The ideal home away from home

After our visit to the Mandarin Oriental 2 years ago I wrote the following review. Now we were there for a week and found that although the management had changed everything else had remained just as convincing and charming as ever:

The claim to "make you feel at home" does not quite describe the Oriental’s main feature. What they actually do achieve is this: They give you a feeling of what the ideal home could be like. The personal care and appreciation one receives in the Oriental not just as a guest but as an individual is second to none.

I can‘t think of any cons, except that people who are not sensitive to friendliness and personal attention should avoid the hotel. The following incident illustrates what I mean: Upon arrival at the Oriental, guests are greeted by welcoming personnell and presented a flower chain. One day I observed a man climbing out of the taxi, pushing the welcoming girl aside and slapping her hand as she attempted to give him the flower chain.

There are many luxury hotels in the world and quite a few in Bangkok. Some might even be more luxurious with respect to interior decoration, furnishings, room facilities etc. than the Oriental. True luxury, however, does not come in the form of flat screen television sets, in-room whirlpools and the like (the rooms in the Oriental, by the way, are equipped with everything the discriminating traveller needs and designed in good taste and style) but is provided by caring and efficient personal attention. In the Oriental, your wishes are being fulfilled almost before you even know that you had them.
Of course, part of the charme and spirit of the place lies in its history, but the secret of making you feel so extremely comfortable is the degree of friendliness and efficiency of the entire staff and the fact that you enjoy it not as an anonymous guest but as an appreciated individual with a name and a personal identity.