Mandarin Oriental relaunched its Web site to enhance the brand experience and increase the amount of time that consumers spend with the hotel marketer online.

The site boasts a new layout, informative content, personalization and price matching. There are also more functions available on the brand’s lifestyle blog, Destination MO.

“We conducted a number of in-depth studies to find out what our guests wanted from an online experience, and we hope the results speak for themselves,” said Christoph Oberli, vice president of ecommerce and interactive for Mandarin Oriental, New York.

“The site has been designed to offer a clean, simple and visually appealing journey with rich content and ease of booking,” he said. “MandarinOriental.com has been redesigned to the highest possible standards as befits a luxury brand, and in keeping with our projected future growth.”

New beginnings
Mandarin Oriental’s new site can be found at http://www.mandarinoriental.com.

One of the biggest changes is the layout. Mandarin Oriental now has four rotating images taking up the homepage which currently has two hotel properties and two celebrity ambassadors.

Each property page is a representation of that particular hotel and city. Each page details rooms and suites, offers, dining, spa, meetings and photo galleries.

Mandarin Oriental London’s page

Also, consumers can now connect to each property’s social media pages and interact with hotels via updates from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Other aspects of the site include Experience Mandarin Oriental, Our Celebrity Fans, Global Offers, Meetings and Events and Gallery.

The online booking process is enhanced so that consumers can view and compare rooms and rates.

Room comparison

There is also a dynamic packaging tool that provides a choice of different services and facilities, all of which can be prearranged and made available upon arrival. These include in-room amenities, concierge assistance and dining and spa services.

Mandarin Oriental is also offering increased personalization, which could help translate the on-property luxury experience onto the Web site.

Consumers can personalize their stay by creating a guest profile that will transfer personal information into all Mandarin Oriental stays.

Launching point
Since Web sites act as digital presences for luxury marketers, it is a good idea to refresh them every once in a while so long as the new design aligns with the brand image.

For example, Swiss watchmaker Hublot is polishing its digital strategy through a new Web site that acts as a hub for products, brand culture and corporate social responsibility.

Consumers can look intricately at products, learn about brand responsibilities, watch videos and see high-resolution articles (see story).

Also, British jeweler Graff revamped its Web and mobile sites to include an interactive timeline, brand stories and high-resolution images that reveal the breadth of its collections.

The site boasts an improved user interface and a variety of interactive components. It also pays attention to each product and diamond in the Graff family and includes copious information and details with large, high-resolution images (see story).

Similar to Graff, Mandarin Oriental has optimized and rearranged its site for mobile. This will help expand the reach of the brand and will assist consumers looking to book via mobile.

Most importantly, both the desktop and mobile versions of the site reflect the Mandarin Oriental brand image without sacrificing functionality.

“The site has also been optimized for all mobile devices, allowing for content that is portable and accessible, and can be viewed anywhere which is ideal for the tech-savvy luxury traveler,” Mr. Oberli said.

“The site was designed around the Group’s inspiring imagery and its layout is uncluttered, simple, serene and visually stimulating – an apt description of each hotel,” he said.

Final Take
Rachel Lamb, associate reporter on Luxury Daily, New York