Upon the first anniversary of the opening of Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen (MO Shenzhen) at UpperHills, Futian District, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Christian Dolenc as the new general manager of its Shenzhen property on Jan. 16.

“Joining our newest property in Asia Pacific is an absolute honor,” said the German hotelier who has been working for the haute hospitality group since 2010. “I am delighted to be working with this passionate team and look forward to continuing to delight our guests with the levels of service excellence for which Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen is known for.”

With more than 10 years’ experience managing hotels at Mandarin Oriental’s properties in Hong Kong and Macao and possessing a basic command of conversational Cantonese, Dolenc admires and respects the local culture and sees Shenzhen as a major powerhouse in the heart of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and China’s beautiful South, offering its visitors a diversified selection of experiences.

“Whether you are business leaders or tech entrepreneurs, art and fashion aficionados or families seeking a luxury urban escape experience, Shenzhen has it all and is now well established as a global powerhouse and urban leader — despite its young age,” he said.

Dolenc felt that despite being operational for only one year, MO Shenzhen has been well-positioned “at the top end of the market” and has already achieved much success as a landmark destination property.

“The Mandarin Oriental brand is renowned globally for providing exceptional experiences and our Shenzhen hotel is no different,” Dolenc said.

The landmark property, overlooking the cityscape of Shenzhen’s Futian CBD from the skyscraper of UpperHills, will continue to serve as a firm favorite for high-net-worth individuals from the Greater Bay Area in pursuit of discretion, privacy and world-class service and an urban resort that is seen as a sanctuary for those discerning travelers looking for an outstanding local Mandarin Oriental experience, according to Dolenc.

Besides the prominent location, the Shenzhen property also satisfies its guests with distinct food and beverage concepts represented by eight restaurants and bars including the Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant The Bay by Chef Fei, Asian fusion restaurant Bazaar, Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant Rin, French-style steakhouse Opus 388, Spanish restaurant TAPAS77, and the rooftop MO Bar; fine event places featured by The Cube designed by award-winning design studio Skidmore Owings & Merrill; meticulous service provided by the property’s hospitality team; and open social media channels that enable guests to share their own MO stories and experiences.

Although having opened for just a year, MO Shenzhen has won wide recognition as well as many awards. It was in the Conde Nast Traveler 2022 Hot List for the China Region among 16 hotels featured, voted New Hotel of the Year by That’s 2022 Hospitality Award from That’s GBA, the 2022 Must-try Hotel in China by Best Hotel and Resort Value Award from Voyage magazine, and the 2023 Best Luxury Hotel by The Bund D.E.S.I.G.N. Hotel Award.

Dolenc hopes that he and his team will help MO Shenzhen continue to offer local guests value for time, bring inspirational luxury lifestyle to Shenzhen and help shape the city as a leading travel destination.

“As a luxury hotel, we need to continuously create special moments for every guest and become a must-try destination for staycations in Shenzhen and introduce our hotel to the GBA and South China,” he said, adding that nowadays, quality time spent with family and friends is the most precious commodity.

To usher in the Year of the Rabbit, MO Shenzhen will be decked in auspicious red and golden decorations while offering a collection of festive events, according to Donlenc. “Come and enjoy the celebrations, fabulous feasts, the frisky lion dances, MO experiences, fantastic displays, lanterns and decorations, and the Futian CBD light shows at our hotel,” the general manager said while recommending the property to guests as an ideal staycation getaway during this year’s Chinese New Year holiday, which starts Jan. 21.

Already operating five luxury hotels in the GBA, the Mandarin Oriental Group is looking to grow their “World of FANS” in and beyond the city of Shenzhen. “Beyond Shenzhen, we will continue to focus on establishing our destination hotels firmly amongst the leading hotels in South China, with a continuous focus on culinary excellence and establishing the hotel as a leading event and wedding destination,” he said.

Prior to joining the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Dolenc has gained a wide range of experience at leading landmark hotels of Rocco Forte Hotels and The Peninsula Hotel Group in Europe and China’s Hong Kong SAR. In addition to the Excelsior and Landmark Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hong Kong and Mandarin Oriental Macao, the hotelier also has working experience at the Mandarin Oriental property in Jakarta, Indonesia.