Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bangkok

After our visit to the Mandarin Oriental 2 years ago I wrote the following review. Now we were there for a week and found that although the management had changed everything else had remained just as convincing and charming as ever: The claim to "make you feel at home" does not quite describe the Oriental’s main feature. What they actually do achieve is this: They give you a feeling of what the ideal home could be like. The personal care and appreciation one receives in the Oriental not just as a guest but as an individual is second to none. I can‘t think of any cons, except that people who are not sensitive to friendliness and personal attention should avoid the hotel. The following incident illustrates what I mean: Upon arrival at the Oriental, guests are greeted by welcoming personnell and presented a flower chain. One day I observed a man climbing out of the taxi, pushing the welcoming girl aside and slapping her hand as she attempted to give him the flower chain. There are many luxury hotels in the world and quite a few in Bangkok. Some might even be more luxurious with respect to interior decoration, furnishings, room facilities etc. than the Oriental. True luxury, however, does not come in the form of flat screen television sets, in-room whirlpools and the like (the rooms in the Oriental, by the way, are equipped with everything the discriminating traveller needs and designed in good taste and style) but is provided by caring and efficient personal attention. In the Oriental, your wishes are being fulfilled almost before you even know that you had them. Of course, part of the charme and spirit of the place lies in its history, but the secret of making you feel so extremely comfortable is the degree of friendliness and efficiency of the entire staff and the fact that you enjoy it not as an anonymous guest but as an appreciated individual with a name and a personal identity. And they do not just try their best like in so many other hotel where there is no la

This is a great hotel. The service received by my wife and I was just superb. Lots of great little touches- fragrant flower bracelet chains on arrival, fresh fruit every day (and different), morning papers in internal hutch, and so forth. A great experience. If I have to be critical, I would have to say the Thai food at the Verandah was just ordinary. However, to eat here at night was just magical as were the cocktails at the bar. Also I was surprised that on leaving the bellboy was negotiating a higher non-meter price with the taxi- the taxi driver was disappointed that I insisted on having the meter on. Despite that, all in all a great stay!

The warmth and graciousness of the welcome at the airport is the begining of a restful, luxurious break at this beautiful hotel. Every need is anticipated and tended to. Even unexpected medical emergencies were handled with the utmost care and efficiency. The staff never wavered in their patience and caring in making sure everyone involved was kept in touch and catered to. The patient got prompt medical care, the spouse support keeping in touch with the hospital and ongoing friends the update on the situation. In another emergency with a passport issue, the staff at the airport booked another flight and wisked the clients to the embassy to fix the passport problem right away. They were able to catch the flight the next day to carry on with their onward Asian tour. The Oriental has won the loyalty of all its clients with service that goes above the call of duty.