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Mandarin Oriental rises to new heights thanks to a sophisticated design from Hirsch Bedner Associates
The luxury hotel experience rises to new heightsquite literally-in the Mandarin Oriental, New York, which opened its doors last November. Located in the new Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle on Central Park South, the elegant hotel-an exquisite confluence of classic, modern, Western design and sophisticated Oriental color and detailing-floats like a heavenly oasis, above the hustle-bustle of the city, on the 35th through 54th floors of one of the crystalline towers comprising the brand new multi-use complex.
Designed by HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates in conjunction with Brennan Beer Gorman (BBG) Architects, the five-star hotel stands as Mandarin Oriental hotel Group's flagship U.S. property, the third of four hotels slated to be built in various U.S. cities as part of the Hong Kong-based company's growth plan. "Mandarin Oriental hotel Group's strategy is to become a global player by establishing luxury hotels that it owns and/or operates in all the key cities in the U.S. and the Western world," says Rudy Tauscher, Mandarin Oriental, New York's general manager, who adds that the company's goal is to increase the number of its rooms in important international business and leisure destinations from 7,000 to 10,000.
Occupying 290,000 square feet in the heart of Manhattan, where several of the city's other finest hotels also reside, the $265 million, 251-room Mandarin Oriental seeks to distinguish itself among its neighbors by offering an inviting international ambience that blends the Mandarin's exotic Oriental heritage with New York's cosmopolitan culture, including the best of both worlds' cutting-edge amenities and luxury services. "We have a decentralized design approach-not every city is the same, so each hotel is unique," says Tauscher. "Mandarin Oriental's aim in developing luxury hotels is based on its heritage, so the Asian influence is always stressed, even if very subtly. And we always ensure that all of the elements in operating a five-star property are in balance, that nothing is sacrificed."
According to Jennifer Kleen, HBA/Hirsch Bedner's senior designer on the project, the first priority was to permit the hotel to meet the expectations of both business and leisure travelers the moment they enter the groundfloor lobby, which is shared by the hotel and the...