Walking into the lobby of the Hyatt International's Asian flagship hotel is like walking into the Bavarian castle of a modern-day King Ludwig, a lobby so palatial in design that the word "understatement" has certainly never crossed its threshold. Decorated to resemble the salon of a 1930s Art Deco luxury ocean liner, it literally flaunts space, with huge black granite columns, massive flower arrangements, palm trees, bubbling fountains, and furniture and statuettes reminiscent of that era. It's not the kind of place you want to be seen on a bad hair day.
Located on the waterfront adjacent to the Convention Centre and only a 5-minute walk from the Wan Chai Star Ferry pier that delivers passengers to Tsim Sha Tsui, it offers smart-looking, contemporary rooms, soothingly decorated to ease stress and invite relaxation. Some 75% of the rooms provide a full harbor view, while the rest have a view of the free-form pool (Hong Kong's largest outdoor hotel pool) and garden with partial glimpses of the harbor. Pluses are the specially made beds with Egyptian cotton sheets, sliding clothes rack in the closet, cordless keyboards to access the Internet through an interactive TV, coffee-table books, and marble bathrooms complete with 18-karat-gold fixtures and separate bathtub and shower areas. For extra pampering, travelers can choose to stay at Plateau, a residential spa with 14 guest rooms in addition to nine treatment rooms, where guests can enjoy a massage, manicure, and a soak in an infinity bathtub without leaving the privacy of their room (doubles here start at HK$5,500/US$714/£393, including breakfast). They should, however, venture at least as far as the spa's sauna, which boasts a view of the harbor. I also like the hotel's restaurants, including the Grill, a poolside, landscaped restaurant offering sumptuous buffet spreads and grilled specialties year-round (weather permitting).
Facilities:5 restaurants (Italian, Cantonese, Continental, Japanese, grilled food); lounge; champagne bar; club with live music; huge outdoor heated pool (shared with adjacent Renaissance Harbour View Hotel and open year-round); children's splash pool and playground; golf-driving range; 2 outdoor tennis courts; 2 squash courts; health club; spa w/50m outdoor heated pool and sauna; jogging track; concierge; tour desk; limousine service; business center; salon; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; same-day laundry service/dry cleaning; executive-level rooms; free shuttle to Central, Causeway Bay, and Admiralty.
In room:A/C, satellite TV w/cordless keyboard for Internet access and on-demand pay movies, fax, wireless Internet access, minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer, safe, bathroom scale, complimentary fruit and bottled water.
 | | | |
| Address | 1 Harbour Rd | |
| | | |
| Location | Wan Chai, Wan Chai | |
| | | |
| Transportation | MTR: Wan Chai | |
| | | |
| Phone | 800/233-1234 in the U.S. and Canada, 852/2588 1234 | |
| | | |
| Fax | 852/2802 0677 | |
| | | |
| Web site | www.hongkong.grand.hyatt.com | |
| | | |
| Room Information | 549 units | |
| | | |
| Prices | HK$4,500-HK$6,000 (US$584-US$779/£321-£429) single; HK$4,750-HK$6,250 (US$617-US$811/£339-£446) double; from HK$5,700 (US$740/£407) Grand Club executive-floor double; from HK$8,000 (US$1,039/£571) suite. Children under 12 stay free in parent's room (maximum 3 persons per room) | |
| | | |
| Credit Cards | AE, DC, MC, V | |