When I walked into the Boston Mandarin Oriental, the gentleman at the door greeted me with, "Welcome home!" and boy, oh, boy had I come home. The Mandarin is a lovely modern hotel with amenities like you wouldn’t believe. To start, their standard rooms are larger than most older hotel’s junior suites. This brand is known for quality, luxury, excellence- all with an Asian flare. You will discover that they go the extra mile with all of their events as well.
Located in the heart of the Back Bay, the hotel is perfect for the cosmopolitan bride and groom who want an urban feel and access to some of the traditionally beautiful architecture of Boston. It is an easy ride over to Commonwealth Ave‘s tree-lined pedestrian way, and perfect for guests staying at the hotel to enjoy great restaurants and shopping when they are not partying it up at your celebration.
The first thing you notice, after the greeting, is the Mandarin‘s modern architecture and decor- clean lines and exquisite materials. Even the floral arrangements in the lobby speak to the aesthetic.
The entrance….
The complete view…
I can’t help gushing about the event spaces and staff. Once again, you will be wowed with service and style. All of the rooms have beautiful furniture and artwork on the walls. It feels like you are in a place where people might live. Very welcoming.
And the details of each space are lovely. My favorites are the light fixtures…
And the fabric walls. A really nice touch.
And then there is the service. I met up with Rachel, who is the Catering and Conference Services Manager responsible for weddings and social events. She is fabulous; she and her staff will totally take care of all your needs. Even the needs you didn’t know you had. For instance, the staff brings out Japanese slippers before dancing so that ladies can wear something a little more comfortable for that portion of the evening. Also they bring warm scented towels between dinner courses and cool towels during dancing. Amazing!
And for the bride and groom who want to make the space extraordinary, Rachel’s team will take care of it. They can change the lights on the panels in the back of the ballroom (pictured below in yellow) to be almost any color. There are also spotlights that they direct on the tables. They can change the color of these as well as put gobos (which create shadow patterns) in them. All of this is included! I was floored.
Another awesome bonus- there’s a great salon (Mizu) in the hotel. Super convenient!
But I save the very best part for last. This is brand new, hot-off-the-presses information- the Mandarin has secured the rights to have weddings outdoors in the space behind the hotel. So now you can have your fabulous outdoor ceremony and your super-chic reception all in one location. To top it off, check out the view. The John Hancock Building and Boston skyline are totally within reach.
If you are looking for a Boston wedding site with understated elegance and service that will knock your socks off, you have to got to check out the Mandarin.