Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou

The room was spacious, clean, and comfortable, and the staff were welcoming and helpful. Being connected to Taikoo Hui Mall is handy when you don't feel like heading out, and Tianhe District has so many malls that shoppers will love the area. Shipaiqiao Station is connected too, and MO Guangzhou is well located. Breakfast was great, though Guangzhou has plenty of good restaurants, so you may want to save room for those. I highly recommend MO GUANGZHOU and am already thinking about another stay. It is pricey, but the comfort and service make it feel worth the money.

The manager turned down our suggestion of breakfast for two as a goodwill gesture, saying the hotel breakfast was “too expensive” to offer. That was shocking and insulting from a hotel presenting itself as a luxury brand. Choosing Mandarin Oriental shouldn't mean paying premium prices and being treated without basic respect. This stay fell far short of expectations and of what the brand claims to stand for. We had two rooms booked and asked for them to be on the same floor. The first guest arrived shortly after the stated 3:00 PM check-in time and was told the room wasn't ready, with a wait of over an hour. When the second guest arrived after 4:00 PM, we were told again to wait another hour, which meant check-in might not happen until after 6:00 PM. Both groups ended up waiting in the lobby from shortly after 3:00 PM until after 5:00 PM, for one to two hours. That included elderly guests in their 70s and a 4-year-old child. There was no proper apology, compensation, or attempt to help or comfort us. We were just left there. The one-sidedness was especially disappointing. We were expected to wait indefinitely because of the hotel's operational problems, but still had to meet the strict 12:00 PM checkout the next day.

This is still my usual place to stay in Guangzhou. It's cosy, the service is consistently on point, especially housekeeping, and I feel it's worth the price. This is where I became a fan. Ebony on 4/F has recently been revamped as “Tang”, though I personally liked Ebony's brighter, more elegant feel better.

The rooms are large and tastefully decorated, and the hotel has a lovely look with great service. Breakfast has a good mix of Western and Chinese food. There’s a well-equipped gym and locker rooms with a sauna, plus a nice outdoor pool that works for lap swimming.