Review: Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing

Why did this hotel catch your attention? What's the vibe? I approached a sleek low-rise exterior on a street I used to frequent for Beijing's best Peking duck as a student. The chic architectural exterior—which reminds me of the Landmark Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong—was a stylish surprise as I approached. Fashionable locals were exiting as I walked in, each carrying this season's Celine bags in one hand and an extremely well-groomed poodle in the other. The lobby reminded me more of entering a very posh post-war apartment building in New York City than the usual gilded, marble overdosed, and chandeliered luxury lobby which is common in Beijing. I was mesmerized by the swirling goldfish sculpture overhead and only later learned it was specially commissioned by Frank Gehry. It draws people's attention to the point that if you hang out awhile in the lobby you will see people walking around underneath it in circles just as the three fish seem to circle one another. Staff made eye contact and were engaged with everyone, which is not always the case here in China.

What's the backstory? On the night of February 9, 2009, an illegal fireworks display burnt down the soon-to-open Mandarin Oriental Beijing. I arrived from a trip to Mongolia two days later and my room at the Park Hyatt Beijing faced the blackened chimney. Fast forward to a few years ago. MO tried again to open in the Qianmen gate district, but that too fell through. So this opening has been a long time coming. With regards to design, there is the specially commissioned Gehry sculpture in the lobby and Adam Tihany's old school New York steakhouse design in the hotel's bar and grill.

Tell us all about the accommodations. Any tips on what to book? The swirling jade hues in the carpet and layout reminded me of the Mandarin Oriental in New York at Columbus Circle more than the feeling of being in Beijing. But when I sat down on the bed and promptly eased into fetal position, it was so comfortable, as was the Begg & Co Scottish cashmere throw at the foot of the bed. Then there was the very spa-like bathroom with a beckoning bathtub shaped like an eggshell. Beijing is so smoggy that a great bathroom is a huge perk. Smaller amenities here are very thoughtful: the Diptyque toiletries, the Mavis toothpaste, the Bose speakers, the Wedgwood tea sets, and the Vera Wang glassware. Tech is notably streamlined and intuitive—one iPad controls everything without hassle. Rooms that don't overlook the Forbidden City are a bit of a letdown here, so I would only come back for a Premier Suite or better. Some Mandarin rooms face the Forbidden City but also overlook the rooftop, which would not suit lighter sleepers like me.

Is there a charge for Wi-Fi? No charge; good quality.

Drinking and dining—what are we looking at? Not all rates include breakfast, which was a rather overly edited (translation: too small) buffet when I visited, but I am told it has since blossomed. The "celebrity" is Michelin-starred consultant chef Wong Wing-Keung, who heads the kitchen at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong's Mah Wa restaurant and used to be the only reason to go to the Excelsior Hotel in Hong Kong—also managed by Mandarin Oriental—before it was torn down some years ago. He's considered one of the most creative Cantonese chefs working today. His innovative takes on dim sum are a visual and edible delight. I recommend the black truffle dumplings and the wok-fried lobster with garlic. Both taste like true luxury.

And the service? Having stayed at all of the surrounding competitors, what especially impressed me at the Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing was the service—it was outstanding without needless formality. I watched and listened while I was there and repeatedly heard guests and locals alike address people like Mandy at the concierge desk by name and talk to the bartenders like they were all out for the evening together. I was impressed by the unfussy delivery of this service, which made me feel not like I was in a hotel where my grandparents might have stayed but somewhere decidedly more contemporary and relevant.

What type of travelers will you find here? The hotel's location within the WF Central complex means it attracts Beijingers fresh from the retail boutiques, so I saw shopping bags aplenty and almost as many pampered pooches. This was not a hotel where guests lounge around in their workout gear. Ladies lunching at Cafe Zi sport this season's French and Italian fashions, with a sprinkling of Yeezy sportswear among the younger guests. I was amused to remember what Wangfujing looked like when I was a student—all bicycles, birdcages, and restaurant windows hung with upside down ducks, back when Beijing wore Mao suits and pajamas in the streets. Equally amusing is how close we are to Mao's massive portrait in Tiananmen Square, yet everyone here has clearly embraced Deng Xiaoping's mantra "to get rich is glorious."

What about the neighborhood? Does the hotel fit in, make itself part of the scene? Wangfujing runs north-south through the center of old Beijing, a former warren of princely estates on the outskirts of the Forbidden City. It has turned into a humble food mecca in recent years, and most Beijing-bound tourists come to eat "real" Peking duck, if not the skewered scorpions, starfish, and other rare edibles still offered nearby. The hotel sits on one of the commercial hub's many high-end shopping malls. One need not go far to meet the competition, the longstanding Peninsula hotel and the newer Regent and Waldorf Astoria hotels.

Is there anything you'd change? Oh, how I wish all the rooms had Forbidden City views! I would have handed the room design to someone other than Hirsch Bedner and Associates. Their designs are predictable, although utterly comfortable.

Any other hotel features worth noting? Barmen at the MO Bar will make traveling solo feel anything but lonely, and the 50-page art book cum drinks list is quite engrossing. There is even zero-proof baijiu on the menu for non-drinkers. It's worth stopping en route to admire the fifth floor double-height library. Art-oriented travelers and history buffs should seek out the vintage black-and-white photographs of Mao’s China by Jin Shisheng and Louis-Philippe Messelier in the Mandarin Bar + Grill. Guests have access to the spa's 27-yard indoor pool with natural light streaming through the glass skylight and warmed loungers poolside. I would like to go back to experience one spa treatment in particular: Emperor’s Longevity, which takes place on a bed of warm quartz sand and uses Xiuyan jade massage tools, traditional Chinese medicine, and gua sha meridian techniques.

Bottom line: Worth it? Why? Definitely worth it for the exceptional service, myriad comforts, strategic location, fabulous bar drinks, and innovative dim sum, all while staying in the thick of what makes Beijing a singular experience.