Our History
Conde Nast Johansens
Our People
If the happiness of a team can be used as a measurement for the quality of a hotel, and we genuinely believe it can, then The Mandolay must be very good indeed.
Our Culture
We are indeed proudly independent, owned by the same family for over 25 years and able to combine traditional values of service, hospitality and hard work with a modern approach to sensible investment and sustainable development.
Hotel Services
In The Community
Management
It is my pleasure to welcome you to Mandolay. Whether you visit us for work or leisure, a conference, event, or function, with family, friends, or colleagues I hope that everything is exactly to your taste.
Matthew Milliken MIH - Managing Director
Green Tourism
News and Blogs
All of our news, special offers and What's on in Guildford, and Mandolay
About the Mandolay Hotel
Our History
The market town of Guildford is steeped in history, from our 11th century castle to the very first written reference to cricket, and links with famous authors like Lewis Carrol and PG Wodehouse.
The Mandolay itself has played its own part in the history of the town, the parents of mathematician and computer pioneer Alan Turing, lived in the hotel during the Second World War, and it is believed that Alan himself stayed here on many occasions during visits to Guildford.
Today, visitors to The Mandolay are often surprised to learn that the hotel is comprised of three Edwardian buildings, the original façade remains, still in its pristine white, while the bedrooms and public areas have of course seen many changes.
The newer part of the hotel features bedrooms, coach house accommodation and our suite of 8 meeting and event spaces, all superbly designed and often described as a ‘hotel within a hotel’.
The Mandolay continues to invest in the future, and we take pride in our determination to provide a modern hotel and venue, while respecting our historic importance at the heart of our beautiful town.
The Mandolay continues to invest in the future, our enforced closure during 2021 giving us the perfect opportunity to install a new contactless check-in system, improved security measures and the redecoration of many of our 80 bedrooms.
Our Culture
We treat every person that touches The Mandolay, in whatever capacity, including guests, suppliers, staff and patrons with respect, our people are our greatest asset, and we are committed to being good people to work for, and do business with.
Management
Managing Director, Matthew Milliken joined The Mandolay as General Manager in 2012 and has stamped his personality on every aspect of the hotel operation.
In 2016, we achieved AA 4 Star status, thanks almost entirely to Matthew’s vision and drive. This milestone in our history followed two years of continual improvements in and around the hotel, working with leading brands, introducing new facilities, recruiting well, and providing professional training for team members in every department.
Every senior manager shares Matthew’s passion and determination to fulfil the potential of the hotel and the wonderful team that continue to deliver exceptional levels of service.
The hotel was awarded Conference Hotel of the Year by Conde Naste and our 2024 rating from the AA reinforced our status as a 4 Silver Star property, while our AA Rosette for Dining helped establish our kitchen and restaurant alongside the finest in Surrey. These accolades, among our many other awards, demonstrate our ongoing commitment to achieving and maintaining the very highest personal and professional standards.
Recent developments have included a new App, contactless check-in and check-out, a new online system making reservations, and conference & event bookings, quicker and more straightforward.
Our People
In an industry not always known for longevity of tenure, The Mandolay can proudly boast decades of loyal service from a great many team members, offering our guests a continuity of service and a huge amount of experience that we know is genuinely appreciated.
Hotel Services
Whatever your reason for visiting The Mandolay Hotel we are committed to helping make your stay as comfortable as possible.
Here we list a small selection of the services that we offer but as always we are delighted to receive special requests so if you have a specific requirement please do not hesitate to ask either on arrival or ahead of your stay.
We are here to help…
Flowers
Our in-house florist is always delighted to create something special to mark any occasion; simply contact the hotel and tell us how much you would like to spend and we will do the rest.
Gift Vouchers
Our gift vouchers are ideal for all occasions. We offer cash vouchers as well as certificates for many of our departments including the Bar and Restaurant.
Concierge
The Mandolay does not employ a concierge; however our reception staff have a wealth of local knowledge and are always pleased to offer help and advice about great places to visit, local theatres and cinemas, places of worship and visitor attractions in the area.
Conde Nast Johansens
We were proud to be included in the guide for the very first time in 2015 and delighted to have retained our status thenceforth.
To be nominated for the Best Urban Hotel of the Year was of course a huge thrill as it was to see The Mandolay feature in both The Tatler and Vogue.
Our latest achievement has been our winning status in the publication’s ‘Best for Meetings and Conferences’ category for 2020. As well as Finalist for the ‘Best for Meetings and Conferences’ category in 2021 – 2024.
Green Tourism Award
Our environmental credentials are extremely important to us; we were the very first hotel in the South of England to introduce free electric car charging points and we remain committed to using green energy where possible.
We continually seek ways in which we can reduce our environmental impact, making changes to our single use plastic policies. We use eco-friendly detergents throughout the hotel and purchase AAA rated white goods wherever possible.
Not only do we follow all the relevant protocols, we also demand the highest standards from our suppliers. We serve locally sourced and responsibly farmed food in our restaurant and our Royal Warranted linen service providers continue to set standards for others to follow.
In The Community
Independent in spirit, The Mandolay Hotel is proud of its position close to the Heart of Guildford. We do not see helping as a responsibility, it is in fact a privilege to be in a position to play an active role in our community and whilst we cannot help everybody, we do contribute to a broad spectrum of local and national good causes, charities and appeals. This contribution takes many forms, including our support of Experience Guildford, an independent organisation dedicated to helping residents, and visitors make the most of their time in our beautiful town.
Mandolay in the community
Independent in spirit, The Mandolay Hotel is proud of its position Close to the Heart of Guildford. We do not see helping as a responsibility, it is in fact a privilege to be in a position to play an active role in our community and whilst we cannot help everybody, we do contribute to a broad spectrum of local and national good causes, charities and appeals. This contribution takes many forms, and on this page we are delighted to highlight some of the more creative ways that we have chosen to show our support.
