pricesquire

Since there's no Mandarin Oriental thread (like there is for Aman and Four Seasons), figured I'd start one.

Latest news: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group confirmed openings of its 30th and 31st properties in the next 18 months during a media lunch in New York yesterday. The hotels will be in Doha and Beijing, and come on the heels of openings in Milan and Marrakech.
The group also announced a major renovation for its London flagship starting later this year, and Miami to start next year. Both hotels will stay open. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok which completed an extensive renovation earlier this year reported it sold its Royal Suite 22 nights in the first 30 days after it opened April 1.
The company recently appointed James Riley as its new CEO. Riley had previously served as Finance Director for parent company Jardines

0bsidian

I remember MO announcing a Bali property a couple of years ago.

Does anyone know status?

This was the press release:

http://photos.mandarinoriental.com/i...052.1443049612

pricesquire

Just asked my Mandarin contact. Will revert once I hear back!

EDIT: slated to open December of this year. Waiting on my contact within the organization but I heard the December news from a very trusted source (NOT in Mandarin Oriental).

chinmoylad

Bali really needs more properties doesn't it...?

pricesquire

Well, don't expect Mandarin Oriental going there anytime soon. Verbatim from a 'higher up': don't hold your breathe! Boca, Doha, and Beijing are all that is on the horizon for now...

moondog

I'm confused trying to reconcile with with your post #3 ("slated to open December of this year"). Is Bali on, or not?

scented

Oh trust me, they would if they could... but it's not happening anytime soon. MO Bali would be some type of MO Bodrum resort, just a bit more vernacular. Add some thatched roofs and a lily pond slapped on. You get the idea.

Typically in the hospitality industry, they will have around 15 projects under consideration (30 if you ask PR) -- out of these, they might enter some kind of agreement on say 8. And out of those, construction will start on 3. Soft Opening is then, if everything goes well, 2 years after the initially set date (add another year for SE Asia).

Has anyone insight on MO's design strategy / history? They seem to have a liking for French designers -- Sybille de Margerie at MO Paris or Gilles & Boissier in Marrakech. I really like that Marrakech design and they have, wisely, decided to put them in charge of the Spa design as well... all hell breaks loose when hotels distrust their architects and outsource the spa design to ESPA and the likes...

pricesquire

"Trusted source" -> "slated to open this year" -> works with Mandarin.

"Don't hold your breathe" -> also works with Mandarin, but works much higher up the chain than the former speaker.

Therefore, I don't think we'll be seeing ANY movement here for quite some time.

vuittonsofstyle

I heard that it is scheduled to open end of this year.

BENLEE

+1. The whole Island is so congested with resorts that it is starting to feel rather "suffocating". Not sure how to express it correctly.

vuittonsofstyle

I first went to Bali in the early 1980s when there was just The Oberoi on Legian Beach and a Hyatt. Every time I return, I do not recognise the landscape as the plane lands. Last time, the green seemed to have virtually disappeared.

You used to be able to drive from Denpasar to Ubud and see no buildings. Kupa Kupa Barong was the best place to stay, pre-Amandari.

I think Bali is over as a luxury destination and I wonder why relatively sensible groups like Mandarin Oriental could even consider building there. It would make much more sense to be on Lombok, which really needs something other than The Oberoi.

SeamasterLux

My thoughts exactly

chinmoylad

There's plenty of space in north, west and east Bali, to be fair - but all the hotels (even the new ones) just seem to be intent on cramming the Bukit Peninsula. Really - how many more villas/luxury resorts does Uluwatu need? Seminyak doesn't have enough hotels/resorts already? Nusa Dua? Seriously!? Ubud is dying too - Ralph Lauren and Pandora stores opening up...

Would have thought Six Senses would have preferred something east, west or north. I would love to see some luxury accomodation by Lake Batur, or something closer to Mount Agung/Mount Batur.

Some luxury dive resorts by Amed would be interesting too.

East side there's only Amankila. West there's just Alila Villas Soori. Plus a smattering of other small non-luxury options (Alila Manggis on the east, Pan Pacific etc on the west near the previous respective resorts).

There's plenty of space available to carve out a niche.

+1 on Lombok too.

vuittonsofstyle

I don't like the Bukit Peninsula. The landscape is entirely different to the rest of Bali, and not in a good way.

I agree that Karagasem region would be a better location, north of Kila, or even the north west, although it is not easy to get to.

Bali now reminds me of the Costa del Sol, which was, originally, the best beachfront land in Europe. Now it is a building site. Bali is definitely going the same way.

0bsidian

Not that it's of much significance, but I just found it interesting that Jean-Michel Gathy's firm website confirms they are working on the MO Bali:

http://www.denniston.com.my/webpagev2/projects.html