I am often asked if there is a Mandarin Oriental rewards program, much like you can take advantage of at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, SPG, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton, and so forth. My answer is yes. They have a benefit-based loyalty program rewarding regular guests called Fans of M.O., but they don’t have a point or a revenue-based loyalty program, nor do they offer frequent flyer-style rewards or even free reward nights like smaller schemes like SLH.com. Instead, you get benefits during your stay if you are a Fans of M.O. member.
Should you Join Fans of Mandarin Oriental loyalty program? You can join for free and get basic, property-specific benefits, but there is a much better way to book into Mandarin Oriental hotels. Book via our luxury travel concierge, and you get many more benefits instead of the two you will get by booking direct with this loyalty scheme.
I booked a summer stay at the Mandarin Oriental Geneva. I got six benefits by booking via our concierge. These included a room upgrade to the next category, complimentary breakfast for two per bedroom, a complimentary welcome gift, $100 USD equivalent hotel experiential credit per room per stay, early check-in / late check-out (subject to availability), and complimentary Wi-Fi.
We are not cheaper, we are the same price as the Mandarin Oriental website, but the free benefits our concierge offers are massively valuable.
How do we do this? Mandarin Oriental partners directly with a small number of high-end agencies, including our own luxury travel concierge, which means that we can share privileges at all Mandarin Oriental hotels and resorts with clients who make bookings with us.
Is There A Fee To Join Fans Of M.O.?
There is currently no fee to join Fans of M.O. There is no physical card, but each member will receive a unique membership I.D. There is no fee to book via a luxury travel agent either, and the benefits are better! This makes a booking via a luxury travel agent a much more sensible idea.
Should I Book Direct On Mandarin Oriental’s Website?
No! If you book on their website direct, you choose from ONLY TWO additional benefits, such as early check-in at 12:00 pm, late check-out at 4:00 pm, complimentary breakfast for one, complimentary room upgrade, dining or spa credit, a celebratory treat, complimentary pressing services or streaming Wi-Fi. Benefit details may vary by hotel and will be listed during the online booking process.
How About Points & Free Nights?
Unlike Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, Hilton Honours, and most other loyalty programs worldwide, this Mandarin Oriental program does not offer guests the ability to collect points or credits toward free nights. Instead, it offers guests exclusive benefits along with the same airline miles with their participating frequent flyer program as they could before.
They say: “As a Fan of M.O., we offer you the convenience of faster booking, complimentary Wi-Fi, and exclusive members-only offers from our hotels and partners around the world. Whenever you book online, we also invite you to choose two additional privileges.” Benefits depend on the hotel, but you are able to see the benefits when you make your booking, so you will know what you might get in advance.
What Will My Welcome Amenity Be?
You will get a welcome amenity if you book via our concierge or direct. In my experience, a Mandarin Oriental welcome amenity will be something like a box of chocolate, a fruit bowl, some wine, some sparkling wine, macaroons, and that kind of thing.
Will the new Loyalty Program Encourage Loyalty?
I doubt it, as there is no reward for staying at Mandarin Oriental hotels more than staying at other brands. Therefore, you are unlikely to be drawn to choosing MO on your next hotel stay over other brands because you cannot get high status like Platinum or Diamond. You can’t work towards status or stay on points.
For frequent travelers, the ability to earn status and perks with a chain is a huge benefit. Fans of M.O. does not offer status or earned perks. Everyone gets them, and they aren’t as good as the benefits you would get by booking via a luxury travel agent.
Which Are The Best Mandarin Oriental Hotels?
We have outlined the best Mandarin Oriental hotels separately. We have stayed in and loved the Mandarin Oriental Geneva and have reviewed Mandarin Oriental Boca Raton, Mandarin Oriental Muscat, Mandarin Oriental Marrakech and Mandarin Oriental Milan. The Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong has a club lounge as does the Singapore Mandarin Oriental and Mandarin Oriental hotels are even launching in Honolulu.
How About Corporate Promo Codes?
There may well be special corporate promo codes, so if you are an employee of a company like Goldman Sachs, Bank Of America, IBM, or the government, you might be able to take advantage of these discounts, but these codes are not widely available to the general public. In addition, the discount may not be as good as the free benefits offered by our luxury travel concierge. We suggest asking for a free quote so you can compare prices and benefits and get the full picture before booking.
How About Other Luxury Chains?
Many luxury hotel addicts prefer Aman hotels, “Aman Junkies,” or Four Seasons hotels even though there is no Four Seasons loyalty scheme, or they may choose hotels that are part of Leading Hotels Of The World instead of booking Mandarin Oriental hotels. Having stayed at all three many times, I believe all three hotel chains have their merits.
Mandarin Oriental Promotional Offers
There are deals at Mandarin Oriental hotels that you can take advantage of, such as second, third, or fourth night free, depending on the season. These 3 for 2 and 4 for 3 vouchers can be an incredible deal if you have a specific Mandarin Oriental hotel in mind and are flexible on when you want to visit. These offers can be found on the Mandarin Oriental website, or our concierge can help you find the best Mandarin Oriental deals.
Early booking discount rates, special promotional packages, rates with promo codes, friends and family rates, corporate rates, group rates, and other discounted rates usually also qualify for our perks if you book with our luxury travel concierge, but it is always worth checking with our travel experts to be sure.
How About Aggregator Websites?
The lowest room rate at a Mandarin Oriental hotel for your requested travel dates may be found on aggregator websites like Expedia and Trivago. These aggregators verify hotel prices and deals at hundreds of hotels. The problem with these rates and deals is that, often, valuable extras are not included. As an example, breakfasts are often excluded from these rates.
Breakfast at Mandarin Oriental hotels costs in the region of $50 USD per person per day, although this does vary depending on the property. Arguably, you can often grab breakfast at a diner or cafe nearby for closer to $10 USD per person, but this is a hassle, and, for me, breakfast is part of the joy of staying in a luxury hotel.
Add the value of potential room upgrades, early check-in / late check-out, the gift, and food and beverage credit of $100 USD per stay that you get for free by booking with our luxury travel concierge and you can easily argue that you are getting $200 USD per night of value in benefits (if not more) over and above the aggregator website.
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Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing but may be amended at discretion of the vendor. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.
