Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing Climbs to 7th Place at the 50 Best Hotels 2026
Rising global acclaim for the hotel's distinctive Beijing courtyard stay experience
Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing is delighted to announce its latest inclusion in The 50 Best Hotels, ranking No. 7, marking an increase of 7 places following its No. 14 debut ranking in 2025. The fourth edition of The 50 Best Hotels has been announced at an awards ceremony in Paris and features industry-defining hotels spanning six continents worldwide. By earning a place on the prestigious list for a second consecutive year, while also improving its position, the hotel has reinforced its recognition among hospitality experts and discerning travellers alike.The 50 Best Hotels awards ceremony united the global travel and hospitality community to celebrate the world's finest hotels. ....- Continue reading (Members Only) - Unlock Advantages with a LHN Membership - Read more here
Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing comprises 42 exclusive courtyard houses within traditional hutong neighbourhoods along Beijing's Central Axis. Guided by the philosophy of “Unveil Beijing's Soul”, the hotel seamlessly integrates the city's rich cultural heritage into both its architecture and guest journey. It offers a distinctive luxury lifestyle experience through expansive and unique courtyard accommodation, personalised service, and exceptional dining and wellness facilities....- Continue reading (Members Only) - Unlock Advantages with a LHN Membership - Read more here
Richard Langonné, Area General Manager of Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing and Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing: “Being named to The 50 Best Hotels for a second consecutive year is a testament to our team's unwavering commitment to service excellence and memorable guest experiences. We are honoured to welcome travellers from around the world to Beijing and create unforgettable memories through heartfelt hospitality and immersive explorations of the city's hutong and siheyuan culture. We will continue to uphold Mandarin Oriental's legendary service while elevating every aspect of the guest journey.”
Since opening, the hotel has consistently enriched its guest offerings, expanding the breadth of its destination experiences through a diverse range of culinary, cultural and cross-industry collaborations. TIAO, the hotel's contemporary cocktail bar, has also earned a place on the 2026 Asia's 50 Best Bars list, further underscoring the hotel's excellence in the food, beverage and lifestyle space.
Securing a place on The 50 Best Hotels list for a second consecutive year marks another significant milestone. The distinction reflects the continued recognition of the hotel's service excellence and guest experience by both the global travel community and industry peers, while further strengthening Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing's position within the international luxury hospitality landscape.
Looking ahead, the hotel remains committed to welcoming guests from around the world with exceptional service and innovative experiences that continue to redefine luxury hospitality....- Continue reading (Members Only) - Unlock Advantages with a LHN Membership - Read more here
About The 50 Best Hotels
Following the success of The 50 Best Restaurants and The 50 Best Bars, The 50 launched The 50 Best Hotels in 2023, marking the brand's first global launch since 2009. The list is created by The 50 Best Hotels Academy, an influential group of more than 800 independent leaders, each selected for their expert opinion of the international hotel scene. The 50 Best Hotels event programme – including the awards ceremony and unveiling of the list – provides a unique opportunity to unite hoteliers, restaurateurs, bar owners, media, business and luxury travellers at a captivating celebration of hospitality, passion and talent. The first edition of the awards was held in London, UK, in September 2023....- Continue reading (Members Only) - Unlock Advantages with a LHN Membership - Read more here
About Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing
Located in the heart of a traditional hutong neighbourhood inside the Beijing Central Axis, the capital's key cultural artery, Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing is a remarkable, unique property of just 42 courtyard houses. Intimately connected to the city, its expansive, luxurious accommodations feature exquisite oriental aesthetics and represent the pinnacle of Chinese hospitality. With refined wellness and immersive culinary experiences and a distinguished event setting, contemporary luxury, sumptuous heritage, art and nature combine, just steps from The Forbidden City, Qianmen and The Temple of Heaven...- Continue reading (Members Only) - Unlock Advantages with a LHN Membership - Read more here
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The Art of Expansion: How Mandarin Oriental Plans to Double in Size Without Losing Its Soul
In the world of luxury hospitality, scale often comes at a cost. As hotel groups expand, the intimate, intuitive service that defines their most iconic properties can be diluted by corporate standardization. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, a brand synonymous with discreet luxury and its iconic fan logo, is attempting to defy this axiom. Under the leadership of CEO Laurent Kleitman, the company is two years into a strategic reset with a bold goal: to double its portfolio to over 100 hotels by 2033, all while preserving what Kleitman calls its “extreme empathy.....- Continue reading (Premium Members Only) - Unlock Exclusive Advantages with a Premium Membership - Read more here
The ambition is significant for a group that, with just over 40 hotels, remains a relatively small player compared to industry giants. Yet, its reputation and recent $4.2 billion valuation in a take-private deal with parent company Jardine Matheson underscore its outsized influence. The central question guiding this transformation is one that few luxury brands have successfully answered: How do you grow without sacrificing the very essence that makes you desirable?... .....- Continue reading (Premium Members Only) - Unlock Exclusive Advantages with a Premium Membership - Read more here
A Strategy Rooted in Soul-Searching
When Kleitman, a former CEO of Parfums Christian Dior, took the helm, he didn’t immediately reach for a spreadsheet. Instead, he initiated a period of "soul searching.".....- Continue reading (Premium Members Only) - Unlock Exclusive Advantages with a Premium Membership - Read more here
The answer lay in its unique "dual Asian" heritage. On one side is the pioneering spirit of The Mandarin in Hong Kong (1963), which introduced innovations like bathtubs in every room. On the other is the graceful, intuitive service of The Oriental in Bangkok, now celebrating its 150th anniversary. This fusion of Hong Kong's innovation and Thailand's empathetic grace became the foundation of the brand's new strategic pillars: being uncompromisingly brand-led and totally guest-centric.....- Continue reading (Premium Members Only) - Unlock Exclusive Advantages with a Premium Membership - Read more here
This introspection was the critical first step that enabled everything that followed. As Monika Nerger, the former Group Global Chief Information Officer who led the company's digital transformation, noted, they started by asking, "What's the DNA of the brand? Where do we fit into the market?" Only after this foundation was laid could they begin to build......- Continue reading (Premium Members Only) - Unlock Exclusive Advantages with a Premium Membership - Read more here
The Digital Transformation: Technology as an Enabler of Humanity
A key component of the strategic reset was a sweeping digital transformation. However, Mandarin Oriental took an unconventional path. Instead of launching siloed initiatives—a new app here, a CRM system there—the company created a unified, cross-functional program that brought together marketing, operations, technology, and HR.
"We didn't want to do these initiatives as silos," Nerger explained. "No, we were going to put it together as a unified program." This holistic approach was underpinned by a dedicated transformation office with change leadership baked in from day one, ensuring that new tools were adopted and celebrated by staff through contests and events.....- Continue reading (Premium Members Only) - Unlock Exclusive Advantages with a Premium Membership - Read more here
Expanding the Physical Footprint: Hotels, Residences, and Beyond
With a fortified brand identity and a digital backbone in place, Mandarin Oriental is aggressively expanding its physical presence. The strategy is twofold: fill critical geographic gaps and diversify the ways guests can experience the brand.....- Continue reading (Premium Members Only) - Unlock Exclusive Advantages with a Premium Membership - Read more here
Geographically, the group is entering highly coveted destinations where it was previously absent. Following a recent opening in Vienna, the pipeline includes properties in Rome and a strengthened presence in North America. In Mn.....- Continue reading (Premium Members Only) - Unlock Exclusive Advantages with a Premium Membership - Read more here
Furthermore, the group is expanding into the private rental market with its collection of "exceptional homes"—villas in destinations like Bali and Umbria that offer the brand's service with complete discretion. This move caters to a powerful shift in luxury travel, where privacy is increasingly seen as the ultimate luxury.
The Art of Placemaking: Innovation in Service and Product
Expansion isn't just about adding more keys; it's about deepening the brand's connection to each destination. This is evident in how Mandarin Oriental approaches property development. In Beijing's Qianmen district, the group didn't just build a hotel; it meticulously restored an entire hutong area, preserving 90% of the original structures and seamlessly blending the luxury hotel experience with the life of a historic neighborhood.....- Continue reading (Premium Members Only) - Unlock Exclusive Advantages with a Premium Membership - Read more here
This commitment to authenticity extends to its food and beverage and wellness offerings. At Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, "The Pizza Bar on 38th" has been voted the best pizza in Asia by blending a world-class product with a Japanese omakase experience. In wellness, the group that invented the modern hotel spa in Bangkok in 1993 is now pushing into holistic well-being and longevity, ensuring its offerings remain at the forefront of the industry.....- Continue reading (Premium Members Only) - Unlock Exclusive Advantages with a Premium Membership - Read more here
The success of this approach was validated in the 2026 Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Awards. Mandarin Oriental emerged as the brand with the most newly awarded Five-Star hotels globally, with new entries in Zurich, Beijing, Barcelona, and Abu Dhabi. It is s.....- Continue reading (Premium Members Only) - Unlock Exclusive Advantages with a Premium Membership - Read more here
The Talent Imperative and Future Outlook
At the heart of this ambitious strategy is a simple truth recognized by both Kleitman and Nerger: luxury hospitality is a craft delivered by people. To scale without losing its soul, Mandarin Oriental is investing heavily in its talent pipeline. Programs like the "Rising Fan" management training immerse young graduates in every facet of hotel operations for 18 months, creating a generation of leaders who understand the brand from the ground up.....- Continue reading (Premium Members Only) - Unlock Exclusive Advantages with a Premium Membership - Read more here
Kleitman acknowledges that the hospitality industry has room for improvement in attracting and retaining talent. Addressing flexible scheduling, mental health, and clear career paths are top priorities. "Talent and securing the best colleagues... is the number one priority, since ensuring services are delivered well is the number one issue we all face in the hospitality profession," he states.
Looking ahead, the outlook for Mandarin Oriental is one of confident, calculated growth. By balancing a "dual Asian" heritage with modern innovation, leveraging technology to enhance human connection, and expanding thoughtfully into new geographies and concepts like standalone residences, the group is charting a course to double its size.
The ultimate test will be whether the "unscripted moments"—like the one Kleitman experienced 20 years ago in Bangkok, when a stained shirt was quietly cleaned and returned—can be replicated across 100 hotels. If the first two years of this strategic reset are any indication, Mandarin Oriental is betting that by putting brand, people, and guest-centricity at the center of its expansion, it can not only grow but thrive, proving that true luxury can, in fact, scale.....- Continue reading (Premium Members Only) - Unlock Exclusive Advantages with a Premium Membership - Read more here
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