Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong is a legendary, luxury hotel in Central, Hong Kong. It is the flagship of all of the Mandarin Oriental properties. It passed its 50-year anniversary in 2013 and it’s a decades-long favorite of visiting dignitaries and celebrities like Margaret Thatcher and Henry Kissinger. When you enter the main entrance, you are greeted by professional staff and a bustling reception area where business people and well-to-do locals are checking in. The lobby is adorned with sleek, signature black marble walls, glamorous crystal chandeliers, and beautiful Asian inspired decor. 
The hotel has form of 10 different restaurants and bars. The favorites are Man Wah, with its classic Cantonese cuisine, and the sophisticated French-influenced Pierre, helmed by Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire.
We stayed at one of the hotel’s three signature suites the Lichfield Suite. Lord Patrick Lichfield was one of their esteemed guests. He was a famed photographer back in the 1960s and did some advertising work for the hotel back in the day. This spacious suite is created by world-renowned interior designer Nicky Haslam. It’s done in a chic black, white, silver and red color scheme using clever details such as tripod lamps and metallic curtains that gives the feel of a photographic studio. A glass-topped coffee table contains Lichfield memorabilia, while the walls of the bedroom and living room are lined with some of the photographer’s stunning work. 
The spacious bathroom is what dreams are made of. A huge stand alone bathtub and across the hall is a glass encased walk-in shower with multiple shower heads. Toiletries are by the exclusive Italian perfume and home fragrance brand Acqua Di Parma. Getting squeaky clean never felt so good. The bedroom is very comfortable and still has the feel of Old Hollywood chic. 
Despite the fact there is a butler on call (it comes with the suite), I need to get out of the suite and have afternoon tea with a friend and headed downstairs to the Clipper Lounge. We had pots of the hotel’s signature blend tea, Taste of the Legend. The oolong tea blend with notes of vanilla, caramel and cocoa, and orange. Very suitable for the various sweet and savory items coming up.
Our tier of delectable bites arrived… 
A few classic tea sandwiches like salmon, cream cheese, pumpernickel bread and baguette with ham and piccalilli. The prawn cocktail sandwich and choux bun filled with a sweet curry chicken salad dotted with raisins. Tartelette of baby gem lettuce, pickled walnuts and parsley was refreshing.
We definitely liked the nicely spiced, pork and fennel sausage roll that was a buttery, flaky from the crust. The passion fruit eclair was beautifully tart and not too sweet and the opera cake was moist and had a good hit of coffee.
Scones were fresh from the oven hot. Flaky and not too dense. The best part was their famed rose petal jam to slather on to these pastries.
Service here was efficient yet polite (they were terribly busy with other patrons since it was the peak of afternoon tea). The food and tea were very good.
To view more photos of this visit, please view the photo set or the gallery below:
[alpine-phototile-for-flickr src=”set” uid=”26389565@N00″ sid=”72157659152413310″ imgl=”flickr” shuffle=”1″ style=”gallery” row=”4″ grwidth=”1200″ grheight=”800″ size=”640″ num=”30″ shadow=”1″ border=”1″ align=”center” max=”100″]Information:
Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
Website
5 Connaught Road
Central, Hong Kong
Tel. +852 2522 0111
Map
