Mandarin Oriental Tokyo
6th - 10th April 2007
Our Recent Tokyo Bitches Tour was a great excuse to try some top class hotels for less (although not as less as KL) than you would in the UK. We all stayed for four nights in the Mandarin Oriental, then after the other five left, myself and Fozzyo moved onto the Park Hyatt.
First stop the MO. Knowing the people that were on the trip I think it was only inevitable that we were going to book into the Mandarin Oriental. Myself, Fozzyo, Lord and Lady Mannion, Mr and Mrs D were all MO whores and we were about to drag James, an MO Virgin, into our appreciation society. It was a journey he wouldn’t regret.
First Impressions on arrival were of efficiency. No soon as our minibus had parked in the enormous foyer area several smartly dressed bellhops approached our van and unloaded the entire luggage and all but personal bags were noted and whisked away. I’ve always found this slightly disconcerting but bags are never lost and indeed delivered to the room with remarkable efficiency. After a brief chat with the clerk on the small ground floor lobby desk we were whisked up to the 38th floor sky lobby to be properly checked in. We had booked a Premier Deluxe Room, which is the same as a Deluxe but on a higher floor. When you’re up in the 30’s anyway making a floor a few floors higher a premium seems a bit pointless (except they can charge more). With my Amex FHR rate we could get an upgrade if available at check in. Unfortunately the hotel was pretty much full so none I’m afraid. Considering we arrived fairly early, rooms were made available for us by about half eleven.
The Room
Very nice, if following the standard for Mandarin Oriental rooms in their newer properties. As the member of staff showed us into the room he pressed all the relevant buttons that made both the curtains and blinds open automatically – always a nice touch, especially when introducing us to the urban sprawl of Tokyo. The room had a small lobby area with a Wardrobe and butler closet (a space to put clothes, newspapers without disturbing guests) and opened up into the main room.
A long low cupboard ran the length of the room that housed the mini bar, vanity mirror and off it a work desk. Unlike many, even top hotels, there were plenty of plug sockets and tea and coffee making facilities. The mini bar prices too, for a hotel of this calibre, were reasonable. There was the standard box of electronic wires for connecting your various bits of hardware to the TV or sound system. After finding it a breeze in the Landmark in MO, I could not get the Ipod connector to play through the TV here. I know that Mannion-San also had this problem in their room. Our room also had a very nice flat screen HD 37” television. This had the really nice Mandarin Oriental Wisdom CD loaded onto it, ideal for bathtub soaking. One thing we were very impressed with was that the hotel had free WiFi. In such an expense account hotel I’m surprised they offer it – for us plebs though it was great! I know some of the other group had better rooms, corner rooms and suites. I'll let them report on them if they wish.
The Bathroom
I always place great emphasis on bathrooms in luxury hotels, I always need it to be somewhere I can chill and relax in. The bathroom here was nice, but not one of the best. Like many of the “cheaper” rooms in MO’s nowadays they’ll have a window out onto the main room with a shutter (and in this a case a sliding mirror) so you can take full advantage of the view.
The bath was quite large and wide, ideal for two people and came supplied with bath salts, which turned the water a disconcerting yellow or green colour. The shower had several nozzles, including raindrop, but it was a bit of a gamble which one was going to come on when you turned the tap. For once I preferred the power shower here, not the raindrop. Of course the excellent Aromatherapy Associates toiletries were provided. Pretty much straight after checking in we rang down to housekeeping to get some more sent up – they are my favourites!
The toilet was a work of genius, everything you read about Japanese toilets is true. They have a myriad of controls that warm the seat, wash you from the front, the back and deodorize and oscillate. The only thing it didn’t do was wish you good day when you left.
Restaurants and Bars
Apart from their French fine dining restaurants I think we sampled all the Food and Beverage outlets. We spent many a nice evening in both the Mandarin Bar and Mandarin Lounge. Both were very comfortable and served pretty much the same drinks. The bar was a bit more buzzy, the lounge a bit more relaxed. Service in both of these was always exemplary with hot towels being provided whenever you arrived and nibbles being topped up as scoffed them. I thought the complimentary nibbles a moreish, but a bit dull – cinnamon flavoured nuts. Would have preferred a selection of things including wasabi peas, like at some other MO’s. I don’t think I had a bad cocktail whilst I was there. I’m surprised how many REALLY good hotels in Asia make quite dull cocktails; this hotel was the exception. Particularly fond of the Caipharina and I know Decker had several Vesper Martinis too. Special mention must be made of the lobby toilets too. Fantastic views when you’re having a slash.
I’ve covered Molecular Tapas in depth so will leave that. The other meal we had was in the Cantonese restaurant, Sense. This was not so good. The portions were fairly small, the food nice, but I had better in a noodle bar in Shibuya a few days later for a fraction of the price. The menu and pricing structure was also more complicated than it needed to be, with some of us being charged per dish, and some per person. We did complain and this is where the MO really did come into its own.
Service
I believe that the real test of a hotels’ service is not when things go right, but when they go bad. Here was just the case. Decker (politely) complained at length to the duty manager on the night after we felt we had been let down by the meal in Sense. The hotel apologized unreservedly and from here on in staff, right up to the General Manager did their utmost to make up for the lack of service in Sense. We were offered complimentary champagne and free appetizers in Sense’s lounge the following night, we had more complimentary champers with our Tapas meal the following night. At all times I felt like hotel staff were aware of the situation at Sense. The GM would often come and find us in public areas to see if all was alright and he was even down in the foyer to say goodbye to myself and Fozzyo when we were getting the taxi to the Park Hyatt. This professionalism in service filtered down right through manager, to door staff right down to cleaning staff who when we passed in corridors would turn off their vacuum cleaner and bow as we passed. Special praise also goes to the excellent concierge who had been arranging Disney tickets for us before we arrived. The one member of staff in question even went to the Disney Store to buy them on her day off and provided lots of information on the park in a special pack for me. Without doubt the best overall service I have EVER received from a hotel.
On the Tuesday five of the Bitches left early for their train back to Narita and Fozzyo and I left to now try the Park Hyatt. That review to follow.
6th - 10th April 2007
Our Recent Tokyo Bitches Tour was a great excuse to try some top class hotels for less (although not as less as KL) than you would in the UK. We all stayed for four nights in the Mandarin Oriental, then after the other five left, myself and Fozzyo moved onto the Park Hyatt.
First stop the MO. Knowing the people that were on the trip I think it was only inevitable that we were going to book into the Mandarin Oriental. Myself, Fozzyo, Lord and Lady Mannion, Mr and Mrs D were all MO whores and we were about to drag James, an MO Virgin, into our appreciation society. It was a journey he wouldn’t regret.
First Impressions on arrival were of efficiency. No soon as our minibus had parked in the enormous foyer area several smartly dressed bellhops approached our van and unloaded the entire luggage and all but personal bags were noted and whisked away. I’ve always found this slightly disconcerting but bags are never lost and indeed delivered to the room with remarkable efficiency. After a brief chat with the clerk on the small ground floor lobby desk we were whisked up to the 38th floor sky lobby to be properly checked in. We had booked a Premier Deluxe Room, which is the same as a Deluxe but on a higher floor. When you’re up in the 30’s anyway making a floor a few floors higher a premium seems a bit pointless (except they can charge more). With my Amex FHR rate we could get an upgrade if available at check in. Unfortunately the hotel was pretty much full so none I’m afraid. Considering we arrived fairly early, rooms were made available for us by about half eleven.
The Room
Very nice, if following the standard for Mandarin Oriental rooms in their newer properties. As the member of staff showed us into the room he pressed all the relevant buttons that made both the curtains and blinds open automatically – always a nice touch, especially when introducing us to the urban sprawl of Tokyo. The room had a small lobby area with a Wardrobe and butler closet (a space to put clothes, newspapers without disturbing guests) and opened up into the main room.
A long low cupboard ran the length of the room that housed the mini bar, vanity mirror and off it a work desk. Unlike many, even top hotels, there were plenty of plug sockets and tea and coffee making facilities. The mini bar prices too, for a hotel of this calibre, were reasonable. There was the standard box of electronic wires for connecting your various bits of hardware to the TV or sound system. After finding it a breeze in the Landmark in MO, I could not get the Ipod connector to play through the TV here. I know that Mannion-San also had this problem in their room. Our room also had a very nice flat screen HD 37” television. This had the really nice Mandarin Oriental Wisdom CD loaded onto it, ideal for bathtub soaking. One thing we were very impressed with was that the hotel had free WiFi. In such an expense account hotel I’m surprised they offer it – for us plebs though it was great! I know some of the other group had better rooms, corner rooms and suites. I'll let them report on them if they wish.
The Bathroom
I always place great emphasis on bathrooms in luxury hotels, I always need it to be somewhere I can chill and relax in. The bathroom here was nice, but not one of the best. Like many of the “cheaper” rooms in MO’s nowadays they’ll have a window out onto the main room with a shutter (and in this a case a sliding mirror) so you can take full advantage of the view.
The bath was quite large and wide, ideal for two people and came supplied with bath salts, which turned the water a disconcerting yellow or green colour. The shower had several nozzles, including raindrop, but it was a bit of a gamble which one was going to come on when you turned the tap. For once I preferred the power shower here, not the raindrop. Of course the excellent Aromatherapy Associates toiletries were provided. Pretty much straight after checking in we rang down to housekeeping to get some more sent up – they are my favourites!
The toilet was a work of genius, everything you read about Japanese toilets is true. They have a myriad of controls that warm the seat, wash you from the front, the back and deodorize and oscillate. The only thing it didn’t do was wish you good day when you left.
Restaurants and Bars
Apart from their French fine dining restaurants I think we sampled all the Food and Beverage outlets. We spent many a nice evening in both the Mandarin Bar and Mandarin Lounge. Both were very comfortable and served pretty much the same drinks. The bar was a bit more buzzy, the lounge a bit more relaxed. Service in both of these was always exemplary with hot towels being provided whenever you arrived and nibbles being topped up as scoffed them. I thought the complimentary nibbles a moreish, but a bit dull – cinnamon flavoured nuts. Would have preferred a selection of things including wasabi peas, like at some other MO’s. I don’t think I had a bad cocktail whilst I was there. I’m surprised how many REALLY good hotels in Asia make quite dull cocktails; this hotel was the exception. Particularly fond of the Caipharina and I know Decker had several Vesper Martinis too. Special mention must be made of the lobby toilets too. Fantastic views when you’re having a slash.
I’ve covered Molecular Tapas in depth so will leave that. The other meal we had was in the Cantonese restaurant, Sense. This was not so good. The portions were fairly small, the food nice, but I had better in a noodle bar in Shibuya a few days later for a fraction of the price. The menu and pricing structure was also more complicated than it needed to be, with some of us being charged per dish, and some per person. We did complain and this is where the MO really did come into its own.
Service
I believe that the real test of a hotels’ service is not when things go right, but when they go bad. Here was just the case. Decker (politely) complained at length to the duty manager on the night after we felt we had been let down by the meal in Sense. The hotel apologized unreservedly and from here on in staff, right up to the General Manager did their utmost to make up for the lack of service in Sense. We were offered complimentary champagne and free appetizers in Sense’s lounge the following night, we had more complimentary champers with our Tapas meal the following night. At all times I felt like hotel staff were aware of the situation at Sense. The GM would often come and find us in public areas to see if all was alright and he was even down in the foyer to say goodbye to myself and Fozzyo when we were getting the taxi to the Park Hyatt. This professionalism in service filtered down right through manager, to door staff right down to cleaning staff who when we passed in corridors would turn off their vacuum cleaner and bow as we passed. Special praise also goes to the excellent concierge who had been arranging Disney tickets for us before we arrived. The one member of staff in question even went to the Disney Store to buy them on her day off and provided lots of information on the park in a special pack for me. Without doubt the best overall service I have EVER received from a hotel.
On the Tuesday five of the Bitches left early for their train back to Narita and Fozzyo and I left to now try the Park Hyatt. That review to follow.
