Good Deal: Mandarin Oriental staycation vouchers from $328 nett

The Mandarin Oriental may not be the newest hotel in Singapore (it opened back in 1987), but it’s undergone a few renovations and by most accounts, the overall experience is still pretty solid. 

As expected for a luxury hotel, room rates are steep, and most of the deals will hover around the S$400 mark at least. However, from 25 September to 1 October 2020, Mandarin Oriental will be selling discounted staycation packages via its Mandarin Oriental Shop. 

Mandarin Oriental Staycation Sale

From 25 September to 1 October 2020, the Mandarin Oriental will sell staycation vouchers with the following inclusions for S$279++ (S$328 nett) on weekdays, and S$309++ (S$364 nett) on weekends:

• One night in a Deluxe Room
• Breakfast
• 6 p.m check-out
• 25% off F&B

A weekday is defined as stays with arrivals from Sunday to Thursday. A weekend is defined as stays with arrivals on Friday or Saturday. All stays must be used from 1-31 October 2020, and Fans of M.O benefits do not apply. 

A rate of S$279++ for a Deluxe Room has to be the cheapest I’ve ever seen offered at the Mandarin Oriental. For perspective, in October:

• A Deluxe Room booked under the “Staycation by MO” package would cost S$399++, with breakfast, 12 p.m/4 p.m check-in/out, a bottle of sparkling wine and a S$100 spa credit (keep in mind, your spa treatment will still be frighteningly expensive)
• A Marina View Room booked under the “Italian Summer” package would cost S$399++, with breakfast, a S$75 F&B credit, 15% off F&B, and two dishes from the poolside menu included 
• A City Suite booked under the “Kids Stay Free, Fun for Whole Family” package, interestingly enough, would cost even less at S$388++, with breakfast and a family activity included

Lucky Draw

All guests who purchase these Mandarin Oriental vouchers will be entered into a lucky draw, with the following prizes up for grabs:

• 1st Prize: Two-night stay in Marina Bay View Suite, inclusive of breakfast and S$300 dining credits
• 2nd Prize: Two-night stay in Ocean Grand Room, inclusive of breakfast and S$300 dining credits
• 3rd Prize: Two-night stay in City Suite, inclusive of breakfast and S$300 dining credits

Do note that only the first 100 guests to buy a voucher will be eligible to win the 1st prize, the 101st guest onwards will compete for the 2nd and 3rd prize (along with the first 100 guests). 

What are the terms and conditions for these vouchers?

The following terms and conditions apply to all vouchers:

• Prices are for double occupancy, subject to 10% service charge and 7% government tax.
• The above offers are valid for new bookings only and subject to availability.
• The redemption period is from 1 to 31 October 2020 at Mandarin Oriental, Blackout dates apply.
• Food and Beverage discount does not apply to Cherry Garden Weekend Brunch, Teppan-Ya and Morton’s, The Steakhouse.
• Advanced reservations are required, and guest must highlight their order number at the time of reservation. Additional occupant is chargeable as per standard rates.
• Prepayment will not be refunded for cancellations or no-shows.
• Each purchase can only be used once, and unutilised items cannot be refunded or carried forward. Offer cannot be resold under any circumstances, be used for any event, commercial purposes or with other discounts, privileges and/or promotional offers. 
• Lost booking confirmation cannot be replaced or refunded.
• Fans of M.O. benefits do not apply with these bookings.
• In case of any disputes, Mandarin Oriental,Singapore reserves the right to final interpretation of the terms & conditions.

Although the T&C state that blackout dates apply, I’ve confirmed with the hotel that there are currently no blackout dates for October. It’s advisable to make your booking ASAP after purchasing the vouchers, however, as this is subject to change. 

What’s the staycation experience at the Mandarin Oriental like right now?

I haven’t seen a whole lot of Mandarin Oriental staycation reports on the Telegram chat yet, but we know that the current breakfast arrangement is an a la carte buffet with unlimited servings, served at Dolce Vita (menu available here). 

The pool and gym will be subject to the usual safe distancing measures (i.e pre-booking is required), and the Oriental Club Lounge is closed until further notice. 

What card should I use to buy Mandarin Oriental vouchers?

It looks like Mandarin Oriental processes these bookings in SGD through its own website, so you should be able to use any card that earns a bonus for online spending, or for hotel spending. If you’re feeling nervous, it’s probably best to use the DBS Woman’s World Card. 

	Earn Rate	Remarks^
DBS Woman’s World Card Apply here	4 mpd	Cap S$2K per c. month
UOB Lady’s Card* Apply here	4 mpd	Cap S$1K per c. month
UOB Lady’s Solitaire* Apply here	4 mpd	Cap S$3K per c. month
HSBC Revolution Apply Here	4 mpd	Max S$1K per c. month
DBS Altitude Apply here	3 mpd	Cap S$5K per c. month
*Must choose travel as quarterly bonus category ^C month= Calendar Month, S month= Statement Month

Conclusion

These vouchers (especially the weekday one) represent great value for Mandarin Oriental stays, so if you’ve been eyeing this hotel, this would be your opportunity. 

I was previously holding on to a Mandarin Oriental City Suite reservation but decided to swap it out for Marina Bay Sands instead (bad call). I’ll give this deal some thought, but if I do end up staying at the Mandarin Oriental, I’d probably book the Healthcare Heroes rate instead (since the Milelioness is eligible for it).