Despite the global pandemic largely curtailing international travel, the luxury Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has been busy making things happen.
The hotel brand is gearing up to reopen one of New York's most luxurious hotels.
The Mandarin Oriental, New York will welcome guests again on April 1, a year after first shutting doors in March 2020 because of the pandemic.
Visitors checking in can expect to find health and safety measures in place, with a new programme designed to promote well-being.
During its closure, the hotel has welcomed a new dining experience at MO Lounge, adjacent to the hotel lobby. With views of the Manhattan skyline, the menu features locally sourced and sustainable ingredients, and an extensive selection of beverages.
Located in Columbus Circle’s Time Warner Centre, the property is within walking distance of many of the city's dining, shopping and entertainment districts, including the Broadway Theatre District, Lincoln Centre and Central Park.
Reservations open for Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh
In 2020, Mandarin Oriental announced it was taking over the management of Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh and now the group has opened reservations for stays at the Saudi Arabian property.
Currently undergoing an extensive renovation, the hotel is scheduled to begin receiving guests in late 2021. The new interiors, designed by Tihany Design, New York, will enhance its timeless style and stay true to its Arabian-influenced elegance.
A new villa resort in Vietnam's Da Nang
Mandarin Oriental has also announced plans in March to manage a new luxury resort in Vietnam. Set in Da Nang, one of the country's most popular tourist destinations, the all-villa resort will feature each accommodation set in its own landscaped gardens with a private pool.
Due to open in 2024, the contemporary design will incorporate natural Vietnamese elements and many references to the local culture.
Mandarin Oriental, Da Nang sits on a 30-kilometre stretch of coastline. It's within easy reach of Hoi An, My Son and the royal city of Hue, all of which are Unesco World Heritage Sites.
Mandarin Oriental, Hangzhou opening in China
Mandarin Oriental announced on March 18 that it will manage a new luxury hotel in Hangzhou, China, scheduled to open in 2025.
Located in the province of Zhejiang, it is undergoing expansion and renovation. The new hotel will be part of a mixed-use commercial and luxury retail complex called Westlake 66.
Located close to the West Lake, a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the city's most famous tourist attractions, the hotel will have 194 rooms and suites, four restaurants and bars, and flexible meeting and event space.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
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