Mandarin Oriental to add more suites

General manager Amanda Hyndman announced a comprehensive renovation of the hotel’s Authors’ Lounge and Garden Wings Tower to enhance the facilities and services as well as to restore the historic heart of the property to its original splendour.

The renovation is due to start this month, during the hotel’s low season, and will take about seven months, reopening in December at the peak of the high season.

"We have already closed the tower for a big renovation at a cost of Bt630 million. Addition refurbishment is being planned," Hyndman said.

Once the renovation is completed, there will be 14 new suites with balconies.

Meanwhile, Le Normandie restaurant on the top floor of the Garden Wing will also be rejuvenated. At the same time, the renowned Authors’ Lounge, a favourite destination for afternoon tea, society weddings and elegant events, will be restored to its classic late-19th-century design, and extended to flow seamlessly through to the terrace and gardens.

"The overall renovation will extend the hotel’s [status] as a unique urban resort environment and make further use of the property’s extensive river frontage," Hyndman said.

She said the hotel would attract big-spending guests through a new strategic marketing programme that would focus on suites rather than normal rooms because of the high demand for such accommodation from international markets.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is promoting renovation of the property in Bangkok and will market it through its worldwide network. Currently, regular guests are heads of state, royal families, celebrities and wealthy people mostly from the United States, Europe, South Africa, Japan and Australia. In the first four months of 2015, occupancy rates at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok increased by 34 per cent year-on-year. Moreover, the hotel earned the highest revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the country.

The 139-year-old hotel was the first five-star property in Thailand to be recommended in the annual Forbes Travel Guide Star Rating list. The Oriental Spa was also named in the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Recommended list.

The hotel is also on the Conde Nast Traveler global edition’s 2015 "Gold List"; has been named The Gallivanter’s Guide’s "Best Hotel in Southeast Asia"; and this year received DestinAsian’s "Readers’ Choice Award" for "Best Hotel in Bangkok", its eighth win in 10 years.

A year-round grand celebration of its 140th anniversary is planned for 2016.