Todd429

Hi - new to the forum and I have done some searching about this hotel but everything is rather dated. My partner and I are going to be spending two nights in January in London and we booked at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. We have corporate rates with our company at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, The London Edition and Sofitel St. James.

I am kind of nervous after reading so many less then stellar reviews about the Mandarin Oriental here that I am considering cancelling the reservation. Has anyone stayed at this property lately? Do you think the others might be better for us? We usually stay at Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons.

NinaThompson

I would highly recommend the Four Seasons Park Lane an excellent hotel. With one of the best spas in the UK. The edition if you want to use the cooperate rates .

I would also high recommend Sincerely Paul

LindaTerrill

The Four Seasons is an exceptional hotel and definitely worth your consideration if you are willing to forgo using a corporate rate. The Deluxe and Premium rooms are spacious and service impeccably.

Should you arrive early and not be able to access your room, they have an early arrivals lounge and spa on the top floor, overlooking Hyde Park, that is fabulous.

If you're thinking about booking a suite, there's a guaranteed upgrade at booking offer at this time through Four Seasons Preferred Partner agents, which is combinable with Preferred Partner benefits.

"Enjoy a guaranteed one-category suite upgrade at time of booking for all new.reservations for travel from January 1-March 31, 2015. Offer valid when booking a Westminster Suite (upgrade category Ambassador One Bedroom Suite) up to a Park Suite (upgrade category One Bedroom Grand Suite)."

Regardless of room or suite booked, booking through a FSPP agent will secure the standard FSPP amenities of full breakfast daily for 2 people, equivalent of US$100 spa OR food & Beverage credit, one category upgrade on arrival if available, standard WiFi service (premium WiFi for suites).

offerendum

Wow, would be even a two category upgrade! Unfortunally not ime to visit London. Double the recommondation, FS Park Lane is a great hotel. Stayed 2 times, 2011 in a Deluxe Room and 2014 in an Ambassador Suite. Both very good rooms. Service was always very good.

UrbanDweller

I think the location of the Mandarin Oriental is not nearly as good as it used to be. If you are overlooking the park then it might be worth it, otherwise there are better choices.

pricesquire

+1

jandj

Stayed at the MO religiously for 6 years - 4-5 stays per year until 3 years ago when given a promotional free stay to try the Café Royal upon its opening - while I did not like the Royal's rather stark rooms - I did notice being further west in London was better for my business meetings and certainly for entertainment and access when my wife accompanied me. I always thought she liked the MO proximity to Harrod's and Knightsbridge shopping but surprisingly she liked the location better.

Since then we have been staying at The Stafford which is certainly one of the more unique and distinctive properties in London. The rooms are varied and we stay in the mews rooms which are large, comfortable and certainly incredibly private.

We have had family stay in the FS since the renovation and have dined with them often - as everyone who has posted above will agree it is a great hotel.

So there is nothing wrong with the MO - and London is such a great city for hotels if you define what you want you will find it. For us the intimacy and location of The Stafford works well and better than the MO and as we have gotten older we have grown tired of the big hotel feel of properties like the FS.

jp-mco

I've said it many times on this forum but we always stay at 45 Park Lane. I hesitate to use the phrase "boutique" when describing it but it's small (only 45 rooms) and feels very exclusive. The location is great and the hard product is second to none. The service is friendly, endlessly helpful and the housekeeping so consistent. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

ABG

A very British hotel... with a lot of charm and fantastic value rates. The old GM is back and things should be great in 2016. Nice to read such good feedback on a non-andrew harper website

Shangri-La

Isn't the MO getting a renovation?

quitecontrary

Has it moved - certainly looked like it was still at the end of Sloane St a couple of days ago! I think the location is very good - right by Harvey Nicks, Harrods and all the high end shops on Sloane St if you want shopping and a short bus ride from the stop in front if you want the theatres in Shaftesbury Ave and of course walking distance to Hyde Park, Green Park etc..

jandj

[QUOTE=quitecontrary;25953013]Has it moved

LOL - Certainly it hasn't moved but London has moved on - the area just does not seem as vital as it once did ....cities change and locations fall in and out of favor, the MO location has done just that, but that said - there is nothing wrong with it, just not as great a part of the city to stay in as it once was - for us walking around St James today gives us the feeling of walking through an upscale Kensington from 10 years ago - 10 years ago walking through St James was a bit boring....10 years ago walking through Holborn was bit odd and sometimes uncomfortable to say the least - now people stumble out the Rosewood and dash right to Soho and Covent Garden...who would even have thought anyone would stay where the Rosewood is now just a few years ago.....

MacMyDay

I agree. In the last 3 years I've spent over 200 nights in London (I didn't used to live in Cambridge, so it's not as insane as it sounds) and will spend almost the entire time in Knightsbridge or Mayfair; the abundance of restaurants is incredible.

As for the MO, if I were looking to stay in that area I would much rather go to the Bulgari or The Berkeley. I love The Berkeley dining options and consider it the best hotel in London for that. MO has Dinner, which I fail to see the appeal of, as well as Bar Boulud which isn't bad, but nothing on Koffmanns. MO needs a lot of money put into it in order to compete and from what I've been told they're not willing to do it. Of course, I'd recommend The Connaught ahead of any London hotel.

bhrubin

We prefer the Halkin, so I highly recommend that if the FS or other luxury options can't beat your corporate rate at the MO. The Halkin is almost always a steal with comparable luxury IMO--and is only a 10 min walk from the MO.

Those discounting the Knightsbridge/Belgravia area--I'm laughing at you. You're all A+ in my book otherwise, but on this one, you crack me up. The area is as vibrant as it always has been, if not more so; there simply are more areas and with vibrancy...and you're less inclined towards this one.

LondonElite

The hotel is in the same location as it always has been.