New Delhi: Families are welcome at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s properties worldwide, including its hotels, resorts, and Exclusive Homes collection to a world of discovery for its young fans, including the opportunity to interact with and feed horses from the Royal Cavalry Mounted Regiment in London, attend a rugby academy with British sporting legends at the recently opened Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, and participate in cooking lessons and arts and crafts activities at the Kids’ Kasbah in Marrakech.
The Mandarin Oriental offers roomy family accommodations and top-notch dining to suit all ages across its range of hotels. All hotels also provide welcome gifts, complementary kids’ meals, babysitter services, and children’s menus.
Experiences this summer include:
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London invites younger guests on an adventurous journey, offering them the chance to become one of three Little Rangers during their stay: a Park Ranger, Sloane Ranger or Royal Ranger. Following a treasure hunt map to accompany them on a dedicated trail, the journeys encompass iconic London sites found on the hotel’s doorstep. Bespoke Ranger activities can also be arranged including a children’s personal shopping experience at Harvey Nichols, the feeding of the horses of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, and a sensory game to play in Hyde Park. A dressing up box and treats are provided in the room, and a complimentary 90-minute photoshoot is arranged to provide a memento of the day’s adventure. At the end of the day, the hotel team can help wind the family down by setting up a special in-room movie evening including popcorn and fairy lights.
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London has also recently launched a new children’s treatment menu. Available for those aged 5 and up, these include crystal singing bowl classes, relax and nourish mini massages, manicures, and pedicures. The spa also has a 17-metre indoor swimming pool where the whole family can enjoy together.
Mandarin Oriental Marrakech
Tucked away in the shaded gardens of Mandarin Oriental Marrakech near the resort’s farm and the chef’s vegetable garden, the Kid’s Kasbah is a space that mimics a majestic, fortified citadel. Here, children can discover Moroccan culture through arts and crafts workshops, cookery classes and outdoor activities.
Workshops include Berber carpet weaving, calligraphy and pottery and cookery classes to create authentic Moroccan dishes with the chef. To bring calm to the Kasbah, there are also yoga and stretching sessions designed especially for children, and by night, an open-air cinema for starlit movie-watching.
The many opportunities for memorable family moments include BMX-ing, zip-lining and archery in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains or floating above the rooftops and minarets of Marrakech and the desert in a hot air balloon ride at sunrise (for those ages 4 and up).
Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus, Istanbul
Set along the glimmering shoreline of the Bosphorus, this urban resort captures the magic of East meets West and the legacy of the city’s empires, whilst providing the perfect base from which to explore Istanbul’s extraordinary history and contemporary vibrancy. The area is also home to several picturesque parks for outdoor adventures and several family attractions.
Discover the city by water with a private boat tour on the Bosphorus which sets sail from the hotel’s own dock, complete with delicious provisions for time spent on the water. Teenagers can explore the hustle and bustle of the vibrant bazaar with a privately guided family tour, while families can also experience the hypnotic traditional dance of the Whirling Dervishes at the Hodjapasha, a large 15th century hammam transformed into a theatre to showcase the centuries-old performance.
Venturing a little further afield, families can explore the surrounding landscape by horseback, taking in Turkish village life, green pastures, and turquoise waters, with expert guides to accompany all levels.
For indoor activities there are several kid-oriented locations in and around Istanbul, including the indoor entertainment centre, Hupalupa – a destination that encompasses play and adventure areas for all ages, from miniplay and trampolining to rope courses, climbing walls and bumper cars. Istanbul is also home to Europe’s largest Dolphinarium where guests can swim, dive and interact with these well-cared-for sea mammals.
Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum
With sweeping panoramic views over the blue Aegean Sea – and the aptly named, Paradise Bay – Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum is a 60-hectare resort set within landscaped hillside gardens surrounded by ancient olive groves and pine trees and offers the ultimate Mediterranean escape on the Turkish Riviera.
In collaboration with child development specialists GymBoree Play & Music, the Kids Club is available seven days a week for those aged 3-12 years old, featuring a fun and educational range of arts and crafts (ceramics, cooking, hat designing, jewellery making and t-shirt dyeing), nature, indoor and outdoor games, and sports activities, including an array of watersports on the resort’s stunning private white sand beach.
Families can venture further afield – either by bike an off-road safari, to visit a surviving nomadic village, or to find out how the region’s famous olive oil is made. And make a pit-stop with a picnic to take in the dramatic landscape.
Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi
Inaugurated into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group this year, on a pristine beach amongst lush gardens, this hotel is a showcase of Arabian hospitality at its finest, the perfect place to explore the beauty and charm of the UAE’s capital and is a haven of sophistication and style for all ages.
Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental provides an array of thrilling activities for kids to enjoy. One of them is AquaFun Park, a water playground located 70 meters from the short in a calm bay, which is supervised throughout the day to ensure safe and enjoyable fun under the sun. Additionally, the resort has a beekeeping program at its bee farm where children can learn about bees and beekeeping. The resort offers three kids’ camps – winter, spring, and summer – where children aged three to 12 years old can engage in various exciting activities intended to promote connection with others, flow, growth, wellness, and sustainability: including junior beekeeping, turtle rehabilitation, arts and crafts, kids’ movement and yoga sessions.
Mandarin Oriental, Geneva
Listed as a historical heritage landmark, Mandarin Oriental, Geneva enjoys a peaceful setting that blends breathtaking mountain backdrops with stunning vistas of the River Rhone and the picturesque Old Town from its newly redesigned rooms.
Children will love stepping back in time, on a visit to the quaint medieval hilltop village of Gruyere, where the famous “holey” cheese has been made for generations since the 15th century. No visit to this part of the world is complete without a delicious immersion into chocolate at the renowned Maison Cailler factory – from bean to bar. Families can even try their hand at making their own chocolate to take home.
–IANS