Mandarin Oriental Singapore – Hotel Review
Sleeping with the curtains open is recommended at the Mandarin Oriental Singapore, which recently reopened after a $150 million refresh.
Overlooking Marina Bay, this luxury property is filled with light, greenery and jewel tones and textures that reflect its tropical setting. Add a 25-metre outdoor swimming pool (one of the city’s most glamorous), and its MO Bar (named on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list) and you have one of Singapore’s finest stays.
Where is Mandarin Oriental Singapore?
On Raffles Avenue in Marina Bay. It’s adjacent to Marina Square shopping mall (which you can reach via a stairway outside the hotel’s main entrance). A 30-minute drive from the airport, the hotel also offers free valet parking for guests.
What’s near Mandarin Oriental Singapore?
The best of Singapore is on your doorstep. The National Gallery is a 15-minute walk west, while Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands are a 20-minute stroll south over the Helix Bridge. If you want to make use of the city’s excellent MRT system (trains), Esplanade Station is about a seven-minute walk away. Singapore’s humidity is high year-round so if you’d like to arrive feeling fresh, take an air-conditioned taxi instead.
Room types
There are 510 rooms and suites, and 12 room categories. Each is themed according to the view it looks onto, from a city-facing room in calming willow green tones, to an exquisite four-bedroom penthouse with a chef’s kitchen, custom-designed furniture and panoramic views of Marina Bay and Singapore’s skyline.
In a pretty mauve and magenta palette inspired by the national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid, the Sea View Suite is a top pick, with floor-to-ceiling windows that look onto the South China Sea.
There are also seven categories of residential suites for short and long stays, which include a family-themed suite that has a kids’ bunk bed (with a slide), jungle wallpaper and laundry facilities.
Restaurants and bars
There are plenty of reasons to stay in. At Embu, the hotel’s all-day international buffet, 11 premium food stations offer everything from Singapore chicken rice to sushi and woodfired pizza. Cherry Garden serves authentic Cantonese cuisine and weekend dim sum brunches in a modern setting. Dolce Vita offers Italian fare by the pool. Want jazz and innovative cocktails? The sophisticated MO Bar has been named among Asia’s 50 Best Bars. There’s also Zuicho, an immersive Japanese restaurant; premier American steakhouse Morton’s; and sweet artisanal treats in the ground-floor Mandarin Cake Shop.
Sustainability
The hotel has all the basic recycling and sustainability initiatives you’d expect from a luxury property. They also donate surplus food to communities in need and participate in volunteer work with local charities.
Accessibility
The 45-square-metre Deluxe Room With Balcony is accessible and comes with city views, the option of twin beds, a rain shower, work desk and HD smart TV. Wheelchairs are available from the concierge on request.
Travel for work
There’s fast free wi-fi throughout the hotel and good-sized desks in the Deluxe and Premier rooms. The Business Centre on Level 4 is available on request. For those staying in a suite, the lounge on Level 19 has private boardrooms which are free to use for the first two hours (fees apply thereafter).
Day spa, pool and gym
On Level 5, you’ll find a 25-metre outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre and day spa. High on tropical glamour, the pool (open 7am-10pm daily) has views of the city skyline and is manned by a lifeguard and pool attendant. There’s also a wading pool for toddlers.
The fitness centre (open 24 hours) includes free weights and state-of-the-art machines, and guests can book personal training, yoga and HIIT classes for an additional fee.
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental (9.30am-9pm daily) has six treatment rooms, including two couples’ suites, a manicure-pedicure room, plus steam rooms and experiential showers.
What you need to know
Guests staying in a suite have access to some noteworthy perks, which include a free daily laundry service and access to the Haus 65 lounge on Level 21, where complimentary wine tastings are led by sommeliers each afternoon. Plus, entry to the members-only Mandala Club in nearby Tanjong Pagar, which has an impressive array of restaurants and co-working spaces, a private gym and cellar with more than 1000 rare and unique wines.
