I am pleased to report a delightful one-night stay at the Mandarin Oriental Milan.

The porters, doormen and reception staff gave me a very warm welcome. A staff member standing beside the lady handling my check-in proactively struck up a conversation with me - a sign of a great service-oriented culture.

I booked a Deluxe Room at EUR 690. I was not offered a space-available upgrade to a Mandarin Room, the next category (which was a FanClub benefit) as there was no availability. I was offered a Junior Suite for the difference in price between a Mandarin Room and a Junior Suite (EUR 200), but I just didn't think EUR 890 was a reasonable amount of money to spend on a Junior Suite there. However, the whole process was handled very graciously (by both parties!)

The room was finished to a high standard as you can see from the photos. The room was one of 9 rooms/suites on the top (fifth) floor, which afforded great privacy; the other floors had 20+ rooms/suites. The ceiling sloped gently. Windows spanned the entire room including the bathroom. One could see the topmost part of the duomo.

Very interestingly, the mini-bar area was more of a kitchenette, with a small sink and electric hob. Even pots, pans, plates and cutlery were supplied. I wasn't sure if this was a standard feature offered in all rooms.

The bathroom was spacious and enjoyed natural light. It had two sinks, a spacious shower room and a separate room with WC and bidet. However, very disappointingly, there was no bathtub. There was clearly enough space in the bathroom for a bathtub to be included at the expense of the second sink or bidet, but perhaps they just wanted to avoid a shower-over-the-tub combo and all the associated downscale connotations.

There was balcony spanning the width of the room but it was very narrow. One also needed to be a bit of a contortionist to access it as the glass doors were blocked by furniture.

Overall, I wasn't fully pleased with the room as it lacked a bathtub. To be fair, this was partially my fault as I requested a bathroom with natural light and was assigned this room, which was probably not a typical deluxe room. A more typical deluxe room would have come with a bathtub and a sofa (which my room also lacked) though possibly without natural light in the bathroom, balcony and kitchenette. My room was really more akin to a "good" superior room than a deluxe room.

Would you have rejected this room?

Typical layout of a deluxe room: http://www.mandarinoriental.com/mila...n/deluxe-room/

Food and service in Mandarin Bar and Bistrot, the all-day dining restaurant, was excellent. I enjoyed the octopus starter and Milanese veal very much. However, the Oriental breakfast needs to be looked into urgently. The taste was just wrong. Whilst I appreciate MO offering an oriental choice for breakfast, it needs to be done properly. I've probably sent back meals 2-3 times in my life, and this was one of the occasions.

The spa was glorious. I had the pool to myself for two hours on Sunday morning. This was possibly the best part of my stay. Simply fantastic!

Pool: http://www.mandarinoriental.com/milan/luxury-spa/

Service standards were very high. Everyone at the hotel did the remembering me and addressing me by name thing very well. This was especially impressive as I only stayed for one night. Service was warm and refined in the Mandarin Oriental / Four Seasons way and, notably, was consistent across departments.

I booked this stay with the help of Emyr Thomas of Bon Vivant Travel, who arranged for the great FanClub benefits (including EUR 100 property credit) and proactively checked with me a few days before my stay to ask if I had special requests. Bon Vivant Travel: http://bonvivant.co.uk/concierge/about/
















Bonus: I popped into Bulgari Hotel for Sunday brunch. There were pockets of excellence from certain staff members, but it was just a different operation compared to a Four Seasons or Mandarin Oriental. Service was not nearly as "international polished". It was more down-to-earth Italian, I suppose, which is ultimately a matter of preference. Some staff members definitely meant well and went above and beyond. My table was not ready at the appointed time. A staff member in the lobby lounge who learned that I was waiting for my table was concerned enough to speak to the restaurant manager. The restaurant manager made a good attempt at service recovery by being especially friendly. I had a fantastic table -- probably the best table in the restaurant -- looking into the gardens, so all was forgiven. The hotel attracted a very fashionable clientele (very different from the Mandarin Oriental); obviously, it found its niche in Milan. There was a bit of posing going on. Ultimately, the vibe was not for me, and I felt more comfortable at the Mandarin.