Mandarin Oriental Fan Club Explained: Benefits, How It Works & FAQs

Mandarin Oriental runs two programs with similar names and different jobs. Fans of M.O. is for guests who book direct. The Fan Club runs through advisors, and it is the one that puts breakfast, a credit and an upgrade request on your reservation, usually at the same rate.

See why Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is one of the best Hong Kong family hotels for those who enjoy luxury.

I am a Mandarin Oriental Fan Club advisor, and I knew the brand long before I booked it for anyone else.

During the almost five years I lived in Central Hong Kong, the Mandarin Oriental flagship was where we met friends and celebrated more than one birthday. My husband lived there for a month before we relocated to HK, and I stay there when I return to visit.

I book Mandarin Oriental through Fan Club for clients, and I have stayed at and reviewed its hotels in Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Taipei, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Miami, and New York.

An amenity with desserts in glass orbs in our suite at Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai.
We’ve spent a lot of time at Mandarin Oriental Pudong.

The definition

What Is Mandarin Oriental Fan Club?

Fan Club is Mandarin Oriental’s invitation-only program for luxury travel advisors. Every Mandarin Oriental hotel participates. The room usually costs the same as on mandarinoriental.com and there is no extra fee to book in this way. The stay includes breakfast, a hotel credit, and priority for an upgrade, plus the non-cash benefits of being a hotel VIP.

It is, in effect, a direct booking with the benefits attached. Mandarin Oriental holds the reservation and charges your card, and my agency is listed on it. When you book in my tool, the software sends your card details straight to the hotel. We never see them.

What’s included

What Are the Benefits of Booking Mandarin Oriental Through Fan Club?

A Fan Club reservation at a Mandarin Oriental carries:

  • Daily breakfast for two. Served in one of the hotel’s restaurants, and at some hotels through room service as well.
  • A USD 100 food and beverage or spa credit, per room, once per stay. A few hotels substitute a different credit, and I tell you which before you book.
  • A one-category room upgrade, room to room or suite to suite, subject to availability.
  • A welcome amenity and a note from the hotel’s senior management.
  • Priority waitlist clearance. When your preferred room type is sold out, a Fan Club request is ahead of credit card and standard requests.
  • A no-walk policy. If the hotel oversells, a Fan Club reservation is not the one moved to another hotel.

At Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, for example, breakfast is served at Café Causette, in the Clipper Lounge, or through room service.

How to book the Fan Club rate

The two programs

Fan Club vs. Fans of M.O.: Why Booking With Both Is Better

Two programs carry the Mandarin Oriental name, and they do different jobs. Fan Club is the advisor program I use for our clients.

Fans of M.O. is the brand’s loyalty program for guests, which works a little like Marriott’s without the points. It is free to join, and members who book direct choose up to two privileges for each stay. Mandarin Oriental also invites some members into higher tiers called Silk and Pearl.

The two Mandarin Oriental programs, side by side
Point of comparisonFan Club (advisor booking)Fans of M.O. (direct booking)
Who it is forGuests booked by a Fan Club advisorMembers who enroll and book direct
How benefits workReceive the full set of Fan Club benefits with your bookingChoose up to two privileges, with additional benefits at higher membership tiers
Cost to joinNothing to join, and no booking feeFree
Room rateThe hotel’s flexible rateThe hotel’s flexible rate
BreakfastDaily, for two, includedBreakfast for one is one of the privileges you may choose. Silk members get breakfast for two
Hotel creditUSD 100 food and beverage or spa, per room, per stayA USD 50 dining or spa credit is one of the privileges you may choose. Silk members get USD 100
Room upgradeOne category, subject to availabilitySilk members, subject to availability
WelcomeAmenity and a note from senior managementA localized welcome gift on every stay
How you get itBook the Fan Club (FC) rate in my tool, or have me book itEnroll on mandarinoriental.com and book there or with the hotel

The Fans of M.O. column comes from Mandarin Oriental’s published program terms, which can change. The Fan Club column is what I book.

Book the Fan Club rate, whether or not you belong to Fans of M.O. You receive daily breakfast for two, a $100 hotel credit, an upgrade subject to availability, and other VIP benefits. That is more than the two privileges a member chooses when booking direct.

If you are already a Fans of M.O. member, the two programs work together. Include your membership number when you book, and you keep the welcome gift and your other member benefits alongside the Fan Club benefits. The one difference is the two privileges you would pick on a direct booking. The longer Fan Club list applies instead. Fans of M.O. is free to join, so enroll before you book and include the number.

If you hold Silk status, it stays on the reservation and the Fan Club benefits sit beside it, so the hotel looks after you as both. If you usually book through a credit card’s hotel program, Fan Club is still the better booking. The hotel puts Fan Club guests ahead of a card program’s for room placement and upgrades, and a person who knows the hotel is on your side.

Firsthand

From My Mandarin Oriental Stays

Each photograph links to the review it came from.

The breakfast buffet at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
The breakfast buffet at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, included with my Fan Club rate.
Nasi goreng at Café Causette, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
Apply the $100 credit toward nasi goreng at Café Causette, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.
Room service breakfast at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
Room service breakfast at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore.
A kids' craft amenity kit at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
A welcome amenity for my daughter at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.
A birthday amenity at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
A birthday amenity at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.
The Mandarin Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
The Mandarin Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, where the Fan Club credit can go toward a treatment.

Why me

Why Book Mandarin Oriental Through Me

I know how Mandarin Oriental Fan Club benefits work at each hotel, including which room categories qualify for an upgrade and where the credit can be spent.

I also know people inside Mandarin Oriental, and they know me. Your reservation receives personal attention from the hotel’s VIP team, and that shows in ways that do not appear on a benefits list. If you already hold Mandarin Oriental status, you keep it, and the Fan Club benefits come with the reservation.

Mandarin Oriental was part of our everyday life during the years we lived in Hong Kong, where my daughter’s first birthday cake came from the Mandarin Cake Shop. I still choose the brand for my own stays.

Getting started

Three Ways to Book Mandarin Oriental

No. 01

Book it yourself with my tool

My online booking tool lets you book Mandarin Oriental Fan Club rates on demand. Request the password (it arrives immediately by email), choose the Fan Club (FC) rate for your dates, and the benefits attach automatically. We look after the reservation from there.

Use my booking tool

No. 02

Rather have me handle it?

Send us your dates and the hotel. I’ll book the Fan Club rate for you and add your room and arrival requests. This is best for connecting rooms and more complicated requests.

Send me your dates

No. 03

Already booked?

Forward your Mandarin Oriental confirmation and I will tell you whether it can move onto the Fan Club rate, and what that would change.

Send your confirmation

Have a Mandarin Oriental in Mind?

How to Book the Mandarin Oriental Fan Club Rate

Book the Fan Club rate for your dates and the benefits attach automatically. Because the booking comes through my agency, I can help with anything you need once it is made.

Rather have me book it, or planning a shortlist? Send me your dates.

My reviews

Mandarin Oriental Hotels I Have Reviewed

Start with the properties I know firsthand.

Browse all of my Mandarin Oriental posts 

The complete list

Every Mandarin Oriental Hotel Worldwide

Fan Club benefits apply at every Mandarin Oriental, and the hotels below that have not opened yet are marked. The properties I have stayed at and reviewed are linked, and I can book any of them for you.

See the complete list by region

Asia-Pacific

Europe

  • Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus, Istanbul
  • Mandarin Oriental Conservatorium, Amsterdam
  • Mandarin Oriental Cristallo, Cortina (not yet open)
  • Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
  • Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris
  • Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London
  • Mandarin Oriental Palace, Luzern
  • Mandarin Oriental Punta Negra, Mallorca
  • Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
  • Mandarin Oriental Savoy, Zurich
  • Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona
  • Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum
  • Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino
  • Mandarin Oriental, Geneva
  • Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como
  • Mandarin Oriental, Milan
  • Mandarin Oriental, Munich
  • Mandarin Oriental, Paris
  • Mandarin Oriental, Prague
  • Mandarin Oriental, Vienna

The Americas

Middle East & Africa

  • Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai
  • Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai
  • Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi
  • Mandarin Oriental, Doha
  • Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech
  • Mandarin Oriental, Muscat
  • Mandarin Oriental, Old Cataract Aswan
  • Mandarin Oriental, Riyadh

Straight answers

Mandarin Oriental Fan Club FAQs

Program Basics

What does it cost to book through the Mandarin Oriental Fan Club?

It costs nothing beyond the room. The rate is the hotel’s own flexible rate, you pay the hotel directly with any card you like, and Mandarin Oriental pays my agency a commission on completed stays. There is no fee and no markup.

Does every Mandarin Oriental participate in Fan Club?

Yes. Every Mandarin Oriental hotel takes part, so there is no participating-property list to check before you ask me about one.

Is there a Mandarin Oriental Fan Club login, and can I join it myself?

Not for guests. Mandarin Oriental Fan Club is a program for travel advisors, and the login people search for is the advisor portal. You can enjoy Fan Club benefits by booking an eligible rate through my booking tool or having me make the reservation for you. No membership required.

Is the Fan Club rate the same as booking direct?

Usually, yes. Fan Club rates are generally the same as the hotel’s flexible rates, although exclusive promotions may offer additional savings. The biggest difference is the extra benefits and additional service you receive when booking through Fan Club.

Fan Club vs. Fans of M.O.

Does Mandarin Oriental have a loyalty or rewards program?

Yes. Fans of M.O. is Mandarin Oriental’s free loyalty program. Instead of earning points, members enjoy special privileges, with additional benefits for higher-tier Silk and Pearl members. Fans of M.O. membership works alongside Fan Club, although Fan Club benefits enhance or replace the two privileges members would normally select when booking directly.

Can I use Fans of M.O. and Fan Club on the same stay?

Yes. Fan Club offers more extensive benefits, but it’s still worth adding your Fans of M.O. membership number to your reservation so Mandarin Oriental can recognize your loyalty and stay history. You can enter your number when booking through my tool, or I’ll add it for you.

I am a Fans of M.O. Silk member. Is Fan Club still worth it?

Yes. Your Silk status stays on the reservation with the Fan Club benefits beside it, and the hotel’s VIP team handles the booking.

Should I book Virtuoso or Fan Club at a Mandarin Oriental?

Fan Club is my first choice because it is Mandarin Oriental’s own program for travel advisors. Hotels look after guests in an order, and a reservation through the brand’s own program comes ahead of Virtuoso, credit card, and direct bookings. That can mean a better room location, more attention to special requests, and someone inside the hotel who can help when you need it. You cannot put a dollar value on those, and they often matter more than breakfast or a hotel credit. Unless a Virtuoso rate is meaningfully lower on your dates, I book Fan Club, and if you book Virtuoso in my tool and Fan Club comes out ahead, I can switch your rate.

Booking Process

Can I keep my credit card points?

Yes. You pay the hotel with your own card, so you earn its points and keep its protections exactly as you would booking direct, and the Fan Club benefits come with the same reservation. You do not give up one to get the other.

How do I book with you?

Book the Fan Club rate yourself in my booking tool, or send your dates, your party, and the hotel through my request page.

What if I already have a Mandarin Oriental reservation?

Forward it to me. Whether it can move onto the Fan Club rate depends on the rate you hold and on the hotel, and I will tell you what the switch would and would not change.

Can you request connecting rooms or a specific room?

Yes. I can guarantee connecting rooms at Mandarin Oriental, and I can add a particular floor or specific room number to the reservation as a request that I follow up with the hotel before you arrive.

Stays

How does the hotel credit work, and what is excluded?

It applies to food and beverage or spa charges during your stay, per room, once per stay. The room rate is never covered. A few hotels also exclude certain restaurants, in-room dining, or retail purchases, so I’ll tell you where you can use the credit at the hotel you are booking.

Are the benefits per room or per guest?

They are per room, per stay. Breakfast covers two guests in each bedroom, so a two-bedroom suite receives four breakfasts, and the credit is applied to each room once. A family booking two rooms receives the benefits on both.

Is the room upgrade confirmed when I book?

It depends on the hotel and any current promotions. Most Fan Club upgrades are subject to availability and are typically one category higher, from room to room or suite to suite. Occasionally, hotels offer promotions that confirm an upgrade at the time of booking.

If you have a Mandarin Oriental in mind, open my booking tool and choose the Fan Club rate (it sometimes appears as FC), or send me your dates and I will book it for you.

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