Top 5 Hotels in Hong Kong
Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
Highly regarded among top drawer Hong Kong Hotels, the Four Seasons boasts almost 400 large hi tec rooms, massive lobbies, high ceilinged restaurants and an extensive spa with two pools - all situated in the Central district and with stunning views. The upmarket IFC shopping mall is next door for those that want to mix work with some play. Try the Blue Bar over looking Victoria Harbour for after meeting cocktails.
Rooms from $4,200 HKD (£334 GBP)
Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: 00 852 3196 8888
www.fourseasons.com/hongkong
Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
The Mandarin Oriental, which overlooks Victoria Harbour from its perch right in the middle of Central, is a Hong Kong institution. The 502 rooms are known for their elegance and its tearooms and buffets also enjoy a loyal following. Business travellers are well catered for, with facilities including Internet access and state-of-the-art function rooms to accommodate conferences and events. The lobby has style to spare with a somewhat recherché art deco flavour. Top-class dining options include Pierre and Mandarin Grill, while favourite bars include the M Bar, Chinnery Bar and the Captain's Table.
Rooms from $3600 HKD (£286 GBP)
5 Connaught Road, Central
Tel: 00 852 2522 0111.
Website: www.mandarin-oriental.com/hongkong
The Upper House
Elegant, minimal and tranquil, this hotel offers the largest rooms in Hong Kong Island as standard, and is understated cool at its most elegant. Wood, limestone, leather and marble fittings in a restrained palette run all the way up to the restaurant on the 49th floor.
Rooms from $2888 HK (£230 GBP)
The Upper House, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, HK
Tel: 00 852 3968 1111
www.upperhouse.com
The Peninsula
The jewel in the crown of Kowloon's waterfront hospitality palaces, The Peninsula is a colonial foundation dating from 1928, which has kept its supremacy well into the post-colonial era. Comprehensive, modern facilities embellish period grandeur. The tearooms at street level are appropriately magnificent - Noel Coward could walk in any time and feel right at home. The hotel affords magnificent harbour views from some suites; it also boasts top-class restaurants, including the celebrated Philippe Starck Felix bar-restaurant and Gaddis, and even offers city helicopter trips from its roof-top helipad.
Rooms from $4,200 HKD(£334GBP)
The Peninsula, Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 00 852 2920 2888.
www.peninsula.com/hongkong
The Luxe Manor
In big, bold and brassy Hong Kong, boutique accommodation with a designer edge can be difficult to find. Fortunately Luxe Manor, with its 153 rooms and six themed suites, caters to guests who believe bigger is not necessarily better. The interior is a quirky mix of grand old architecture fused with the surrealist art and design of the early 20th century. Guest rooms feature little luxuries such as marble bathrooms and mini-bar along with business essentials including Wi-Fi Internet access. The hotel's restaurant, Aspasia, is helmed by Michelin-starred chef Roland Schuller. Alternatively step out onto Knutsford Terrace, a buzzing al fresco strip.
Rooms from $935 HKD (£75 GBP)
39 Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Tel: 00 852 3763 8888.
www.theluxemanor.com
Hong Kong's Top 10 Restaurants
Aqua
Eclectic Trendy $$
The most spectacular views on the planet from the 26th floor of One Peking Road building. An uninterrupted sight of Hong Kong at night, from 21ft glass windows. Fusion food - Japanese or Italian or a bit of both, an odd mix but it works. Can't miss this place for the views alone.
Aqua, 29-30 One Peking Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Reservations: 00 852 3427 2288
Café Deco Bar and Grill
Eclectic $$
Café Deco has one of the most breathtaking restaurant views on Earth (the panorama of the harbour from Hong Kong Island's central peak) especially dazzling at night. The cuisine is a hugely diverse array of East and West, from perfect steaks to succulent sashimi and sizzling tandoori platter. The art deco interior is a gem. Restaurants on the Peak cater to a captive audience, so you can always go for drinks and appetizers and head down to the city for dinner. Booking is a must and request a table with a view, as many don't!
Level 2, Peak Galleria, 118 Peak Road, The Peak
Reservations: 00 852 2849 5111.
www.cafedecogroup.com
Gaddi's
French Smart $$
Since opening in 1953, The Peninsula hotel's signature restaurant has served gourmet French cuisine and fine wine to an always appreciative audience. Its spacious, layered space is complemented by chandeliers, large tables and blue and gold décor. There is a three-course lunch menu, with four-, five- and six-course options available for dinner. Perfect for either a romantic dinner or group celebration. Dinner jackets and advanced booking required for evening dinner.
The Peninsula, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.
Reservations: 00 852 2315 3171.
www.hongkong.peninsula.com
Ingredients
Contemporary Smart $$
In a city addicted to air-conditioning, tasteful al fresco restaurants can be rare. Ingredients has capitalised on the dearth by converting its rooftop into a little garden oasis away from the hustle and bustle of Wan Chai's hectic streetscape. The menu is contemporary gourmand without the associated pretensions. For a decadent dining experience try the lobster bisque followed by eye fillet topped with foie gras.
Ingredient, 23-29 Wing Fung St, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Reservations: 00 852 2544 5133.
www.ingredients.com.hk
M at the Fringe
Contemporary Trendy $$
With a loyal following, this 19-year-old Australian-owned restaurant is one of Hong Kong's best. It offers splendid continental cuisine (such as a warm salad of buche de chevre, with summer greens and fresh figs and, of course, M's legendary pavlova) in an effortlessly artsy ambience.
M at the Fringe, First floor, South Block, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central.
Reservations: 00 852 2877 4000.
www.m-atthefringe.com
Wagyu
Australian/International Casual $$
Expats craving a steak and a decent bottle of red wine tend to flock to Australian-owned Wagyu, a restaurant with a prominent position just above Lang Kwai Fong in Central. The set lunch is popular for businessmen and "ladies who lunch" while the higher-end evening menu attracts a more sophisticated crowd. The adjoining bar tends to overflow out onto the Wyndham Street footpath, making it a great place to ogle Hong Kong's stylish set.
Wagyu, 60 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong
Reservations: 00 852 2825 8805.
Tivo
Italian Trendy $
One of a number of intimate, funky bars and cafes along Wyndham Street. Tivo is dark, moody and designer. Hong Kongers love to eat out, so join the party in the evening or for weekend brunch.
Tivo, Yu Yuet Lai Building, 43-55 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong.
Reservations: 00 852 2116 8055
Maxim's Palace
Chinese Casual $
No visit to Hong Kong would be complete without a gastronomic experience. Maxim's Palace can be found on the second floor of City Hall in the Central district. The red- and gold-decorated restaurant serves up delectable dishes of Cantonese cuisine, as well as offering spectacular views of Victoria Harbour. Dim sum is still served by pushcart here, and the atmosphere is buzzing. Open daily 11am-3pm and 5.30pm-11pm (from 9am on Sundays).
Maxim's Palace, City Hall Low Block, Hong Kong
Reservations: 00 852 2521 1303
Cafe Indochine
Vietnamese Casual $
Serving delicious Indochinese cuisine to a consciously trendy crowd in a breezy colonial setting, complete with 1920's veranda, wooden shutters and ceiling fans. The staff excel in English and there is a wonderful wine list to complement the feast. Drop out of the restaurant after dinner and go clubbing in two of the hottest streets in Hong Kong.
Cafe Indochine, 30-32 D'Aguilar, California Tower, Central, Hong Kong.
Reservations: 00 852 2869 7399
Peking Garden Alexandra House
Peking Casual $
Dine with a minimum of six and enjoy Peking food in comfortable and elegant oriental surroundings. Delicious beef on a sizzling platter, hunan ham with lotus seed in honey sauce, fish in wine sauce, minced pigeon in fresh lettuce, northern hot bread rolls, onion cakes and of course Peking Duck. Averaged price white and red wine to complement the meal. Try to arrive for the nightly presentation of handmade noodles at 8 or 8.30pm. Fortunately there are escalators to help you up at street level.
Peking Garden, 3 Salisbury Road, Star House (3rd Floor), Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Reservations: 00 852 2735 8211