Hong Kong -- Mandarin Oriental International Limited today announced that Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will manage a new 400-room luxury hotel in the multi-billion dollar urban development “Project CityCenter” in Las Vegas, Nevada. The project is planned by MGM MIRAGE, the US gaming industry’s pre-eminent resort and casino company. Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas is expected to open in the first phase of the development, in late 2009. Project CityCenter, will consist of 18 million square feet of space for a hotel/casino, retail shops, dining and entertainment venues and luxury condominiums.

To be located in the heart of the famed “Strip,” Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas will be prominently situated at the entrance of Project CityCenter, and will be built in a multi-towered 37 storey building with an entrance on Las Vegas Boulevard. The hotel will feature 310 guestrooms, 90 luxuriously appointed suites, seven dining venues and a spa. (See “notes to editors” below, for further details of the hotel).

Edouard Ettedgui, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental said, “Project CityCenter promises to be a new urban icon and we are delighted to be working with MGM MIRAGE to bring Mandarin Oriental’s renowned luxury hotel experience to Las Vegas. This project presents an exceptional opportunity for Mandarin Oriental to further strengthen our brand in a celebrated, international leisure and business destination.”

"Mandarin Oriental has established a world class reputation in the luxury hospitality arena, which perfectly complements the vision for Project CityCenter, said Bobby Baldwin, President and CEO of MIRAGE Resorts, a subsidiary of MGM MIRAGE. “We are pleased to welcome this legendary hotel brand to Las Vegas and expect Mandarin Oriental will emerge as one of the city’s most prestigious and sought-after hotels."

Project CityCenter, currently the largest privately funded urban development in the US, will be built on a 66-acre site between Monte Carlo and Bellagio resorts on Las Vegas Boulevard, the city's legendary “Strip”, at a cost of approximately USD 5 billion. MGM MIRAGE, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, is one of the world's leading hotel and gaming companies. The company owns and operates 24 casino resorts located in Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan, and has investments in four other casino resorts in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois and the United Kingdom.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world’s most prestigious hotels and resorts, currently operating 22 luxury hotels with a further eight under development in Tokyo (2005), Prague and Riviera Maya, Mexico (2006), Boston and Grand Cayman (2007), Chicago (2008), Macau and Las Vegas (2009). In total, Mandarin Oriental now operates, or has under development, more than 8,000 rooms in 17 countries with 13 hotels in Asia, 12 in the Americas and five in Europe. Mandarin Oriental International Limited is a public listed company and a member of the Jardine Matheson Group.

About Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas

Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas will be built on a 1.5-acre site in a multi-towered building rising 37 stories high with an entrance on Las Vegas Boulevard. The building features a stunning glass façade, affording dynamic views from public spaces as well as the hotel’s 310 spacious guestrooms and 90 luxuriously appointed suites. Multiple glass-enclosed sky bridges will connect the hotel with the rest of the development. The Sky Lobby, to be located on the hotel’s 10th floor, will greet guests with a wall of windows, revealing the dramatic panorama of Las Vegas and beyond.

The award-winning architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) has been retained to create the hotel’s contemporary design, and Tihany Design will be the principal designer of the interior. The oversized guestrooms and suites will feature vivid skyline views of the “Strip” or of the hotel’s landscaped gardens and serene Nevada desert to the Northwest. Three lavish presidential suites will be included in the development, each measuring over 3,500 square-feet. The finest in-room entertainment and technology systems, a hallmark of Mandarin Oriental, will also be a prominent hotel feature.

Seven dining and cocktail venues, including two signature restaurants, will provide an elegant setting to savour the famed cuisine of Mandarin Oriental chefs. Also included will be a Lobby Lounge and Bar offering light refreshments and evening cocktails, while the dedicated Spa café will suit those seeking healthier fare. The street-level Cake Shop – an adaptation of the “Mandarin Cake Shop” at the legendary Hong Kong flagship – will offer homemade breads, pastries and confectionary.

Honouring the Group’s oriental culture, the Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas will offer holistic rejuvenation and relaxation in a tranquil, meditative setting – an ideal counterpoint to the activity of the city. The 30,000-square-foot facility will provide the most comprehensive range of wellness, beauty and massage treatments in the Las Vegas area, with holistic signature treatments created exclusively by Mandarin Oriental. The Spa will feature 18 treatment rooms, with three VIP suites, three Couples suites, state-of-the-art heat and water experiences, including a Rasul for women and Hamam for men. With pilates, spinning and yoga studios, an outdoor swimming pool and deck and fully-equipped gymnasium, a host of fitness activities will be readily available.

The meeting and function space at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas will be spread over 40,000 square-feet, comprising a grand ballroom, a junior ballroom, boardrooms and additional private meeting rooms, all equipped with state-of-the-art technology. For the business traveller, the hotel will offer executive suites and a full-service business centre.

About Las Vegas

Since its founding in the Nevada desert nearly 100 years ago, Las Vegas has been one of the most celebrated destinations in the world. Thirty-seven million visitors delight in the sights and sounds of Las Vegas each year. With myriad attractions, including gaming, shopping, sports, fine dining, nightlife and entertainment, Las Vegas offers an endless array of activities for travellers of all ages. Transportation to and from this celebrated US city is among the most accessible in the world; Las Vegas’s McCarren International Airport averages over 500 daily non-stop departures, servicing 125 cities, domestically and internationally.