Where does a leading Cantopop star come to die? In the Mandarin of course. Recently the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong achieved notoriety with the suicide jump of Leslie Cheung, the not so out of the closet heart-throb for millions of Asian women. They come in droves to eat on the top floor of the hotel, drinking in the view of Victoria Harbour and the constant comings and going of the star ferry docking directly in front of the hotel, which is precisely in the heart of Central, the business and entertainment district on Hong Kong Island, and directly opposite TI’s other favourite hotel in Hong Kong.

The rooms smell a little musty here, but on a constantly rolling refurbishment program expect that that will change. Surprisingly for the leading Oriental hotel chain, the décor, although referred to as the ‘most Oriental of all chains', it is actually Chinoserie - the European interpretation of Oriental motives popularized in the 18th century. Décor is not however the attraction here. The Oriental is about the culture, and no other hotel in Hong Kong has more pulling power for the well heeled locals than the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. Come for the superior service and the hustle of a quality hotel filled with the comings and goings of the who’s who in Asian entertainment. Anticipate finding all the amenties you would expect from a leading hotel of the world, but don’t expect designer rooms.