The Langham Place Hong Kong

Here is the link to the hotel’s website.

I decided to try something new in Hong Kong this time. Staying at a place like the Peninsula is all very well, but in a way the place is more like a museum than a real hotel, although indeed the rooms are very beautiful. So this time round I am staying at the Langham Place in lively Mong Kok.

In contrast to the Langham in Chicago, which is very grand and elegant, the Langham Place Hotel in Mong Kok is very modern and chic but somehow manages not to be pretentious about it. The design is modern with the elegant opulence only Asian hotels have. There is also a decidedly oriental touch to the Langham Place.

There are many different room types and packages that can be booked via the hotel’s website. Initially it may all seem a bit confusing, but in a way I think whatever you choose, you can hardly go wrong in this place.

I am staying in one of the Chuan Infinity Club rooms which are on the upper level of the hotel. The rate includes:

  1. All day access to the club lounge.
  2. Breakfast at the club lounge or downstairs in the main restaurant.
  3. Free wifi.
  4. Free unlimited access to the gym, spa and pool.
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The club lounge is very nice and comfortable. Save perhaps for the three loud Americans determined to let everybody know that they have just been to Japan and ‘the people of that culture are so small they are just so cute…’. The breakfast in the lounge is tasty and quite extensive. Moreover, the staff are really friendly and helpful. I can also highly recommend their afternoon tea, which is divine. The hotel gets extra brownie points for having the consideration to provide scones without raisins for people like myself who absolutely detest raisins.

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The gym is well equipped. It is mostly cardio machines and a few machines for weight lifting. There are only few free weights but you can still have a decent workout. The pool on the rooftop is great. The only downside is that it is only 20 metres long. I went for a swim just when the pool opened at 06h30 in the morning and had the place to myself. But space is rather limited and I can imagine it getting crowded on a sunny summer’s day (Which you do not get that many of in Hong Kong because it is usually grey from the humidity…)

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The Conrad by Hilton, Hong Kong

In Hong Kong I’m staying at the Conrad by Hilton. The hotel lies in close proximity to Admiralty MTR, half way between Wan Chai and Central. I’ve booked an Executive Peak View Suite, which has a separate living room. The rooms are quite large, there are tea and coffee making facilities and there’s even a Nespresso machine. Included in the rate is the access to the executive lounge on the 59th floor where breakfast is served, as well as afternoon tea from 15:00 to 17:00 and snacks from 17:00 to 19:00.

The hotel also has a gym, which is pretty well equipped. Complimentary earphones and water are available at the gym; and if you go there after 20h, you are likely to have the entire place to yourself.

Pros

  1. The view from the executive lounge of the harbour and the mainland beyond is quite spectacular
  2. Complimentary wifi in the lounge
  3. Good gym
  4. Location
  5. Good breakfast spread
  6. Professionalism of the staff

Cons

  1. The executive lounge is too small, you’re constantly bumping into people
  2. Long waits for the lifts, there don’t seem to be enough for the whole building

Over all, it is a good experience at the Conrad. Having said that, I think the hotel is starting to look a bit dated, even if the place is very well maintained. The style of the rooms is a bit old fashioned, and you get the feeling it may all start to look a bit worn in just a short while.

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