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Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen's General Manager Christian Dolenc On a Landmark Year & the City's Unexpected Side
SHENZHEN
Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen's Christian Dolenc, General Manager and Area Vice President, Operations, on the hotel's World's 50 Best debut, MO Bar's rise and why Shenzhen deserves more than a day trip.
It has been a standout year for Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen. The hotel debuted at No. 90 on The World's 50 Best Hotels, while MO Bar was named No. 60 on The World's 50 Best Bars 2026 and No. 5 on Asia's 50 Best Bars. CSP Times sat down with Christian Dolenc, the hotel's General Manager and Area Vice President, Operations, to find out what is behind the momentum, how the bar draws on Chinese craft and ingredients, and how he would spend 48 hours in a city he says is often underestimated.
All images are courtesy of Mandarin Oriental.
2026 has been a particularly strong year for Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen, with the hotel debuting at No. 90 on The World's 50 Best Hotels, while MO Bar was named No. 60 on The World's 50 Best Bars 2026 and No. 5 on Asia's 50 Best Bars. What do these recognitions mean to the team, and what do you think has driven this momentum?
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But these recognitions really belong to our colleagues. Every day, they bring enormous passion, creativity and care to what they do. I believe that consistency, combined with a genuine desire to create experiences that feel connected to Shenzhen, has been at the heart of our progress. Perhaps most rewarding is seeing our colleagues help bring greater international attention not only to the hotel, but also to Shenzhen itself. We are proud to play a small part in introducing this remarkable city to a wider audience.
MO Bar has now put Shenzhen firmly on the global cocktail map. What do you think makes MO Bar distinctive within China’s increasingly sophisticated bar scene, and how does the team draw on Chinese culture, flavours and ingredients in its cocktail programme?
What makes MO Bar special is the team behind it and the way they combine an international outlook with a very strong sense of Chinese identity, all against the extraordinary backdrop of the Shenzhen skyline.
Colours of China 2.0 is a good example. The team has drawn inspiration from traditional Chinese crafts such as weaving, dyeing, lacquer and glazing, translating their colours, stories and regional ingredients into contemporary cocktails. I think what they have created feels both modern and distinctly Chinese. We are very proud to see their creativity recognised internationally and, importantly, to see Shenzhen increasingly becoming part of the conversation around Asia’s leading bar destinations.
For someone visiting Shenzhen for the first time, what do you think the city still doesn’t get enough credit for?
Its quality of life. Shenzhen is known internationally for technology and business, but there is another side to the city that can sometimes be overlooked. It is remarkably green, energetic and creative, with a growing dining, arts, design and nightlife scene alongside incredible parks, mountains and the sea.
What I love most is the sense of optimism. Shenzhen is a young city that is constantly reinventing itself, and there is an openness to new ideas here that makes it a very exciting place to live and visit.
How has Shenzhen’s identity evolved beyond its reputation as a technology and business hub?
Shenzhen is increasingly becoming a lifestyle and cultural destination in its own right. The entrepreneurial energy that helped build the city is now being expressed through its restaurants, bars, design, art and hospitality.
We are also seeing the relationship with Hong Kong becoming increasingly two-way, with visitors coming to Shenzhen specifically to discover its dining and contemporary hospitality scene. There is a confidence and creativity here that feels very distinctive. I think all of us working in hospitality have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to help tell that broader Shenzhen story.
If you had 48 hours in Shenzhen and wanted to experience the city beyond the obvious tourist attractions, how would you spend them? What neighbourhoods, cultural spots, restaurants, cafés or bars would you recommend?
I would experience Shenzhen through its contrasts.
I would start outdoors, perhaps by bicycle, because that is one of the best ways to understand just how green the city is. From there, I would explore its contemporary cultural and creative side, and of course its food. I would try both sophisticated contemporary cuisine and something authentically local.
And I may be slightly biased, but I would end the evening with a cocktail at MO Bar on the 79th floor, looking across the Shenzhen skyline at night. My advice is simple: don’t come to Shenzhen with a checklist. Come with curiosity. The city is at its best when you allow it to surprise you.
Shenzhen is incredibly well connected to Hong Kong and Guangzhou but has a very different character from both. What do you think makes Shenzhen worth staying overnight rather than simply visiting as a day trip? For me, Shenzhen is not simply a city to see, but a city to experience.
During the day, you discover its architecture, culture, green spaces and remarkable pace of development. After dark, another side emerges, centred around dining, cocktails, creativity and the skyline.
An overnight stay gives you the time to experience those different dimensions. Shenzhen is young, modern and constantly evolving, but it is also developing a cultural and lifestyle identity of its own. For international travellers, perhaps the most compelling message is also the simplest: Shenzhen is unexpected.
Looking ahead, what are you most excited about at Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen, whether in terms of dining, wellness, collaborations or new ways of introducing guests to the city?
I think we still have many stories to tell. We have been fortunate to build strong foundations across dining, bars and wellness, thanks largely to the talent and commitment of our colleagues. The next chapter is about giving those teams an even greater platform to create experiences that could only happen here in Shenzhen. I am particularly excited about collaborations and new ways of connecting our guests with the city’s food, culture, creativity and lifestyle. We also hope to introduce Shenzhen to more discerning international travellers.
Ultimately, the ambition is quite simple: that guests leave us not only remembering Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen, but feeling they have discovered something unexpected about the city. If our colleagues can help more people become curious about Shenzhen, experience it and want to return, that would be something we could all be very proud of.
Location: 5001 Huanggang Rd, Futian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, 518026 | Phone: +86 755 8802 6888 | Email: moszn-reservations@mohg.com | Instagram: @mo_shenzhen_ | Website: mandarinoriental.com/en/shenzhen/futian
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