Mandarin Oriental New York Hotel Review
Nonstop Dan rating
Mandarin Oriental New York
A Central Park icon that earns its place among New York's finest, led by flawless service and breathtaking views
What To Expect At The Mandarin Oriental New York?
Mandarin Oriental New York hotel entrance signage
Mandarin Oriental New York hotel entrance signage
The Mandarin Oriental New York is a luxury hotel on Columbus Circle, and I think it might be one of the best hotels in New York. It is loved by celebrities and wealthy guests, yet very few people seem to know about it, maybe because it sits outside the typical tourist area. In my opinion, it is actually the best location in the whole city.
This is our second Mandarin Oriental review on my YouTube channel, following our stay at the Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah, Dubai. And it is one that Oskar and I had dreamed about for years, ever since we learned there was a hotel here. It is in our favorite location in our favorite city in the world. We always assumed it would be a “when-we're-60-and-rich” kind of stay, so getting here now felt like a dream arriving early.
The average nightly rate across the year is $1,350, which is higher than the other New York hotels we have done, though not by as much as you would expect given how much better it already is than something like the Essex House. The range, setting aside extremes like Fashion Week, runs roughly $900 to $1,600 for the basic Hudson River view room. Our booking through a travel advisor, we managed to secure a rate of $690 a night due to a third night free promo, down from a public price around $900. That came with a $100 property credit, free breakfast every morning, early check-in (we arrived at 10:30 AM and got the room), late checkout, and a free upgrade. The upgrade alone was valuable, since this room runs at least $500 a night more than what we booked through a travel advisor, and we were here multiple nights.
Want free breakfast, a room upgrade, and $100+ in credit?
Book through our travel advisor link and get the same rate as booking direct, plus meaningful extras at no additional cost.
- $100+ property credit
- Complimentary breakfast for 2
- Room upgrade, subject to availability
- Early check-in & late checkout, subject to availability
* More benefits may apply at select properties
The Mandarin Oriental New York Lobby and Check-in Experience
Check-in at the Mandarin Oriental New York was, as Oskar put it, a masterclass in service. The lobby sits on the 35th floor and uses the view for its open restaurant, which you can see the moment you step out of the elevator.
Mandarin Oriental New York lobby
Mandarin Oriental New York lobby
Mandarin Oriental New York lobby
Mandarin Oriental New York lobby
Mandarin Oriental New York lobby
Mandarin Oriental New York lobby
It is not a huge lobby, but they have done a lovely job with the space, the oriental styling comes through, and they offer free coffee and tea.
Mandarin Oriental New York welcome drink
Mandarin Oriental New York welcome drink
At reception, everyone was so warm that we kept asking each other whether we were really in New York. Yarisol checked us in. We told her how excited we were to stay here, and asked whether there was any way to get a Central Park view, since we had booked a Hudson River view room and she got us the upgrade.
They gave us welcome water and scented towels you pour water on that smelled like a spa. She offered to put our bags in the closet, hung up our jackets, and walked us through everything about the hotel. It did not feel like New York service at all, and that is meant as a compliment.
Mandarin Oriental New York welcome drink
Mandarin Oriental New York elevator
The Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View Room Features and Amenities
Our Premier Central Park View Room 4832 at the Mandarin Oriental New York looks out over Central Park, and from our corner we could also see the Hudson River, so we had views in every direction. It is very spacious by New York standards, which is one of the first things I noticed.
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room
There are a couple of things I did not like, so I will get them out of the way. There is a divan at the foot of the bed with stains on it, and at these prices I do not think there should be stains on the furniture. There were also some black, old-looking fixtures I was not keen on. That really is the extent of my complaints about the room. As for the bed, it looks so soft and plush.
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room bed
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room bed
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room bed
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room bed
Everything else I loved. The ceiling is extremely high, easily three meters, which is rare in the city. There are gorgeous marble bedside tables with big lamps and a reading light, an even larger nightstand on one side, and charging including a USB-C port.
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room bedside lamp
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room charging ports
The couch runs along the window, and there is a table and a desk with a very comfortable chair.
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room
On arrival they asked if they could bring us a welcome drink, so we ordered their signature jasmine tea, which we both love.
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room welcome drink
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room welcome drink
The room is well set up for staying in. There is a high-tech kettle where you choose the exact temperature, an espresso machine with pods, and an oat milk creamer, which made me wonder whether they had noted we are vegan.
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room pods and creamer
There is a station to plug an HDMI cable into the TV to watch your own content, which is a bit retro but useful.
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room HDMI cable
The minibar is all Mandarin Oriental branded and weighted, and I appreciated that they told us we could empty it and use it as a fridge, and they would know we had not used anything.
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room minibar
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room minibar
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room minibar
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room TV
The wallpaper stood out to me straight away, a cloud pattern that felt calming. The closet has hangers, an iron, and one umbrella, which they said we could add to downstairs. Storage throughout was good.
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room closet
The bathroom is all marble and remarkably pristine, especially for a hotel that is not new. There is a little dirt in the corners, but the walls and surfaces look almost brand new.
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View bathroom
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View bathroom sink
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View shower
There is a lovely bathtub, plenty of storage, a vanity dental kit, though no mouthwash.
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View bathtub
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View room dental kit
The hair dryer is an Infiniti Pro by Conair, which I rate. The toiletries, including a large bottle of body lotion, are from Diptyque. The fragrance is elegant and distinctive, and it was nice to find the same toiletries we had at Four Seasons Astir Palace Athens.
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View hair dryer
The toilet is in its own separate room, which I always appreciate. Two things missing: there is no double sink, which I had expected, and no bum gun, which is a shame. I later learned the Hudson River view rooms have double sinks but the non-suite Central Park view rooms do not, which felt like a worthwhile trade for our first ever Central Park view from a room.
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View toilet
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View bathrobes
Mandarin Oriental New York Premier Central Park View hand towels
We’ve stayed at Essex House in New York, but the view here completely changed my perspective. Lying in bed looking out at Central Park, and later at the park under fresh snow with the trees still white and untouched, was out of this world. One small wish: the curtains are manual, and it would be lovely to open them from bed with a button to reveal that view.
One practical note: the Wi-Fi was not great, testing around 23 down and 23 up. In 2026 I think that should be better at a hotel of this level.
Mandarin Oriental New York wifi connectivity
The Mandarin Oriental New York Dining Experience
Our breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental New York is à la carte, served with that same 35th-floor view, and everything we had tasted very good. Our credit of around $120 a day, roughly $60 per person, stretched pretty far.
Mandarin Oriental New York à la carte breakfast menu
Mandarin Oriental New York à la carte breakfast menu
We tried the steel cut oats with banana brûlée, the mango chia bowl, and the avocado toast, which they remade for us with a side of tofu in place of the egg without any fuss.
Mandarin Oriental New York steel cut oats with banana brûlée
Mandarin Oriental New York mango chia bowl
Mandarin Oriental New York avocado toast
Mandarin Oriental New York fruits
Mandarin Oriental New York vegan breakfast
As vegans, we appreciated how flexible the kitchen was. The one thing keeping it from a top score for us is that we prefer a buffet alongside the à la carte, and service was a little slow. Sitting there watching the sunrise more than made up for it.
We used our $100 property credit on the hotel's famous afternoon tea rather than room service. It was lovely, and I would happily come back and do it again even without staying, and it is a nice way for any visitor to get that Central Park view in a relaxing setting without paying for a night.
Mandarin Oriental New York afternoon tea menu
Mandarin Oriental New York afternoon tea menu
Mandarin Oriental New York afternoon tea menu
Mandarin Oriental New York afternoon tea
Mandarin Oriental New York afternoon tea
Mandarin Oriental New York afternoon tea
Mandarin Oriental New York pastries
Mandarin Oriental New York pastries
Mandarin Oriental New York tea
That said, it was not very gourmet. We had just done afternoon tea at Harrods over Christmas, and you could tell the difference in quality. The bread here was all quite American. Everything tasted good, but the food quality was not quite at that level.
The Mandarin Oriental New York Pool, Gym, and Spa
Mandarin Oriental New York signage
The Mandarin Oriental New York has a full lap pool, which is unusual in New York City, and it is one of the largest hotel pools you will find in the city. To Oskar's delight as a former professional swimmer, it is a proper athletic pool rather than a lounging one.
Mandarin Oriental New York lap pool
The space is nice, but it was freezing in the pool room, with no real heating, so in winter it reads more as a serious sports pool than somewhere to relax and hang out. In summer it is probably great. A hot tub or a heated pool would make a big difference in weather like this, which sounds ridiculous to ask for until you are actually in there in January.
Mandarin Oriental New York lap pool
The spa area is a nice touch. There is a sauna and a changing room you can use before hitting the gym, and the bathrobes down there were my favorite of the trip, so comfortable, with slippers that actually fit.
Mandarin Oriental New York gym bathroom toiletries
The gym is fairly well equipped but surprisingly small given the size of the hotel and how much space they devote to the pool. So if you are just doing weights you feel a bit boxed into a little room.
Mandarin Oriental New York gym equipment
Mandarin Oriental New York gym equipment
Mandarin Oriental New York gym equipment
Mandarin Oriental New York gym equipment
What impressed me most was the spread of fruits, berries, and drinks laid out outside the gym, all included, which is a really nice premium touch. As with everywhere else in the hotel, the staff down there were extremely friendly. The shower afterward had almost unbelievable water pressure on the 48th floor, so much that it could stand to be dialed back a little.
Mandarin Oriental New York complimentary fruits and beverage
Where Is The Mandarin Oriental New York Located?
The Mandarin Oriental New York is in Columbus Circle, and it is our favorite location in all of New York City. Enough said, really. It is one of our favorite locations in New York, in our favorite city in the world.
Mandarin Oriental New York Columbus Circle
For me, it is also personal. This is the only really good hotel bordering the Upper West Side, where almost nothing good exists, and most of my family lives up there, so the area feels like home.
Mandarin Oriental New York Columbus Circle
Mandarin Oriental New York Columbus Circle
Mandarin Oriental New York Columbus Circle
Stepping out of the doors put us straight into a neighborhood full of things we love. We walked to the Capital One Cafe for half-price coffees, and there is a shopping mall at the base of the building with a Whole Foods, so you can come back from a day out, grab snacks, and head straight up. January turned out to be a wonderful time to be here, with a fraction of the crowds and much cheaper rates.
Every single room promises a view, which is rare in New York, so you are never facing a wall. Even without a Central Park view in your room, you get one from the 35th-floor lobby where you eat breakfast.
Is the Service Good at The Mandarin Oriental New York?
Service at the Mandarin Oriental New York is the best part of the stay, and we scored it a five even on a global scale, not just for New York. From the moment we arrived we felt taken care of, and everyone was warm and helpful in a way that honestly did not feel like the city. Yarisol at reception, Daniel in the restaurant, the New Zealander at the restaurant downstairs, and the staff at the gym all stood out.
Turndown service showed the attention to detail. Every cable had a Mandarin Oriental cable tie, there were cleansing cloths tucked under things, a little piece of vegan chocolate, a laundry bag under the laundry, and later they placed both our bags on luggage stands, which had not been done before.
Mandarin Oriental New York turndown service
Mandarin Oriental New York turndown service
Mandarin Oriental New York turndown service
When I called down on a dry evening, not really expecting anything, and asked whether they had a humidifier to borrow, they brought up a clean Vicks humidifier that was ours for the stay, along with some welcome mandarins. That is the kind of touch that stays with you.
Mandarin Oriental New York humidifier
Mandarin Oriental New York room welcome amenity
Is The Mandarin Oriental New York Worth It?
The Mandarin Oriental New York is worth it if you can book it under about $700 a night or catch a January deal, and if you want an unbeatable Columbus Circle location with a real view from every room.
We were debating value between a six and a seven and landed on seven, because although it is expensive, you get a lot for your money. For a room this size at this quality in New York, where value is very location dependent, you would pay this much anyway. We managed $690, which was less than we paid for the Essex House, and a far better hotel.
It suits couples and travelers who care about location, view, and service above all, and anyone who can either afford the rack rate or, like us, hunt down a deal. It is not a rate we would pay nightly for a longer New York trip, so for us it is a special-occasion or a January-deal hotel. If you can afford it, I totally recommend it.
The Mandarin Oriental New York Scoring Breakdown
Room: 7/10. We went back and forth here. Oskar wanted an eight, I wanted it a bit lower. It could use a refurb and it is nothing super special, but it is great, and very spacious for a basic New York room. It just feels nice, and we were never bothered once.
Bathroom: 8/10. I took off two points, one for no double sink and one for no bum gun. The marble is stunning and pristine. The shower pressure is almost too much, but that is a first world problem.
Night's Sleep: 7/10. This one is a shame, because across our three Mandarin experiences the bed is not our favorite. I’m fine with a slightly harder bed, but you feel every movement the other person makes, so a small shift wakes you up. The bedding itself is very comfortable and we sorted out the pillows, though there is no pillow menu. The dry winter air did not help, even with the humidifier.
Value: 7/10. Expensive on paper, but you get a lot for it.
Breakfast: 7/10. Very good à la carte, everything tasted great, and the sunrise view is incredible. It was a bit slow, and we always prefer a buffet alongside the à la carte.
Condition: 9/10. Oskar wanted a 10. I held it at nine only because of the stains on the divan at the foot of the bed. Everything else is in excellent shape, no wear and tear, no stains on the furniture, and the wallpaper is pristine. The room feels a little older, but it is not worn out.
Service: 5/5. It does not feel like New York. Everyone was nice, helpful, and warm, and it held up even on a global scale.
Dining: 4/5. The afternoon tea was lovely but not very gourmet, and you could tell the difference from the Harrods version we had at Christmas. The bread was all quite American. We did not try room service, using our credit on the tea instead.
Amenities: 5/5. Deep Teak toiletries, a great hair dryer, amazing towels. Nothing to complain about.
Location: 5/5. Our favorite location in all of New York, and one of our favorites in the world.
Pool: 4/5. A rare full lap pool, which is amazing, marked down only because the room and water were freezing in winter. In summer it is probably a five. A heated pool or jacuzzi would help a lot.
Gym/Wellness: 3/5. Fairly well equipped but small for the size of the hotel, and you only get the view from the cardio machines. The fruit and drinks outside the gym are a great touch. Average, not amazing.
Overall Feeling: 9/10. From the moment we arrived we felt taken care of, and the vibe was great. We even met some lovely viewers, Alex and Mark, for coffee. For a 10, I would need to feel I could not wait to come back, and I do not quite feel that, but objectively everything was great.
Final Score: 80/100. See how it compares to other properties in our full luxury hotel rankings.
Positives of Mandarin Oriental, new York
The Mandarin Oriental New York is worth it if you can book it under about $700 a night or catch a January deal, and if you want an unbeatable Columbus Circle location with a real view from every room.
80/100 overall, our new leading hotel in New York.
We booked at $690 a night through a travel advisor and were upgraded to a Premier Central Park View room worth at least $500 more per night.
Every room promises a view, and even the 35th-floor lobby and breakfast have Central Park views.
Service was the highlight, scoring a five on a global scale, with standout turndown detail and a borrowed humidifier when we asked.
Breakfast is à la carte with a sunrise view, and the kitchen handled vegan requests easily, remaking the avocado toast with tofu.
The location in Columbus Circle, bordering the Upper West Side, is our favorite in the city.
Areas of improvement of The Mandarin Oriental New York
The Mandarin bed transfers every movement, so you wake when the other person shifts.
Stains on the divan at the foot of the bed, which should not appear at this price.
No double sink in the non-suite Central Park view rooms, and no bidet or bum gun.
The pool room and water were freezing in winter, with no hot tub or jacuzzi.
The gym is small for the size of the hotel, and the view only reaches the cardio machines.
Wi-Fi tested around 23 down and 23 up, which is low for a hotel at this level in 2026.
Afternoon tea was lovely but not very gourmet, with noticeably American bread.
Breakfast service was a little slow, and there is no buffet alongside the à la carte.
Manual curtains, when button-operated ones would suit that view.
Want free breakfast, a room upgrade, and $100+ in credit?
Book through our travel advisor link and get the same rate as booking direct, plus meaningful extras at no additional cost.
- $100+ property credit
- Complimentary breakfast for 2
- Room upgrade, subject to availability
- Early check-in & late checkout, subject to availability
* More benefits may apply at select properties
