Mandarin Oriental Leaves Vegas, Returns to Hawaii

Luxury hotelier Mandarin Oriental has many properties around the world, but its footprint in the U.S. is limited; especially now as the Mandarin Oriental leaves Vegas.  But that could change soon, as the company is making a return to Hawaii soon.

Mandarin Oriental Leaves Vegas

The Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas was the chain’s only operation in Vegas and in the Western U.S.  However, earlier this year CityCenter Las Vegas, which itself is a joint venture between MGM International and Dubai World, sold the property.  And, as part of that sale, the management contract with Mandarin Oriental ended, with Hilton assuming control on August 31, 2018.

Under Hilton, the property now operates as Waldorf Astoria.  And rates, cash or points, tend to average what you’d expect them to.  However, I’ve seen rates as low as $258 or 64,000 points per night during slower periods.  That’s not bad for a hotel of this caliber, though those rates are higher than other excellent properties in the area for that time.

At the end of the day, though, it’s nice to see another large chain on the Strip.  More options are always better than less, after all.  And, in CityCenter, there are now two properties with large chain affiliations: the Waldorf Astoria and the Cosmopolitan.

 

Mandarin Oriental Returns to Hawaii

The one and only Mandarin Oriental presence in Hawaii to date was the Kahala Hotel & Resort, formerly the Kahala Hilton.  However, the new Manaolana Place, a new development project near the Hawaii Convention Center is bringing the brand back.  The $1 billion project promises to add 125 new hotel rooms on the first 19 floors, while the remaining 17 stories will feature 99 branded condominiums.  Both the hotels and the condos will fall under the Mandarin Oriental brand, much like the former Las Vegas property.

Per the Pacific Business News, the property’s owners are currently in the process of obtaining demolition permits.  Though no timeline is yet available, the owners hope to begin work by the end of the year.  And, once construction begins, it’s expected to take about three years to complete, with an expected opening date in 2021.  But, for now, here are some early renderings of the property.

Mandarin Oriental Leaves Vegas, Final Thoughts

Again, the addition of another big name brand to the Las Vegas strip is a good thing.  It gives us more opportunities to earn and redeem points.  With that said, though, I’m hoping Hilton, and the property’s new owners maintain the property’s current standards.  And, of course, there’s continuing to swirl around that MGM hopes to acquire the Cosmopolitan, which is a Marriott affiliate.

On the Hawaii side, it’ll be interesting to see how the new Mandarin Oriental Honolulu fares.  It’s not on the beach, nor is it near one.  But it’s next to Ala Moana Center, the Convention Center, and a number of other hotels like the Hawaii Prince Hotel.