Mandarin Oriental, Milan Hotel 

The Mandarin Oriental in Milan shines in many ways: 1. The location - it’s tucked away on a side street away from the traffic and the potential tourists distractions 2. The decor - the decor in the room and throughout the hotel is inviting and warm, yet with a quiet sense of sophisticated glamour 3. The food option - the breakfast leaves the hotel guests wanting for nothing more, especially with its huge selection of pastries and a wide assortment of buffet-style options of protein, fruits, cereals, cheeses, etc.; on top of that, they also have an a la carte menu of other breakfast options for the guests to select from. The amazing selection of pastries and cakes, along with plentiful croissant options, was a real bonus for breakfast. Their all day menu and lunch / dinner menu also boast an excellent selection of options for various types of eaters - whether you enjoy beef, seafood, pasta, vegan/vegetarian, etc. 4. The people - whether it’s the staff opening the door for the guests or helping with the luggage, or the staff helping you check in or check out of the hotel, or the wonderful staff taking care of the guests at the restaurant, or the staff cleaning the room, or any other staff members working behind the scene to contribute to the excellent services seen throughout all aspects of the hotel - are the heart and soul of this hotel. - One clear example of this are the staff members in the hotel’s non-Michelin star restaurant. During our 4 nights of stay at the hotel, we were greeted with warmth and smiles from every member of the staff at the restaurant - that is over 4 breakfast meals, 1 lunch, 2 dinners, and a handful of afternoon drinks. They remembered our room number and names after the 1st breakfast or lunch that we had… and this includes members of staff that we did not met previously - it’s almost like they studied up on their guests. And shared details about their guests with each other to ensure everyone is familiar with the guests. They remembered what we had for beverages at our various meals, what condiments we needed before we even asked for them, where we preferred to sit, and the list goes on. This meticulous level of observation and service were all not expected by us, but were very much appreciated. We especially want to commend Paulo, Nicole, and Benedetta for taking such wonderful care of us, and also being so very patient with us. - There was an incident in which we were sitting in the garden for an early dinner the night before we checked out of the hotel, and a bee just wouldn’t leave us alone. Nicole was very patient (and another colleague of hers whose name I did not get) and accommodating with us in setting up a table inside the restaurant immediately in case we wanted to move inside to finish our meal - and that we did. She and David also arranged a very special dessert plate for us to send us off. Again, it was not expected at all, but we were very touched by the special gesture and the thought they put into it. - We would also like to highlight David for taking such good care of another table of guests who were having drinks near us that night. One of the guests felt that one of the ceiling lights focusing on her seat was a bit too bright. Despite not asking to having anything adjusted, David had a maintenance staff come with a ladder to adjust the angle of the light so that it was not focused on the guest’s seat. We can tell that the guest did not expect such attention and service, but was definitely very touched by the action that David took. There were so many other staff members at the restaurant that made us feel like home. They truly made our stay at the hotel a memorable and wonderful experience. Please thank them all for us once again.