Mǎ dào chéng gōng. It translates, roughly, as this: when the horse arrives, victory follows.
This isn’t just another turn of the Chinese zodiac — it’s a once-in-sixty-years celestial event, the most spirited animal in the cycle meeting its most volatile element, fire producing an energy so charged with momentum, ambition, and transformative force that Chinese astrologers have been talking about 2026 for years. The last Fire Horse year was 1966. The world has changed dramatically since 1966. And on February 17, when the lunar calendar reset, the Horse came back — trailing fire.
Hong Kong
The flagship opened in 1963 as the tallest building on Hong Kong Island — the first hotel in Asia with a bathtub in every guestroom, the first in Hong Kong with direct-dial phones in every room. Sixty-three years later, a statue of Fu Shen, the deity of happiness, still observes the lobby from behind the reservations desk, exactly where he was placed on opening day. Twenty-six people on staff today have worked at the hotel for more than thirty years. The Krug Room holds one of only three such collections in the world — the largest assemblage of Krug Champagnes outside France. The Aubrey ranks among Asia’s 50 Best Bars. Nine restaurants and bars in total. And from The Mandarin Club on the twenty-third floor, suite and Club guests watch Victoria Harbor.
Singapore
Opened in 1987 as The Oriental Singapore — John Portman’s signature fan-shaped atrium design on the Marina Bay waterfront, one of the neo-futuristic interiors that made his reputation. Renamed Mandarin Oriental, Singapore in 2005 after an extensive refurbishment. Then, in 2023, a multi-million-dollar transformation led by Jeffrey Wilkes of DesignWilkes reimagined every surface in the building — lobby, rooms, dining, function spaces — under a single positioning statement: “Exceptionally Singapore.” It shows. The atrium was reborn in a gradient of pink hues drawn from the clay-coloured roofs of Singapore’s quay shophouses — Wilkes gave it a playful nod as “50 shades of clay.”
510 rooms and suites include a collection of 41 residential suites and, on the twenty-third floor, the four-bedroom Royal Marina Bay Penthouse — 4,230 square feet with the only unobstructed panoramic view of the Marina Bay skyline from any hotel penthouse in the city. The view was distinctive enough that Singaporean composer Jonathan Shin wrote a bespoke piece of music for it — “The Exceptional Bay Symphony,” where architecture and music converge into narrative.
The club lounge on the twenty-first floor is called HAUS 65 — named for the country code and the year the nation gained independence — where guests get champagne breakfast, afternoon tea, evening cocktails, a complimentary chauffeur-driven HAUS 65 Car, and the services of M.O. Curators who go well beyond the traditional butler. The bespoke house tea was crafted by local artisan Haflong Tea with notes of orchids, flowers, and fruit blended with black tea leaves. The signature fan was designed by celebrated Singaporean designer Hans Tan.
Beijing – Qianmen
Forty-two courtyard houses spread across Qianmen East Hutong Quarter — one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Beijing, where narrow lanes and alleys have connected traditional courtyard residences since the 13th century. The traditional courtyard houses were reimagined as spacious, luxurious residences — each one landscaped and steeped in a traditional Beijing way of life, each one an independent home inside a living, breathing historic quarter on the Beijing Central Axis — the capital’s key cultural artery, steps from the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.
The hotel opened in late 2024. Within twelve months: a UNESCO Prix Versailles Award for design, a #14 ranking on The World’s 50 Best Hotels, and the distinction of being the first hotel in mainland China to appear on that list. Three international honors before the first anniversary. At Yan Garden, Chef Fei crafts Cantonese and Chaozhou cuisine in a traditional courtyard setting. Seven hundred years of history. One year of operation. Already one of the best hotels in the world.
Bangkok
For more than 148 years, travelers have followed the Chao Phraya River to this address. Not only was it the first luxury hotel in Thailand — it was the first on Bangkok’s riverside, the first to have a hotel spa, and the first to have a hotel bar. Jim Thompson, the legendary Thai silk tycoon, was joint owner from 1946 to 1967, and his fashion house designed the property’s new signature fan to celebrate the recent renovation.
The literary history alone could fill a library. Joseph Conrad arrived shortly after the hotel opened in 1887 — a suite bears his name today. John le Carré wrote The Honourable Schoolboy here. Noël Coward declared it “a lovely place.” Somerset Maugham penned his “Siamese Fairy Tale” from the terrace. The 1,300 staff maintain a 4:1 service ratio — the highest in Bangkok — with an average tenure of fourteen years. And 2026 is the 150th anniversary year, celebrated under the banner “Unfolding Legacies.”
Shenzhen
The world’s highest Mandarin Oriental, perched on the 67th through 79th floors of UpperHills Tower A at 1,273 feet. The first and only luxury hotel in Shenzhen to receive Forbes Travel Guide’s “double five-star” rating — five stars for the hotel, five stars for the Spa. MO Bar commands the highest terrace in town. “The Bay by Chef Fei” was awarded the coveted Black Pearl One Diamond distinction in January 2026. The bar program ranked No. 21 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025. And the signature fan was commissioned from Chen Man, one of the most prominent photographers and visual artists in the Chinese contemporary art scene.
During Chinese New Year, this is where you come for the spectacle. The Futian CBD light show — cascading red and gold across dozens of skyscrapers — transforms the entire skyline into a celebration visible from the property’s terrace. Inside, Tiger Chang’s Wing Chun–inspired cocktails add the counterpoint. His philosophy: in motion there is restraint, in balance there is power. Three city parks sit within walking distance. The view alone is worth the journey. Everything else is why you stay.
Kuala Lumpur
The largest property in the Mandarin Oriental portfolio — 629 rooms — and the one most visibly shaped by its national culture. Custom-carved door handles draw from traditional Kris designs. Sword motifs line the handrails. The signature fan features intricate Malay, Chinese, and Indian motifs centered on the Hibiscus, Malaysia’s national flower — the result of extensive research into the country’s arts, crafts, and history. Over one hundred original artworks by local artists are displayed throughout, and the hotel made history by constructing the first infinity pool in Kuala Lumpur.
For Chinese New Year, Lai Po Heen presents six exquisite Yee Sang creations in half and full portions — for the restaurant or home. The signature Treasure Pot, a slow-simmered assembly of exceptional-quality delicacies, is the kind of heritage piece no buffet can replicate. A curated collection of festive hampers covers every gifting occasion. The view of the Petronas Twin Towers is a view to remember.
Tokyo
Nihonbashi — formerly known as Edo — is where Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo chose to plant its flag as the group’s first property in Japan. It remains the only hotel in the country to hold ten Forbes stars for ten consecutive years: five for the hotel, five for the Spa. In the guest rooms, Isegata — traditional pattern sheets once used for dyeing kimonos — grace the walls as unique adornments.
The fabrics and furnishings were created by Japanese designer Reiko Sudo in collaboration with master artisans and weavers across Japan, each piece reflecting the artistic traditions of Japan through colour, pattern, and texture. East-facing rooms offer the Sumida River, Tokyo Bay, and the Skytree. West-facing rooms: skyscrapers and, on clear days, the snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji. The Pizza Bar on 38th was ranked Best Pizzeria in Asia. Chinese New Year here carries a characteristically Japanese sensibility — restrained, elegant, impeccably composed
Jakarta
Strategically positioned in the heart of Jakarta’s financial and diplomatic district, Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta maintains a boutique atmosphere across 272 spacious rooms and suites. The intimacy here is deliberate — luxury, security, and the highest level of personalized service reflecting both the heritage of the brand and the warmth of true Indonesian hospitality. Named Best Hotel in Jakarta at the TTG Travel Awards 2024. This is the hotel that makes the emotional heart of the season — family — its centerpiece.
Macau
The only non-gaming international luxury hotel in Macau. Mandarin Oriental, Macau sits on the waterfront at One Central with views toward Nam Van Lake, the Macau Tower, and the South China Sea. The hotel is within walking distance of most UNESCO World Heritage sites on the Macau Peninsula, and it occupies the best vantage point in the city for the yearly international fireworks competition.
For Chinese New Year, this is reunion dining in an environment that captures Macau’s unique cultural duality — Portuguese and Chinese heritage. The property celebrated its fifteenth anniversary in July 2025.
Desaru Coast
Designed by the late Kerry Hill — one of the region’s most esteemed architects — The Sirēya at Mandarin Oriental, Desaru Coast sits within 128 acres of verdant rainforest opening onto a pristine South China Sea beach. Forty-four suites and a private villa, with green roofs, rainforest-framed walkways, and indoor-outdoor flow built from yellow balau timber and hand-selected stone. Among the living treasures: are trees more than three hundred years old.
The Dusky Monkey bar is named for Suri, a gentle dusky leaf monkey who watched over the resort’s creation with quiet curiosity — and whose legacy is toasted in a namesake cocktail and a soothing oolong-and-tropical-fruit tea blend. Art is woven throughout: fused glass botanicals by Fuan Wong, carved wood sculptures by Anniketyni Madian, hand-painted murals by Abdul Rashade. The property officially became a Mandarin Oriental resort in February 2026. Chinese New Year calligraphy — brushing the fú character on gold-flecked red paper — connects guests to centuries of meaning in a setting where the rainforest meets the sea.
Sanya
Mandarin Oriental’s first venture in China, and still one of its most distinctive. The 278-room property occupies a secluded bay with 3,937 feet of private beach (almost 3/4 of a mile), protected coral reefs, and lush gardens designed by Bill Bensley in a Southeast Asian style that blends the South China Sea setting with local Hainanese culture. Hobie sailing, snorkeling, paddle boarding, and sea fishing are all available for resort guests. Chinese New Year in tropical warmth. Sun-soaked villas with private gardens and pools. The spirit of celebration, crafted in warmth and open air.
Taipei
The site where Mandarin Oriental, Taipei now stands was once home to the Mandarina Crown Hotel. After nearly nine years of meticulous planning, design, and construction, the doors opened in May 2014. Guests are welcomed by a 3,086 pound lobby chandelier — 50,000 crystal beads and light amber drops, nine months from initial design to installation. The art collection exceeds 1,700 pieces, including works by Jae-Hyo Lee, Chan-Il Kim, and Wei Zhu, one of the world’s most acclaimed contemporary Chinese ink painters. Ya Ge, the signature Chinese restaurant, has earned a Michelin star for eight consecutive years since the guide launched in Taiwan.
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