perk of a shoe shine just got a lot more lavish at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. The Five-Star hotel is partnering with elite shoemaker John Lobb to debut a new shoe shine chair that takes the standard service to the next level.
At the hotel, you won’t have to surrender your coveted Salvatore Ferragamo footwear to just anyone. Only four specially trained shoe-shine butlers are entrusted to perform the designer service, which is carried out with wax, polish, brushes and cloths, all from John Lobb. While your shoes get polished, you’ll get to relax in comfort. Sit in a dark wooden chair made of Hermès buffalo leather and kick your feet up on nickel-plated brass footrests. The chic chair — the only one of its kind in Hong Kong — and its matching stool were designed by Rena Dumas, the architect and interior designer behind hundreds of Hermès boutiques (the French fashion house runs John Lobb in Paris).
During the 15-minute shoe shine, you will be offered coffee or other beverages and a choice of newspapers and magazines to keep you occupied. The service costs HK$150 or about US$19. If you can’t make it to Hong Kong, the bespoke shoe-shine chairs are also set up at Le Reserve Hotel & Spa in Geneva, The Connaught in London and The Mark Hotel in New York City. Check out the chair — and climb in — when it’s installed at the hotel’s east lobby on Jan. 31.
Photo courtesy of Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
