Hotel Review: Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
I arrived at Hong Kong Airport, and hopped in a cab to get to the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. After 40 minutes, the cab driver announced that we had arrived. I got out of the cab, looked up, and my first view of the hotel was something like this.
Wow that’s a tall building. The hotel has 539 rooms/suites, and is the Asian flagship property of Hyatt International. It is located behind the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, and would be ideal for anyone attending something there as the two buildings are connected.
Stepping into the impressive lobby I was immediately approached by two attendants to see if I needed help with my luggage. Since I would only be staying for a short night, no assistance was needed for small light bags. As the check-in agent tapped away at her computer, I looked around. In the lobby there was a flower shop, wine shop, and even a chocolate shop that specializes in made-to-order cakes, pastries, and breads. The hotel had seven restaurants. I was sorry to be staying there for only one short night. The hostess mentioned that Chinese president Hu Jintao even stayed at this hotel during his first visit to Hong Kong.
Flower shop.
Even though I had requested a suite upgrade using one of my Diamond certificates, for some reason it hadn’t registered properly and there were no suites available at the hour when I checked in (6pmish). However, the hostess was at least able to put me in a room with a view of the Victoria Harbor, rather than a garden view room. I was handed my room key, which actually looked like a key rather than a keycard, and an attendant was ready to show me up to my room.
He led me to a private glass elevator that is used to access the Club on the 30th floor and the club rooms. On the way up, he said that the hotel was in the process of renovating the rooms as well as the keys, so that keycards would soon be standard. Exiting on the 27th floor, I entered my Club King room, and a plate of fresh fruit was waiting for me.
At 410 square feet including the bathroom, the room felt a bit small. The bed was wonderfully comfortable though with a fluffy duvet, featherbed on top of the mattress, and soft linens. A functional desk was next to the bed.
Some knick-knacks and art were around the room.
The highlight of the room was the view. Floor to ceiling windows offered stunning views of Victoria Harbor and Kowloon.
The bathroom’s dark marble and gold tones were in contrast to the bedroom’s lighter colors. They managed to squeeze in a tub, separate shower, sink, and toilet. Mirrors were everywhere.
The toiletries were presented nicely, but were not labeled with a brand. Instead they simply said, “shampoo”, “body wash”, and “conditioner”. A small box of Q-tips, cotton balls, a shower cap, and assorted bathroom items were also available.
The night looked a little cloudy, but I was still looking forward to seeing the harbor lit up at night.
I headed up to the Club on the 30th floor to watch the nightly “Symphony of Lights” that starts at 8pm. The Grand Hyatt hotel offers one of the best front & center locations to watch the show, which consists of music and laser lights that highlight the 44 skyscrapers and landmarks on the sides of the harbor. It was even in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest lighting and music show, on November 21, 2005.
Since it wasn’t yet 8pm, I decided to try some of the Grand Club’s evening canapés. After leaving the quiet of my room, I was surprised to find the Grand Club very busy. I noted that they offered real champagne, and that there was a great selection of food items.
I selected a few items, and snagged a table near the window perfect for watching the light show.
I returned to the food area to add a few items to my plate, but found that since there were so many people some of the dishes had been completely emptied. I asked one of the attendants if they would be bringing out more, but they said this would be the last offering for the evening.
l asked politely if perhaps they had an egg roll or two in the back? In typical style, the attendant returned swiftly with a smile and a full plate of egg rolls for me.
I took a seat and enjoyed the light show. Even though it was cloudy, the buildings turned off and on their lights, the lasers swung around and lit up the sky.
What a beautiful view!
The show lasted a good 15 minutes, and afterwards I went back to my room. It took a few minutes to find some of the light switches to switch them off, as they had cleverly been hidden around the room. But once the lights were off, it was just a few minutes before I drifted off to sleep.
I would absolutely stay at this hotel again. I think it has one of the most amazing views in Hong Kong, and the service was great. Since I didn’t get a chance to try the suites, breakfast (which was included) or the pool, I would definitely try to do so next time.
