Mandarin Oriental Singapore review: How a $152m redesign transformed a dull diplomat into a flirt
Singapore’s Mandarin Oriental used to exude all the charisma of a suited diplomat — polished, perfectly pleasant, a little dull.
It was a hotel you respected. Today, having undergone a glorious $152m redesign, it’s a property you flirt with, dance late into the night with and text the next morning to say, “Hey, that was fun — let’s do it again soon.”
If you’ve been in a hotel with a deep-cut central atrium, chances are you’ve experienced the work of American neo-futuristic architect John Portman. It was Portman who conceived the original MO building — a concrete ode to the 80s and to Singapore, his cavernous internal vision built on MO’s fan logo and an internal quadrant design that tapered inwards as you rose upwards.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.It’s these bones that Jeffrey Wilkes — founder of Kuala Lumpur-based DesignWilkes — inherited back in 2023, charged with an uplift that would drag the 80s original into the now.
Wilkes’ MO is lighter, lusher, and smarter than before — tropical modernism with impeccable posture and a cheeky smile.
His designs play across style, texture and colour. There’s a modernity to what’s presented — though the narrative also leans into the past. The atrium now rises in a clay colour that lightens as it ascends, a nod, Wilkes has said, to traditional Singaporean roof tiles. Elsewhere, clear references to Peranakan architecture, colonial housing and the island’s native Angsana tree.
“Every corner of the hotel tells a story, from Singapore’s lush landscapes to the intricate details found in traditional shophouses,” Wilkes has said of the renovation that saw the hotel close — in its entirety — for six months. “We wanted guests not just to be visiting the city, but to feel a part of it.”
The 510 suites and rooms feel like someone with exquisite taste and generational wealth decided to host you for the weekend. Everything whispers: ‘We’re not showing off — but look closer.’
ROAM’s Marina Bay View Room is a study in blue (soft and steel, as aligned to the water of the Bay that comes framed by wall-to-ceiling windows) and Wilkes’ neat melding of the modern and the historic (cue an antique tea chest that works to house a stocked and modern minibar).
A sizable separate bathroom boasts marbles, Natura Bisse products and both rain shower and deep, standalone bath.
Hotel dining is a veritable “thing” in this part of the world — and MO does not disappoint. The accessible and lushly appointed Embu offers a broad buffet of global flavours (Indian, Japanese, western, Asian) and don’t miss the lobster laksa. Cherry Garden, by Michelin-star chef Fei, is a triumphant dance of elevated and inventive Cantonese and Teochew dining, with Japanese fine dining found at Zuicho, alongside the Italian of Dolce Vita and the famed Morton’s Steakhouse. Notable drinks come served at the colourful MO Bar, rooftop lounge Bay@5 and The Bar At Morton’s.
Open to guests across all suites — and anyone wanting to stump up the cash — Haus 65 on level 21 is a decadent club lounge of views, further Wilkes’ design allure and a daily champagne breakfast that cannot be bettered.
From here, a necessary lie-down can be found at the award-winning spa and nearby pool area — the latter’s centrepiece a wide 25-metre offering surrounded by lavish landscaping and a series of cabanas that come with impeccable service that starts with gifted revitalisation shots and necessary face mists.
As framed by the mature palms, views spill from the pool across the Bay. For those so inclined, a 24-hour Technogym-laden gym is spacious and stacked, with a separate kids’ pool nearby. MO’s elevated outdoor area proves a true oasis and one of Singapore’s finest aquatic offers — perfect to cool down, sleep off the champagne or a place to order some more as you consider the air-conditioned cool and luxury labels of the adjacent Marina Bay Sands complex.
This isn’t the Mandarin Oriental you remember — it’s the one it always wanted to be. Less “yes, minister”, more “why the hell not?”
Details: From $659 per night. 5 Raffles Ave, Singapore; mandarinoriental.com
Insider
If you’re not in a suite or room that enables gratis access to the impressive club lounge Haus 65, then question where you’re at in life.
After you’ve done that, know you can purchase daily access for about $175 per person — worth it for the champagne breakfast, afternoon tea (more champagne), evening cocktails and offered laundry service.
Also know that Uber doesn’t exist in Singapore — download the likes of Grab or Gojek before landing. Finally, allow Singapore Airlines to get you to The Lion City.
