The InterContinental Hotel Hong Kong

Liz and I arrived at HKG in the early evening after a 14 hour flight (well, mine was 14 hours; hers was more, from EWR). Needless to say, we were delighted to be met by our hotel driver and taken to our Hong Kong 'home'.

CHECKING IN

It’s confession time, I’ve been having an affair.  I’ve been in love with the InterContinental Hong Kong hotel for about ten years now. It was the first place I stayed on my first trip to Hong Kong in 2004 and while I’ve been a guest at many other Hong Kong hotels over the years, the InterConti just keeps calling me back.

Formerly the Regent, the InterConti  is perched at the tip of the Kowloon peninsula – one of the best locations in town.  The Star Ferry dock is a five minute walk and the shops and restaurants on Nathan Road are just across the street. The Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) MTR stop is right in front of the hotel; you can be out the door, on the train, across the Harbour and ready for shopping in Central in 15 minutes.

 

Most guest rooms, the newly refurbished Lobby Lounge and Club Lounge all offer spectacular views of the Hong Kong skyline. 

I usually book a treatment at the hotel’s I-Spa after my long-haul flight and highly recommend the Jet Lag Recovery, a stretching massage that does wonders for post flight woes. The treatment rooms each have a private sauna and Jacuzzi.

It’s a splurge, but booking Club Intercontinental is well worth it. The Club Lounge is a haven for weary shoppers, offering scrumptious buffets at breakfast, afternoon teatime, and cocktail hour. You can also order eggs, pancakes, waffles and other breakfast goodies cooked to order in the morning. At the end of the day, champagne, wine and cocktails are served with the extensive buffet bites (I often make this dinner). There are computers for personal use and a dedicated concierge staff who work magic on any request.

Liz and I had drinks in the newly reburbished Lobby Lounge. The signature “V-sips”cocktails and “Tappetisers” were a fab treat as we watched the nightly Symphony of Lights laser show dancing on the Hong Kong skyline across the Harbour. It was the perfect finale to a long day of shopping!

HOTEL SHOPPING

My favorite Hong Kong store, Shanghai Tang, has a small branch shop in the InterConti lobby. Always my first shopping stop, this is undoubtedly one of the must sees, must dos of Hong Kong, even if you don’t buy anything. Prices are high but so is quality. Check out the cashmere Mao sweaters, silk accessories and everything you didn’t know you needed. Of course, I did need to buy something! My new fuchsia leather iPad cover will be the envy of everyone at Starbucks and I’ve added another dachshund to my family. This one, in Shanghai Tang signature silk fabric, will be introduced to my doxie boys at home. There’s another larger Shanghai Tang across the road in the Heritage 1888 complex. The Mother Ship in Central has moved out of the Pedder Building and up the road and around the corner. Now at 1 Duddell Street, it pales in comparison to the original but is still worth a visit.