Bay Area the focus of Mandarin Oriental with latest Shenzhen opening

Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen opened on Thursday, demonstrating the hotel group's confidence in the future of the city as well as that of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, according to a top executive.

The opening of the hotel is "exciting and timely", said Mark S. Bradford, general manager of the hotel, in an interview ahead of the opening. It is also the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group's newest luxury hotel in the Bay Area, which consists of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and nine Guangdong cities.

"Shenzhen is a modern global financial center, a cutting-edge tech hub and is fast becoming an international city for innovators by 2025," Bradford said.

"As a special economic zone of China, the city is fast becoming a globally recognized destination.

"Shenzhen is located at the core of the Bay Area and provides cutting-edge urbanism and quality of life to its community. We will now operate five luxury hotels in the Greater Bay Area, demonstrating our trust in Guangdong's vision," Bradford said. "Without a doubt, the Greater Bay Area and China will continue to be a priority for our company."

Prior to being appointed general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen, Bradford was the opening general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Wangfujing, Beijing.

The hotelier, who has decades of experience with Mandarin Oriental, has been tasked to open, launch and operate four Mandarin Oriental hotels over the past 15 years.

Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen, according to Bradford, will also become a "foodie destination". It is collaborating with chef Huang Jinghui, also known as Chef Fei, who holds two Michelin stars for his modern-day interpretations of Cantonese cuisine.

He runs the kitchen at The Bay by Chef Fei, the flagship restaurant of Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen.

"We have incorporated Chaozhou cuisine into the menu to tempt the local palates of Shenzhen," Huang said. "We also offer other regional specialties, such Sichuan cuisine, to cater to the large migrant population in the city."

Having grown from Asian roots into a global brand, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group now operates 36 hotels and seven residences across 24 countries and regions.

Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen, which occupies the top 12 floors of the 79-story UpperHills building in the city's Futian district, is the group's 36th hotel. Each of the luxury hotel's 178 spacious rooms and suites boast spectacular parkland and city views.

In keeping with Mandarin Oriental's reputation for dining excellence, its eight restaurants and bars include a fine dining Cantonese restaurant helmed by Michelin-starred Chef Fei. Meanwhile, other restaurants feature the cuisines of China, Spain, Japan and France, with the vintage-vibe rooftop MO Bar catering to the city's sophisticates.