One of the world’s most luxurious hotel companies is about to give a major boost to its exclusive mix of ultra-luxury vacation rentals.
Mandarin Oriental now has full ownership of its a small platform of luxury vacation rentalscompany leaders announced this week at the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) in Cannes, France. The company plans to operate this business, originally known as Mandarin Oriental Private Homes, independently and under a new name: Mandarin Oriental Exceptional Homes.
“Since launch, these exquisite private homes have become a natural extension of the Mandarin Oriental brand, offering us the opportunity to enter new destinations and introduce unique experiences to our fans around the world,” Laurent Kleitman, general manager of the Mandarin Oriental group. he said in a statement before an ILTM media presentation. “Each hand-picked luxury home fits naturally into our portfolio, and in many cases, their locations provide opportunities for our guests to combine a hotel stay with a villa experience and discover more of the destination in different ways – all with the assurance of Mandarin. The award-winning brand of the Oriental.”
Mandarin Oriental’s vacation rental platform isn’t exactly vying for Airbnb’s crown as the world’s largest vacation rental platform. Mandarin’s offering was launched in 2022 with eight private homes and has since grown to 25. Mandarin Oriental wants to see this figure grow to north of 100.
The focus of expansion will be on summer and winter leisure destinations in the Mediterranean, the Alps and various locations in North America. Current Mandarin-affiliated holiday home rental locations include the Cotswolds and London in the UK, as well as the south of France, the Spanish holiday hotspots of Majorca and Ibiza, Bali and the luxurious neighborhood of Los Angeles of Bel Air.
Mandarin Oriental Exceptional Homes can also fuel growth in the United States, where Mandarin Oriental has only three hotels. But Kleitman told reporters at ILTM this week that more announcements are coming.
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“This market is, of course, a critic,” he added of the United States
One of the competitive advantages of a Mandarin Oriental-affiliated vacation rental is that the company strictly reviews listings and holds them to the same high standards as a Mandarin Oriental hotel. Each home is serviced by a team trained by Mandarin Oriental with extensive local knowledge. Guests have a dedicated concierge during their stay, as well as private culinary experiences upon request from a private in-house chef. Houses receive daily cleaning during a stay, and guests can also enjoy luxurious hotel services such as bathrobes.
Of course, this kind of service comes at a high price: Rates for Villa Infinity, the Bel Air estate at Mandarin Oriental Exceptional Homes, start at $42,900 for four nights. A more affordable option is the platform’s Masseria Pistola in Puglia, Italy, which sleeps more than 20 guests and starts at 13,000 euros ($13,750) per week.
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