Hotel Review: The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong (L600 Premier) - Best Location in Central with Great Restaurants and Bars in the Area
The Landmark Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong is Mandarin Oriental’s second property in the city. The property exudes privacy and intimacy with only 111 rooms and suites but more importantly, it is strategically located on The Queen’s Road Central which is one of Hong Kong’s busiest streets, and you are within walking distance from some of the city’s best bars and restaurants. Getting from Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) to The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is easy by car but also relatively fuss-free if you wish to take The Airport Express. At the time of writing, a single trip from HKIA to Hong Kong Station on The Airport Express costs HK$110 (approx. S$19) if you use an Octopus card.
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Main Driveway
The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
While it is possible to purchase a ticket at the time of travel, you may also wish to consider purchasing it in advance from Klook (for S$16.95) to enjoy some savings - you will also benefit from the convenience of simply scanning a QR code at the gate to board the train. If you do not have a Klook account, you may also enjoy a S$5 discount code when you sign-up using my referral link. The journey from HKIA to Hong Kong Station takes approximately 24 minutes on The Airport Express and it is quite possibly one of the best airport train rides I have taken in recent years. Once you arrive at Hong Kong Station, you can take the sheltered walkway which will take you directly to LANDMARK which is also where you can take a lift down to The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.
Living Area
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
I stayed in a beautiful L600 Premier room at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong which is three categories higher than the lead-in room type. The lead-in room category is an L450 Superior which offers 42 sqm of space but the L600 Premier offers 56 sqm of space with an iconic spa-inspired 7-foot round bathtub (more on this later!). If you are based in Singapore and have an American Express card, I highly recommend that you save the Mandarin Oriental offer right now as it will allow you to receive S$120 statement credit when you spend S$600 in a single transaction at participating Mandarin Oriental Hotels across France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the USA - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is a participating property. I cover these limited-time offers on my Telegram Broadcast Channel quite a bit so it might be a good idea to subscribe in order to stay updated on the latest offers and promotions. The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is also part of the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program and there is even a complimentary fourth-night offer right now if you book by 01 September 2023 for stays consumed before 05 September 2023 - this means you can double-dip on FHR perks and that statement credit offer if you have The American Express Platinum Card.
Welcome Drinks
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
After checking in at the lobby level of the property, I was quickly whisked away and escorted to my room where my luggage was already waiting for me. I was also offered a complimentary welcome drink which was promptly delivered - I opted for an iced long black since I had to wake up early and I drank nothing but Champagne on the flight.
Living Area
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
Hotel rooms in Hong Kong are notorious for being on the smaller side but this is evidently not a problem over here at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong - the L600 Premier comes with a sizeable living area and the whole room feels even larger than it actually is because of its thoughtful layout. I love the minibar area which is located near the entrance of the room and it comes with a Nespresso coffee machine, filtered drinking water (both still as well as sparkling) from NORDAQ, tea-making facilities (complete with a proper teapot), as well as premium glassware for your drinking pleasure. Every piece of equipment that has been placed in the room is carefully-curated to make it feel more like a high-end luxury apartment unit rather than a cookie-cutter hotel room.
Minibar
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
Located in the drawer underneath the coffee machine is where you will find complimentary Nespresso-compatible coffee pods as well as teabags from JING tea. I am personally not a huge fan of these coffee pods to be honest, but maybe I have just been used to drinking the Nespresso ones on a daily basis. Coffee pods and teabags are replaced during evening turndown as well as in the morning when housekeeping comes in to clean the room.
Living Area
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
The property’s location makes it an excellent spot for those on a tight schedule - I was only in Hong Kong for two nights so being in the heart of Hong Kong makes it easy for me to do as much as possible in a small window of time. I managed to check out a couple of highly-recommended restaurants, drop by a taproom along Upper Lascar Row, indulge in a few drinks at the bar, meet up with a couple of friends, and also make my way up to The Peak despite spending only 48-hours in Hong Kong.
Bedroom
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
Both the bedroom and living room enjoys an abundance of natural daylight - the bedroom features high-quality Ploh bedding with 400 thread-count sheets which are a dream to sleep on. The luxurious bed also comes with a quilted leather headboard that not only looks fantastic against the dark hardwood floors, but also feels fantastic to lean back on (especially since I like to work on my laptop in bed).
Bedside Controls
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
All of the lights in the room can be toggled on and off from a panel that is located bedside - you will also find the controls for the automatic blinds and drapes here. The L600 Premier comes with two large HD TVs with a wide selection of international satellite and cable channels - one in the living room, and another one in the bedroom. Content can also be streamed from your mobile devices onto the TV via a wireless connection but I did not manage to take advantage of this as I was there on a tight schedule.
View from Bedroom
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
With the hotel being centrally-located in well, Central, most of the rooms at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong look out to high-rise buildings, designer boutiques, as well as luxury apartments in the vicinity. There is not much to look out to but honestly, that is a small price to pay for the convenience that you are getting from staying at one of the city’s best-located property.
Walk-in Wardrobe
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
There is a walk-in wardrobe that is directly connected to the bedroom and you will find ample space for you to not only unpack your luggage but also have the luxury of having them all hung up. Yoga mats are also provided in the bedroom and The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong actually has a great wellness-focused program. Complimentary fitness and yoga classes are offered daily for in-house guests at The Oriental Spa. Unlike some hotels where only basic stretching is packaged as ‘yoga’ to offer a token representation of wellness, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is pretty serious about this as you will find specific classes like Yoga Wheel as well as Ashtanga and Vinyasa in the week’s schedule. Advanced classes for more seasoned yogis and workout junkies can also be found on the schedule which is fantastic since you will not have to make alternative plans for working out.
Living Area
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
The living room of the L600 Premier is also large enough to have friends over and still have room to spare. I really like how plush the whole space looks and how the bathroom can be accessed from both sides - the living room and bedroom. As mentioned earlier, the living room also enjoys plenty of natural daylight during the day which makes it the perfect spot to luxuriate in with either a good book or a simple cup of espresso.
Sparkling Wine and Fruits
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
Welcome Amenities
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
I received a bottle of Champagne as well as a plate of fresh fruits as part of my welcome amenities which were both very much appreciated. Even though I did not consume the Champagne on the first night, housekeeping also refilled the ice bucket the very next morning when they came in to clean the room which was a really nice touch. There were also some fresh strawberries as well as chocolate placed in one of the show cabinets in the room.
Bathroom
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
The L600 Premier rooms here at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong have massive bathrooms that also come with plenty of natural daylight. Due to the close proximity of some of the office towers nearby, it is highly-recommended that you to lower the sheers and blinds while using the bathroom - you can do so easily with the touch of a button.
Bathtub
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
The bathtub in the L600 Premier rooms take a while to fill due to the sheer size of it but the water pressure is fantastic so you should be able to enjoy it in no time. Do note that the bath gel can only be found in the shower area so you will have to somehow bring it out if you wish to make a bubble bath. Bath salts are also provided by the tub and the hotel can arrange something special (e.g. rose petals and candle-light) for you if you are celebrating a special occasion like a wedding anniversary or birthday.
Shower Area
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
As much as I love large living spaces in a hotel room, I also appreciate that a lot of this space is dedicated to the bathroom as well. Apart from the massive bathtub in the room, there is also a separate shower area with a seating area for your personal grooming convenience.
Diptyque-branded Bath Amenities
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong has also adopted bulk-size bath amenities to reduce the usage of single-use plastics throughout the hotel. Bath amenities provided in guest rooms and suites are from Diptyque and they smell fantastic.
During my stay at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, I also took the opportunity to check out PDT Hong Kong which is a bar hidden within a bar (MO Bar). PDT Hong Kong is a collaboration with the iconic New York cocktail bar Please Don’t Tell (PDT) and it features unique creations from renowned mixologist Jeff Bell. Apart from the cocktails, the bar also features a rather extensive and unique list of snacks - some of which are inspired by local flavours like the “Cheung Fun” Tater Tots which are served with hoi sin sauce, toasted peanut sauce, chili sauces and white sesame. Cocktails at PDT Hong Kong are priced from HKD 162+ so the prices should be in line with expectations if you are coming from Singapore but they are definitely on the higher side - if your reservation was made through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts, you may choose to use some or all of your USD 100 property credit here.
Bedroom
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
If you are planning to head out for a nightcap or to party the night away, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is only a short 5-minute walk away from one of the city’s most famous drinking streets - Lan Kwai Fong. The district is home to some of the best bars and clubs and it is a great spot for those looking for a good time in the evening. Being just minutes away from all the action means being able to walk back to the hotel after a late night and trust me, this is something that you cannot quite put a price tag on.
Breakfast
SOMM - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
While there are no lack of great restaurants in the vicinity of the property, guests staying at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong may choose to have breakfast at either MO Bar (which is located on street level) or the slightly cosier SOMM (located on Level 7) which in my opinion, is better. Breakfast at SOMM runs from 7:00 AM to 10:30 AM and it is also open to the public - priced at HKD 318 per person, the breakfast set at SOMM comes with a hot beverage, a freshly-squeezed juice, choice of bread, one sweet or savoury plate, as well as one side. There is also a Champagne option (for a supplement) for those looking to indulge a little bit more for breakfast.
Breakfast
SOMM - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
I really enjoyed the poached cage-free eggs which were served on an English muffin with black truffle butter and a delicious hollandaise sauce. All of the dishes at SOMM are made-to-order so there is some waiting time involved but trust me, the food is worth the wait. The shaved black truffle was also a welcome change from luxury hotels dumping synthetic truffle oil on everything as a way to ‘elevate’ dishes.
Breakfast
SOMM - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
The one dish that truly stole the show at breakfast, however, was the cheese and cage-free eggs omelette katsu sando that was served with takoyaki sauce, nori, and katsuobushi (sometimes referred to as bonito). This Japanese-inspired dish was perfectly crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. There was also a good balance of acidity in this dish that seriously took me by surprise.
Even if you do not stay at the property, SOMM should be on your list of places to check out when you visit Hong Kong - the breakfast is great but the SOMMdegustation menu was even better. I had the privilege of trying it on one of the evenings that I was there and I was completely won over by the signature Aka Uni ‘‘French Toast’’. Reservations are definitely recommended if you are planning to dine at SOMM.
Living Area
L600 Premier - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is all about its location - it is situated in an unbelievable spot that is right smack in Central with plenty of great restaurants, cafes, and drinking places within walking distance. It goes without saying that the property is frequented by well-heeled travellers and affluent locals who are willing to pay a higher room rate to enjoy the perks of staying in a property like this. With that being said, there are probably no other hotels in Hong Kong that tick all the right boxes for a traveller who is tight on time.
The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
15 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong
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