Hello there Hong Kong
Pull back the enormous floor length curtains in my twenty-fifth floor hotel room in Hong Kong, and you are greeted with some sight. Below me lies a sprawling metropolis with high rise blocks of flats and skyscrapers on one side and the highly prized breathtaking vista of the racecourse and Hong Kong’s Happy Valley, home of the rich, on the other. In the distance the leafy green mountains are, for the time being, shrouded in thick fog. This is a sharp contrast to Vietnam. The intricate road network, although bustling and busy, seems to work. At least here they’ve decided on one side of the road to drive on- and stuck to it!
It’s also very westernised. On the high rise opposite from me there stands an gigantic poster of a serene looking Nicole Kidman, advertising Omega watches. All around me there are signs in English, double decker buses, fast food joints like McDonalds, Burger King and KFC, and all the designer clothes brands you could ask for. In Hong Kong they drive on the left, eat western (as well as Cantonese) cuisine, and pay in Dollars (admittedly HK Dollars). The prices are also closer to what we are accustomed to at home, although having flown in from dirt cheap Hanoi everything seems astronomically expensive by comparison. (My advice, don’t compare. Don’t convert back. It only makes you angry, as Matt found out yesterday when he paid triple the price for his food compared to the night before). Aside from the ridiculously tall- and I’m talking really silly proportions here- and at times bizarrely constructed, skyscrapers -this could be London. If you squinted hard enough and ignored the normally warm temperatures that is. Hell, even the weather’s putting up a good pretence; at the moment it’s overcast and drizzling slightly, and later it’s forecasted to bucket it down.
None of this should really surprise, however, considering that HK was only handed back to the Chinese by the British in 1997 and the place still maintains a lively expat community. Just yesterday we met up with 19-year-old Brit Katie, whose parents emigrated here a few years back. There are also a great deal of well to do, suited and booted young Brits working for companies like HSBC and JP Morgan so going out here can sometimes be mistaken for one of the trendier areas in central London.
So this isn’t really China as you imagine it, but there is still enough to make it different, and the blend of East meets West makes HK quite unique. And I have to say, at the moment, I kinda like it, although this might have something to do with the ultra swish 4* Cosmopolitan hotel we’ve been put into. Since the moment we walked in the door, we’ve been treated like royalty. We were first greeted by Guest services Manager Agnes Yau, and escorted up to our beautiful hotel rooms by Assistant Front Office Manager, the very smiley Ronald Cheung. When we opened the door I could not believe my eyes. For five days I have this absolutely amazing room all to myself. It comes complete with a wide flatscreen TV, computer, a luxurious double bed, complementary tea and coffee, a selection of fruit, an array of free toiletries, the free use of dressing gowns and slippers, stunning views, and a power shower which could cure any hangover. They’ve literally thought of everything you might need.
We’ve just come back from a guided tour of the hotel, and her sister hotel, Cosmo, by the Public Relations Manager, a charming young man called Stewart Chen. During his detailed account on the range of the hotel’s facilities he was keen to stress the importance of comfort and connectivity as his two buzz words. Comfort in everything from the silky soft 300 thread count bed linen right down to the bouncy carpets, and connectivity in the form of phone and high speed internet access.
The Cosmopolitan Hotel, built on the site of the former Xin Hua New Agency, is first and foremost a very business orientated hotel, though it’s in the process of changing that image to a more feminine and family orientated image, or at least something which combines both business and leisure. Allegedly this had something to do with the new carpets. Apparently plush and soft carpets means more feminine and therefore more appealing for female guests and families. It’s an interesting idea, but just goes to show just into how much detail the hotel’s managers are going, to try to cater for all needs and widen the hotel’s appeal. The deluxe room I’m in is furnished in a modern, neutral tone, and is above all designed to be functional but none of this really puts me off as a woman, and I have to say, before it was mentioned to us, oh the odd half a dozen times or so, I hadn’t paid much attention to the carpets. Still, it’s nice to know, that as a woman, they are thinking of my needs too. Attention to detail was also emphasised in the staggeringly wide selection of pillows available. There are a whopping eleven different types in the range. Just deciding upon which one to choose would make me drowsy! Still, were I so inclined- and you know I just might try it now I have the chance- I can chose between pillows which offer extra head and neck support, those that are designed to be soft and light, non- allergic pillows, pillows to improve circulation and reduce stress and those that are scented. Hell, even the paper this information is written on is scented, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was providing some kind of health benefit to boot!
Included in this startling array of choices, are options about the type of complementary water you can have. There are four types. To me, as long as it’s cold and doesn’t carry typhoid, water is water and will refresh me whatever brand it may be. To the guests of this hotel, however, it’s something a whole lot more. Still, sparkling, mineral, non-mineral, distilled, non-distilled, it’s confusing just trying to read the labels. I’m seriously considering popping down to reception later to ask for some Kabbalah water with my tears of leprechaun, rose hip and just feed baby smell scented pillow, though something tells me that no matter how mad hat your requests may be, the hotel staff will always try to accommodate you.
Wifi is complementary in the lobby and restaurant areas but annoying not so in the rooms. Consequently, it’s invariably packed by reception, with those checking out, those checking in and those struggling to find a plug socket for their laptop. Incidentally the plugs here are the same as in Britain, so there’s no need to bring an adapter. Hurrah! Another British hangover for you. I’m full of them today!
Aside from your average deluxe room – I say average… at 280 square feet it’s anything but! – which would already set you back a whopping $763 per 7 night stay, you can enjoy the luxury of an executive suite, which, at 520 square feet, would cost you around $1,167. The suites have four themes, including the massage suite, complete with a variety of massage equipment (all relatively painful in our experience, though whatever floats your boat!) and the toy suite which comes complete with a number of games and puzzles aimed at small children, fluffy animals and a built in Wii and DVD player. Though both of these options of course might mean that you never actually end up leaving your hotel room, which of course defeats the object of actually travelling there in the first place.
The Cosmopolitan also offers free use of its gym for all guests and a complimentary shuttle service to 16 different points on the Island. ‘Location is everything in Hong Kong’, Mr Chen informs us as we walk round the hotel. I can see the shuttle bus coming in handy for us, but some of the other amenities seem a tad unnecessary. Then again, that’s exactly their point. They are unnecessary frivolities, capricious desires that don’t really need fulfilling, but if you have the money and do feel so inclined then I guess that these subtle nuances are what makes a good hotel experience a great one. And at the moment, with monetary considerations set aside for the while, I have to say, as hotel experiences go, aside from the dull ache in my neck from sampling the torturous neck massager, I’m loving my one.
Right, we’re off to check out what this city has to offer.
More from HK next time!
Beautiful blog, your writing is lovely! Have an amazing time in the beautiful city of Hong Kong, try and get up to Victoria Peak if you have time, the views are phenomenal! Good luck and have fun, enjoy every moment lovely lady! x
Thank you so much Ellie!
We did indeed visit Victoria Peak, as well as the giant Buddha, the yacht club and the middle of nowhere hiking tracks in Ng Tung Chai- the scenery and waterfalls there were breathtakingly beautiful. Uploading a new blog soon, so keep reading and thanks again for your support! Hope you’re having a lovely summer! x