mandarin oriental

Royal Wedding Tour at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park: Live Like a Prince (or Princess)

Filed under: Estates, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Luxury Shopping

This is, without a doubt, one of the more over-the-top packages we've seen recently.

Book the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park's Royal Wedding Tour and you'll receive special access and hosted tours by family members and associates of the royal family to Kensington Palace, Chartwell, Spencer House, Althorp and Westminster Abbey, all venues which members of the public have not had such private access to before.

The hotel itself also has a rich history: Queen Elizabeth II and the late Princess Margaret first learned to dance in the gilded ballroom, Prince Charles and Princess Anne visited the tearooms as children and more recently, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were guests at Baroness Margaret Thatcher's 80th birthday party. Sir Winston Churchill was even a temporary resident while his London house was being refurbished. Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park also boasts the only private Royal Entrance from Hyde Park.

Gallery: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London

Tags: hotel, london, mandarin oriental, mandarin oriental hyde park, royal wedding

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New Year's Eve Hotel Packages

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The La Concha Resort in San Juan, Puerto Rico is offering a New Year's Eve travel package that ties in with their New Year's Eve bash. Party indoors and out in the open-air lobby and pool deck. Food and beverage is served at Solera, Komakai (sushi) and the lobby bar. The best DJs in Puerto Rico provide entertainment and a resident DJ from Miami comes every year. Guests also have the chance to listen to live entertainment, and watch the fireworks poolside. Room rates start at $299/night and there is a three night minimum.

Tags: mandarin oriental, new years eve, new years eve hotel packages, new years eve parties

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Rent the Entire Mandarin Oriental Tokyo For One Night at $670,000

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wealth

To celebrate its fifth anniversary Tokyo's luxurious Mandarin Oriental Hotel is offering the opportunity to rent the entire property for one night for 55 million yen, or about $670,000. The price includes the exclusive use of all the hotel's 157 guest rooms and 21 suites, including the posh Presidential Suite, its nine restaurants, cocktail bars, spa, fitness center and Grand Ballroom. The package, available until Nov. 30, 2011 and easily the world's most expensive hotel offering, also comes with a cocktail reception for 500 people with the dessert portion catered by an award-winning Japanese pastry chef, the Wall St. Journal reports. Gen Yoshida, the hotel's communications officer, says it is the first time for any Mandarin Oriental to offer such a package. The Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group currently operates, or has under development, 41 luxury hotels spread across 27 countries.

Gallery: Mandarin Oriental Tokyo

Tags: hotel, hotel suites, Japan, luxury hotels, Mandarin Oriental, Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, spa, Tokyo, worlds most expensive

$220 Million London Penthouse Now World's Most Expensive

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Real Estate Developments, Wealth

A six-bedroom penthouse at London's posh One Hyde Park development (above) has just sold for a record-breaking £140 million, or about $220 million, making it the most expensive piece of residential real estate in the world (in terms of current listings and sales). The massive deal eclipses the paltry $150 million asking price for The Manor, Candy Spelling's monstrous mansion in Holmby Hills, California, previous holder of the World's Most Expensive title. While the identity of the buyer remains a closely-guarded secret, speculation is centering on oligarchs and oil sheikhs, the London Telegraph reports. The palatial penthouse stretches across two floors and boasts bullet-proof windows, a panic room and stunning views across the Serpentine lake in Hyde Park.

The new owners will also have access to 24-hour room service from the neighboring Mandarin Oriental hotel, spas, squash courts a private wine-tasting facility and protection from security guards who are former members of the SAS, the UK's elite special forces unit. One Hyde Park, which boasts 86 properties starting at around £20 million, is comprised of four hexagonal tower blocks due to be completed by December. Back in 2008 when the project was in its infancy my colleague Deirdre Woollard reported that Sheikh Hamad, the foreign minister of Qatar, had agreed to purchase an apartment there for a rumored £100 million, or around $196 million. More recently we revealed that British supercar maker McLaren will open a luxe new showroom in the development as well. Take a look at the images after the jump.

Tags: Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills, Hyde Park, London, Mandarin Oriental, McLaren, One Hyde Park, penthouse, Qatar, real estate, The Manor, worlds most expensive

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Pound Ridge Golf Club: A Country Club Experience, For A Price

by Paul Rogers (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

When Pound Ridge Golf Club opened two years ago in the horsey precincts of northern Westchester County, New York, more than a few eyebrows (including mine) arched over its hefty green fee. Yes, the legendary Pete Dye had designed the course, and, sure, the steep and rocky terrain made for some dramatic shots. But at $235 for a round a golf--on a layout that in certain spots felt forced onto the land--Pound Ridge seemed like yet another example of big-city excess.

Finally, Pound Ridge's owner, Ken Wang, brother of Vera Wang, has lowered the weekday rate this year, to $155, provided golfers book at least five days in advance. (Discounts are also available for those who tee off after 3 p.m.) The club, just under an hour from Manhattan, has also partnered with several hotels, including the Mandarin Oriental in New York, where guests can arrange a round through the concierge.

All of which led me to pay Pound Ridge a second visit this spring. There are still a few holes that feel contrived, including the sandy par-three fourth; others, such as the par-five thirteenth, whose fairway is no wider than an Upper West Side brownstone, feel shoehorned in. But to my surprise and pleasure, I discovered that the course is walkable, and that the turf is maturing nicely. For the traveling businessman who seeks a country club experience but lacks private-club connections, or any other golfer with similar needs, I can think of few better options in the metro area.

Gallery: Pound Ridge Golf Club

Tags: golf club, mandarin oriental, Pound Ridge Golf Club, westchester county

Luxist Guest Post: Poker Player Beth Shak's Favorite Las Vegas Spots

by Unknown (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Poker player Beth Shak gives us her view of Las Vegas in this special guest post.

This year when I returned to the 2010 World Series of Poker for my 5th tournament, I was pleasantly surprised by the accommodations waiting for me. I decided to stay at the five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which opened in December 2009. It is important to note that I did not stay in a suite, because the amenities were better than some of the nicer suites I've stayed in.

The Mandarin Oriental was beautiful and quiet; I didn't feel like I was in Las Vegas after leaving the World Series of Poker.

Highlights:
Push-of-a-button accommodations: the room is completely plugged in, including electronic curtains to hide the gorgeous, lit-up view when it's time to rest.
Amazing closet: This is not just a closet; it is more like a dressing room, completely separated from the actual room.
The bathroom: The bathroom has an entire make-up area, Bulgari products, gorgeous Eastern design and – get this – a flat iron. Nobody does that! I was beyond impressed.
Gamble-free. I was able to sit back and relax, and save the games for WSOP.
The best concierge, Joe: maybe he can move to the East Coast and be my assistant!

Tags: aria, beth shak, lanvin handbag, las vegas, luxist guest post, mandarin oriental, mandarin oriental hotel, mandarin oriental las vegas, wsop, wynn

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50-Year-Old Scotch Makes Hotel Package A Hot Gift For One Lucky Dad

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

You can celebrate your whisky-loving Dad with a very luxe Father's Day package at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City. The hotel possesses one of only six bottles of the Glenfiddich 50 Year Old available in North America and one lucky Dad will receive this bottle of rare single malt scotch whisky as part of the Glenfiddich Getaway for Father's Day package.

The 50-year-aged version of Glenfiddich sells for around $16,000. The Glenfiddich 50 Year Old is limited to 500 individually numbered, hand-blown glass bottles with decoration in Scottish silver. The bottles are packaged in leather-bound cases, each accompanied by a book and a signed certificate. In order to qualify as a 50-year-old whisky it must sit in its barrel unmixed with any other malt for the entire time. Some of the liquor evaporates over time (the "angel's share") making aging particularly challenging.

The Glenfiddich Getaway for Father's Day adventure begins with Bentley transport from the airport to Mandarin Oriental. The lucky father will stay at in a Central Park View Suite with views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline and will be presented with his own personal bottle of Glenfiddich 50 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky and a special gift from Glenfiddich. The package includes a special feast. Restaurant Asiate's Chef de Cuisine Brandon Kida will prepare a four-course Chef's Tasting dinner for two crafted to pair with Glenfiddich's 15, 18, 21 and 30 year old scotch marques. The package costs $33,100 and is June 1, 2010 - September 6, 2010. Because there is just one bottle there is just one package available.

Tags: glenfiddich, hotel deals, hotel deals new york city, mandarin oriental, new york city, whisky

CityCenter: The New Urban Vision of Las Vegas

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: By Design

On the back cover of a recent New Yorker Magazine, bastion of serious fiction, non-fiction and poetry, was a full page ad that took me by surprise, especially after I had just traveled there for the Luxury Summit conference. It said, " So you're not a Vegas person... " and then in huge block letters, "ARE YOU SURE?" It was an ad for CityCenter, and touted all the great art, great culture, restaurants and cultural atmosphere found there. But that ad stuck with me, as the inference was the theme I was going to explore: could a visionary development on a grand scale change personal tourist attitudes toward a destination? And conversely, could Las Vegas actually be perceived differently because of one grand multi-use venue?

In thinking about this, it is crucial to remember that Las Vegas is a desert city, situated in a barren Mojave desert valley. The city is about 2000 feet above sea level, it rains, on average, less that 5 inches a year. But visionaries have come here before, dreamed big dreams, and built. Historically, Las Vegas's persona is tied to big gaming and play in all its dark and light dimensions. But the building of CityCenter challenges this Las Vegas stereotype, as its vision hopes to resculpt and redesign Las Vegas's neon persona, by creating a design as well as an eco-sensitive aesthetic unseen and untried anywhere else. Here are some basic dimensions.

Tags: ARIA Las Vegas, citycenter, CityCenter Las Vegas, Crystals Las Vegas, Infinity World Development Corp., Jim Murren, Las Vegas, Leed Gold certification, LEED Gold certified, Mandarin Oriental, MGM Mirage, Vdara Hotel

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Another Foreclosure For Atlanta's Peachtree Street

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Another day, another Peachtree foreclosure. This is the second time this week we've heard about a foreclosure on a building project on the Atlanta street. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that a South Carolina's First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. has foreclosed on a the site which was planned to have a 50-tower with a Mandarin Oriental hotel, luxury condos, a spa and other amenities. The site was auctioned off in a foreclosure auction on February 2 on the Fulton County Courthouse steps. The developers of the hotel, Tivoli Properties, have said they will challenge the foreclosure.

The one-acre parcel had been owned by TP 1138 Peachtree LLC, a subsidiary of the proposed hotel's developer, Tivoli Properties Inc. The site was bought in 2007 for $11.5 million. A year later the $285 million hotel and condo project was announced with plans for 71 condos with prices ranging from $1.8 million to $15 million. The condo was set to begin construction in 2009 and finish in late 2011. It was predicted that the project would need to be about half-sold in order to begin building. The first 30 buyers to reserve condominiums were promised $75 a square foot discounts which worked out to six figure discounts because the average condo size is over 2,500 square feet. The loan to acquire the site was issued by Georgian Bank, which failed last September, and was acquired by First Citizens Bank. A loan of $13.5 million was due last November. Although it is a coup for Atlanta to land a Mandarin Oriental, the last thing Atlanta needed was more unsold luxury condos. Even if the market picks up there is still a glut of unsold condos to be sold before unbuilt projects get their chance at being snapped up.

Tags: atlanta, condo developments, CondoDevelopments, mandarin oriental, MandarinOriental, peachtree

Affordable Apartments At The Mandarin Oriental Up For Lottery

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

As my colleague Jared Paul Stern mentioned back in October, Boston's most expensive penthouse located atop the brand new five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel is for sale for $17 million. But those who can't afford that can still get into Back Bay's new luxurious address if they win the lottery of 10 affordable apartments in the building. The lottery is part of a city initiative to bring middle-income residents to the city's pricier addresses.

Starting on Monday, the building swill begin accepting applications for a lottery that will select tenants to live in building for rents ranging from $1,254 to $2,172 a month for the one- and two-bedroom apartments. Rents on the 25 market-rate apartments range from $6,000 to $13,000 a month. The Boston Globe reports that to qualify, individuals must make between $48,050 and $72,050 a year, and a family of four, between $68,650 and $102,950. Those who already live in Boston and handicapped tenants will be given preference. The apartments are identical to the higher-priced units including Atlantic green granite counters in the kitchen, Portofino marble in the bathrooms, soundproof windows and access to the concierge downstairs. Applications can be picked up at the lower level of the Prudential Center at 800 Boylston St. beginning Monday.

Source

Tags: apartments, boston, mandarin oriental, MandarinOriental

Mandarin Oriental Plans A Condo Tower In Atlanta

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Just about every article I've checked out regarding the announcement of a new $285 million hotel and condo building planned for Midtown Atlanta has expressed a bit of concern over the timing. Condo crisis? What condo crisis, Tivoli Properties is set to build a 53-story building with a Mandarin Oriental Hotel and 71 condos with prices ranging from $1.8 million to $15 million. The Atlanta Journal-Constititution quotes Scott Leventhal, Tivoli's CEO and president, as saying that "now is a great time to be in the planning stage." And indeed he may be right. The condo is set to begin construction next year and finish in late 2011, that is of course if they manage to secure financing and have enough presales to go forward. The project would need to be about half-sold in order to begin building. The first 30 buyers to reserve condominiums will receive $75 a square foot discounts which would work out to six figure discounts because the average condo size is over 2,500 square feet. So far 19 buyers have made reservations.

Gallery: Atlanta Condo Projects

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Tags: atlanta, condo, development, mandarin oriental

Boston's Most Expensive Penthouse Listed at $17 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

An investment group has listed Boston's most expensive penthouse, atop the brand new five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel (above), for $17 million - a new record for the city. The investment group paid $13 million for the 8,000-sq.-ft. spread prior to the hotel's completion, and just relisted it for $4 million more. Calling it "Boston's most awe-inspiring penthouse ever," the sales material reads, "Fourteen stories above Back Bay, this 8,000-square-foot oasis features floor-to-ceiling windows on four sides, providing unmatched and unobstructed views," the Boston Herald reports.

The space includes two private terraces and decks, a private elevator, and four parking spaces in the garage, but the interior is "customizable" - i.e. unfinished. The Mandarin, which just opened this month and combines luxury condos with a five-star hotel and luxury boutiques like Gucci, is "fast becoming Boston's most prestigious address," the paper notes.

Tags: Boston, Hotel, Mandarin Oriental, MandarinOriental, Penthouse

Mandarin Oriental Tokyo Luxury Christmas Package

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

We've covered a $150,000 hotel offer in New York but if your Christmas travels take you to Japan, you can hole up in the a luxury hotel in Tokyo for a one-of-a-kind Christmas that costs $130,000. The Mandarin Oriental Tokyo is offering a Christmas suite that is decorated with a small tree with diamonds. The package also includes a bath with fresh roses, vintage champagne, and a breakfast with truffles. The package comes with limo service, a spa treatment and a gourmet dinner that is served in the dining room of the presidential suite. Much of the money you spend you get to take home with you, in the form of diamond jewelry worth around $108,000.

Source

Tags: christmas, holidash, japan, luxury hotel, mandarin oriental, MandarinOriental, tokyo

New Marina Development Planned For St. Kitts

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Yachts & Sailing

The latest Caribbean island to get a marina big enough to accommodate today's megayachts will be St. Kitts. A new 2,500-acre resort development with a marina that can berth up to 300 feet in length will be installed at Christophe Harbor. The development is being created by developer Kiawah Development Partners, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, and will include a Tom Fazio-designed golf course, a pair of five-star hotels (an Auberge resort and a Mandarin Oriental), retail and restaurants and residence opportunities. The marina will pamper yacht owners with laundry, wi-fi, access to a heliport, in-slip services and access to the hotels' amenities. There will also be harborside condominiums for sale. The developers promise that the eco-friendly design of marina will preserve the shoreline, water and coral reefs of the area. The development should be completed in 2010.

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Tags: auberge, caribbean, developent, hotel, mandarin oriental, marina, st kitts, StKitts

Get Your Picture Taken By Mary McCartney at the Mandarin Oriental

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

If you've always wanted your picture taken by a celebrity photographer here's your chance. Hotel Chatter reports that the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London is offering a new luxury package, the Mary McCartney Portrait Experience. Mary McCartney (the daughter of Paul and his photographer wife Linda) has taken the photographs of a wide variety of rock stars (she's a regular photographer for Interview magazine) as well as actors such as Jude Law and Ralph Fiennes and even Tony and Cherie Blair. McCartney has been appointed the official photographer for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group's `I'm a Fan' brand campaign which also features celebrities. The two-night package includes a feature suite, a two-hour spa ritual to prepare, Champagne breakfast daily, a bottle of vintage Champagne and an a la carte dinner for two in the restaurant, Foliage. The package starts at £20,000 and is limited to just ten guests. And I'm assuming that asking questions about her famous dad and his recent divorce are probably off limits.

Source

Tags: london, mandarin oriental, MandarinOriental, mary mccartney, photograph, photography