Despite Mandarin Oriental General Manager Jonas Schuermann's claim that "if you switch off the light at night in the bedroom they all look the same," the guest rooms at the Mandarin are anything but cliché and formulaic.

Actually, as the story goes, back in 2005, when the hotel was planning its renovation, an interior designer proposed two separate layouts, the Veranda style (pictured right) and the Tai Pan. The hotel liked both formats so much that, rather than decide between the two, they chose to use both, offering guests a choice between the more modern Veranda and the more conservative Tai Pan, each room available for the same price.

Veranda

The first thing that strikes you about the Veranda room, aside from the complimentary Champagne, truffles, and tomato-mozzarella mix, is how big the room feels. Entering through a short narrow hall, the room immediately opens up past the bathroom, extending beyond the bed area to a marble veranda, complete with a work station, and a large wall-to-wall window overlooking Victoria Harbor.

The design makes the room appear larger than it really is, but given the space limitations of all Hong Kong properties, the Mandarin Oriental Veranda room achieves a supremely comfortable level of spaciousness.

The room, which comes in king and twin bed formats, counts a 37-inch flat-screen TV, internet connection, CD/DVD player and an iPod docking station among its electronic amenities, while the requisite mini-bar comes stocked with fine spirits and snacks. There is even a set of binoculars handy to gaze at the harbor front, Kowloon and beyond.

Located next to the entryway is the bathroom. Partitioned from the rest of the room by a sliding door, the bathroom features a large tub (big enough for two I might add), a dual-head shower, commode and a sink/vanity area. While the vanity is rather small, the design maximizes every square inch of real-estate, offering a two-sided mirror, one side of which features a built-in television, convenient for watching the news or a big game from the comfort of the tub, and access from both sides of the sink.

Complete with Salvatore Ferragamo toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, bath gel and moisturizing lotion), the Mandarin leaves no detail untouched, the only thing missing is a tube of moustache wax.

Tai Pan 

Equal to the Veranda in terms of square footage and amenities, the Tai Pan layout is slightly different, most notably in the bathroom area, where the tub and commode are sectioned off, and in the absence of a veranda. In its place are a larger work area and desk.

Better suited for business travelers (the Mandarin staff recommends the Veranda for leisure tourists and couples), the Tai Pan's furniture features a brown-leather finish, whereas the Veranda is more rooted in dark woods.

For guests on even larger budgets, the Mandarin offers a number of suites, the most popular of which is the Oriental Suite.

Divided into a large living room, a king-size bedroom and an extravagantly large bathroom, which is actually the largest room in the suite, Oriental Suites are more like 5-star serviced apartments than mere hotel rooms. They are designed as sanctuaries of relaxation, serving as retreats for hotel guests to escape the jet-setting pace of Hong Kong.

The living rooms feature a sofa, entertainment center and a work area, while the windowless bedroom is specifically designed to be dark and quiet for the deepest sleep. The bathroom feature an even larger, stand-alone tub, two vanity areas, a two-head shower, complete with bench, and an upgraded offering of Acqua di Parma toiletries.

If price is no object, Oriental Suites are luxuriously satisfying options, but regardless of your room type, the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong provides only the most elegant accommodations.

More on the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong

Health, wealth and relaxation: Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong's facilities

A king's feast: Dining at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong

Center Stage: Hong Kong's Central District and the Mandarin Oriental

ChinaTravel.net interview: Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong GM Jonas Schuermann

The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong: China's flagship of luxury