Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group International Limited is a multinational hospitality and management group focusing on luxury hotels, resorts, and residences, with a total of 34 properties worldwide,[2] 20 of which it wholly or partially owns.[3]
The Mandarin Oriental name was established in 1985 following the merger of Mandarin International Hotels Limited and the holding company of the hotel The Oriental,[4][5] in which Mandarin had already acquired a 49% stake in 1974.[6] Mandarin's history traces back to the 1963 opening of its namesake hotel The Mandarin (now Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong),[6] whereas The Oriental (now Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok) had opened in 1876 as the Kingdom of Siam's first luxury hotel.[7]
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is a subsidiary of the publicly-traded Mandarin Oriental International Limited, which in turn is a subsidiary of Jardine Matheson.
The two hotels whose original names were combined to create the Mandarin Oriental brand
Although 1876 was the ‘official’ opening year of the Oriental Hotel, the origin of the ‘Oriental’ side of the Mandarin Oriental can be traced back as early as 1863, when two Americans, Captain Atkins Dyer, and William West, opened the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Siam (now Thailand): however, the original building burnt down only two years later, on 11 June 1865.[8]
However, the history of the ‘Mandarin’ side of the group is comparatively recent: the Mandarin hotel opened only in 1963 in the Central District of Hong Kong Island. In 1973, The Excelsior Hotel, which closed in 2019, opened in Causeway Bay.
In 1974, Mandarin International Hotels Limited was formed as a hotel management company to expand into Asia. That year, the company acquired a 49% interest in the Oriental Hotel, resulting in two "flagship" hotels.[9]
In 1985, the company combined the two hotels under a common name, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. In 1987, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group was floated on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong under the name of "Mandarin Oriental International Limited." Mandarin Oriental International Limited, is incorporated in Bermuda, and listed in London, Singapore and Bermuda. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Limited, which operates from Hong Kong, manages the activities of the group's hotels.[2]
Starting in September 2005, Mandarin Oriental showed the "Moments of Delight at Mandarin Oriental" at all hotels.[10] In June 2006, the Moments of Delight video was slightly updated to add several new scenes[11] and in October 2014, the video featured lyrics by Chinese singer, Sa Ding Ding, accompanied by new music.[12]
On 1 April 2003, singer, actor, and film producer Leslie Cheung leaped to his death from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental in Central Hong Kong.[17] Every year, on the anniversary of his death, a fan-organised memorial event takes place outside the hotel.[18]
Beijing building fire during construction (2009)[edit]
On 9 February 2009, the Beijing Television Cultural Center, which was to be completed in May 2009[19] and incorporate a Mandarin Oriental hotel, caught fire due to unauthorized fireworks celebrating the Chinese New Year. One fireman died in the incident, and the structure was severely damaged but did not collapse and underwent repair.[20][21] However, the Mandarin Oriental hotel ultimately opened at a different location at Wangfujing, near the Beijing Hotel.
On 6 June 2018, a fire (believed to have been caused by welding work) damaged the park-facing exterior of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London. Although there were no injuries, the fire closed the hotel and caused a significant setback to the (then) near-complete renovation work, which involved interior designer Joyce Wang.[23][24] The hotel returned to full operation on 15 April 2019.[25]
Media related to Mandarin Oriental at Wikimedia Commons
