Sometimes you just want to be a bit fancy- and sometimes, it’s just not worth it. Hi
there, my name is Kevin and I make honest, unsponsored and to-the-point narrated video
tours about hotels and flights all over the world. This is my 92nd video and today we
are at the tried and possibly true Mandarin Oriental in always beautiful Singapore. I
hope you’ll stay for a look around with me.
Welcome to Singapore's beautiful Marina Bay. If you'd like to know more information about
the exact room rate that I paid for this trip or the next 5 videos that I have in queue
please check out the link below. It's no secret that when it comes to five
star hotels in Singapore, the first place that usually comes to everyone’s mind is
Marina Bay Sands. But that's certainly not to say that there are many other luxury hotels
on the island. One of them of course as we see today is the Mandarin Oriental. Something
else you may see is a little thumbs up button down below which I would be thrilled if you’d
press- along with the subscribe button and notification bell. The Youtube algorithm is
an uphill battle for all new creators and so every stepping stone along the way really
does help. A link to my new Patreon is also in the description below.
Before we get into too many details, let’s take a look at the location, which plays a
pretty big part in the hotel’s allure. The mandarin sits near the northern shore of Marina
Bay, fairly convenient to both the downtown core and Marina Bay Sands itself. The 527
room property was built in 1987 in the shape of Mandarin Oriental’s logo- well kinda.
The hotel itself is attached to a mid-sized shopping mall with every convenience you’d
need and is just a 7 minute walk from the metro and around a 20 minute drive from the
airport. The lobby and interior design in general is
old school. I will note loud and clear though, that for the most part everything in the hotel-
from the rooms to the common areas, the pools and restaurants is in impeccable condition.
As you walk into the lobby it seems quite intimate until you step out from under the
trellis and see the massive atrium spanning the full 21 floors of the building. In this
day and age, I can’t imagine such a space even being conceived for a hotel like this-
all of that empty space just feel like what a developer would now see as a big ol’ waste
of space. Heading up now to arguably the highlight of
the hotel, the pool deck. I’ll note, this is also probably the only area in the hotel
that does feel completely up to date. Mandarin Oriental Hotels are based in Hong Kong, the
company formed after the merger of their very own Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong, opened in
1963 and the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, originally opened in 1863 by two American investors as
the first ever luxury hotel in the then Kingdom of Siam. Currently, they operate 34 properties
across the globe with a further 22 in the pipeline. The hotel here in Singapore was
opened in 1987 with it’s last remodel in 2004.
A couple words about the service- with the exception of in their breakfast restaurant,
service was either understaffed or just lacking in general. Checking in around 5pm, I was
third in a line of 4 with just one front desk agent on duty. Someone, who I assume was the
GM, came out front, surprised to see the line and rather than starting the check in process
for the next guest in line, came out and awkwardly stood next to us while he assured us another
agent would come soon. A few minutes later, she did- and rather than help the next guest
in line, she answered multiple questions from a 10 year old who seemed to appear out of
nowhere. Anyway, around 15-20 minutes later, I was checked in. Checking out, the line was
so long that I just dropped my keys in the express checkout box, hoping that was even
an option for me. The deck has beautiful views of the downtown
core and also on this level is the indoor outdoor fitness center which was a nice size,
but filled with guests at every moment. The interior of the hotel, I think I can best
describe by listening to this. … It’s this strangely loud hum that just reverberates
throughout the building. Part of me thinks the interior atrium is beautiful and the other
part of me feels like I accidently woke up in Singapore in the early 90s. I think in
general, this hotel is one that you’ll either think is classically elegant because Mandarin
Oriental can do no wrong- or, it’s a nice hotel, but overpriced and well past its prime.
Heading into Melt Cafe now, where they had a very very extensive breakfast buffet which
was included in my rate. For those of you interested in the finer details
of what's on offer, I’ve tried to cover it as efficiently as possible, but it’s
a lot. In addition to the standard refrigerated section- well actually not standard at all,
can’t remember the last time in Asia I saw four different smoked fish on one buffet line.
But besides the refrigerated sections, the restaurant also offered a range of different
rice porridges, chinese dishes, Singaporean classics, some basic Indian selections and
a full range of western, bread and pastry options including a fruit and juice bar, and
admittedly a sad little organic and vegan corner as well as a few gluten free options.
All in all, in Singapore a hotel like this needs to please a very wide array of palates
and for breakfast at least, they have done it quite well.
The only thing I felt odd during the breakfast service was how the staff seated everyone.
It was almost mechanical. The restaurant you can see is pretty big, but the first I don’t
know, 20 tables were all seated one after another in a straight line. I had an occupied
table two feet to my right and two feet to my left- noting that the majority of the restaurant
was empty. On the flip side though, it seemed no one else was fazed in the least by this.
During my stay, the remainder of the dining options fell into one of two categories: not
open or a restaurant not operated by the hotel- so I don’t really see a need to check them
out for this review. I was going to incorporate some of the menus into the review but my God
the menu at the cantonese restaurant Cherry Garden had to be like a hundred pages long.
So, if you’re interested- everyone is very clearly laid out on their website.
Floating like a UFO in a 20 year old dystopian sci fi thriller, the MO Bar used it’s levitating
powers to shoot up from number 45 to number 8 on the Asia’s top 50 Bars list in 2022.
Additionally, there is a Morton's Steakhouse and the Cherry Garden that I mentioned before.
As much of Singapore is, frankly, the dining options here were designed for those with
expense accounts who don’t need to look at prices. For the rest of us, please go out
and enjoy yourself at a hawker center. Alright now we take a ride up to the 20th
floor to take a look at my room, an Ocean View King, which considering it’s their
cheapest view, is still a really nice view. I will give them credit for their carpeting
though- strange as it sounds, it’s kind of what pulls the entire hotel together. Multiple
floral patterns throughout the property, look as closely as you’d like, you’re not going
to find a single pulled thread. The room is standard I suppose in terms of
layout, but very comfortable. Inside next to the king bed we had an arm chair and ottoman
alongside a very well sized L shaped desk with a nice and up to date wireless charging
pad. Also laid out were two artisanal sodas, which
unfortunately, were surprisingly full of sugar. Moving along to the TV center and mini bar
we have some very nice TWG teas on offer and- wait a minute. Is that, is that instant coffee?
Instant coffee at a Mandarin Oriental? What the heck. My disdain for their coffee service
aside, the mini bar is otherwise well stocked. But wait, sorry, back to the coffee. I would
honestly love to meet the person who decided single serve instant coffee sachets- and not
even the good ones, were exactly what the loyal guests of Mandarin Oriental wanted to
start their day with. Beyond my comprehension. Oh- and the wifi. If you want free wifi, you
are required to sign up for their loyalty program, Fans of MO. It’s free to do, but
annoying as after you sign up you’ll need to re login to your Fans of MO account on
each device every few hours. Unbranded glass bottles of water were provided
as well as Diptyque amenities in the bathroom. Sorry, last time I swear, but like ½ of a
pump of Diptyque shampoo costs more than one of those coffee sachets, just saying. The
bathroom itself is in good condition but obviously it’s calling out for a remodel soon, loud
and clear. Closets are standard, except for the especially
beautiful ironing board. Now, let’s get a look at this view. It’s
beautiful, isn’t it? Yes, it is- and in the morning you can see straight across to
Batam. With all of my boats and Marina Bay Sands before you. Here’s the thign though.
This started at 4:45am. I hate sleeping with blackout curtains closed- I like the ambient
light and the sunrise, all that jazz. But this is ridiculous. I understand it’s not
something the hotel directly controls, but still- how can this be allowed at this hour?
And, the Ritz Carlton, just next door had it even worse with three solid spot lights
staring them down. So, what are we thinking? Sorry, but it’s
not worth it. It’s a beautiful hotel in it’s own right. It’s in a beautiful location.
It has history. It has a great breakfast. But, no, I do not think it’s worth $400-$500
a night for the most basic of rooms. Now, on to the Flip Flop Score which is still
relatively high because I can appreciate how well kept the hotel is. Feel free to pause
to take a closer look. To anyone that liked this video or subscribed because of it, thank
you very much and I hope to see you on Sunday for my phenomenal flight in QSuites from Philadelphia
to Doha.