Why book the Island Shangri La, Hong Kong?
The Shangri La Hong Kong is wonderfully located in Central, but it is also a world unto itself, with seven restaurants, a large spa, and more than 500 rooms and suites with incredible skyline views. It’s notably fantastic for families with children, thanks to its 21 themed rooms on the 45th floor, which boast unlimited ice cream and treats and an exceptionally sensible DIY laundromat. It’s a big, bustling, buzzing destination that’s equally capable of feeling like a peaceful and calm oasis.
Set the scene
The Rolls Royce Phantom was waiting at Arrivals, equipped with scented cold towels and treats, wifi and phone chargers – a welcome gesture and one that truly set the scene for the lavish and attentive service that awaits at the 56-storey hotel. On entry, there’s an immediate sense that this is a place not only for travellers and tourists; it is full of locals arriving for coffee dates after running errands at Pacific Place Mall a couple of minutes walk away or to pick up the Island Gourmet’s signature frou frou (made with 70 per cent dark chocolate mousse, almond dacquoise and praline). Pro tip: it sells out by noon daily, so get your butler on it. Hotel staff will almost certainly point out the 16-storey-high, 250-panel-long mural in the atrium, ‘The Great Motherland of China’, rumoured to be the work of 40 artists and the largest Chinese silk painting in the world. A bubble elevator is available to view the mural from top to bottom. It feels like a bit of history and heritage amid Hong Kong’s dazzling modernity.
The backstory
The 34-year-old hotel is amid years-long renovations, ensuring this old favourite stays relevant and cool. As part of the swanky Pacific Place development, Island Shangri-la in the 90s was Hong Kong’s answer to “go big or go home.” It was one of the tallest buildings in the city and opened its doors in 1991 when Hong Kong was cementing its position as Asia’s luxury hospitality capital. Its founder, the Malaysian businessman Robert Kuok said, “In Asia, we understand that hospitality comes from the heart,” it’s become the cornerstone of the brand’s approach to service, which emphasises genuine warmth over rigid formality. Ask any Hong Kong local; they will likely have a core memory of this hotel.
The rooms
Where do we start? The renovated suites are a gold standard for hotel room design. Dazzling floor-to-ceiling windows with incredible skyline views and orange-gold sunrises steal the show – but the interiors are tasteful, glamorous and luxurious. With large walk-in closets, full-length mirrors (and dozens of hangers, thank goodness), and marble bathrooms, in addition to spacious living areas, you could entertain a half dozen friends. And they have personality, too: patterned wallpaper, soft cushions, a fully stocked bar (you couldn’t possibly call it a minibar) with varieties of accoutrements, from olives to almonds to lemon to lime to mint leaves to Lobster Bar’s spiced nuts. The wall behind the bed is embroidered with gold metallic silk; the bedside drawer is stocked with charging stations, chargers and wireless charging pads. A Dyson air purifier gently hums in a corner. The tech is seamlessly integrated – and notably, it all works. Everything turns off at a button switch that’s easy to reach. The shower area has two hand and head showers, well spaced apart, with separate faucets and settings. And a bench. And a Bluetooth speaker. (This delighted me perhaps more than it should.) The bathtub has a TV built-in to a mirror and amenities by Acqua di Parma, Tata Harper and John Masters Organics. Floral mosaic patterns abound on the walls; Dyson hair tools are at your fingertips.
By the coffee station is a faucet that immediately dispenses either ice cold or boiling water – a feature all hotels should adopt immediately. Everywhere, there is a feeling of luxury and abundance: the crisp bedding, the pillow menu with 12 choices, the robes, the fresh hydrangea everywhere, the gloriously large fruit platters, the seven types of tea and five varieties of bathing rituals (including one with lemongrass, heterophyllous and artemisias, a concoction true to Traditional Chinese Medicine, to balance the chi). But rather than feel over-the-top, it feels very much like luxury ought to feel: as if someone smart thought very long and hard about what you might like – and what might really and truly annoy you about travelling – and then worked to address everything on that list.
And those little things count, even months after my visit: turn-down service includes a tray of Sweet Dreams flower tea placed by the bed with a handwritten note. The elegant diffuser was set in a tray with a choice of three essential oil blends from the hotel’s Yun Wellness range: Zen Forest, a mix of pine, basil, and rosemary, was my choice for three days in a row; after that, it was the only one that appeared. Communication with the butler can be easily done via WhatsApp.
The food and drink
There are eight restaurants and bars at the Island Shangri-La, but three are unmissable and always filled with locals. Summer Palace is a Michelin one-starred Cantonese restaurant for 14 consecutive years, specialising in freshly and expertly prepared dim sum. The steamed pork and prawn dumplings and deep-fried turnip cakes arrive precisely as they should: the former piping hot from the steam, the meats firm and dough soft and chewy, the latter flaky with generous sprinkles of sesame. The tea is never allowed to go cold; the soy and fresh chillies are replenished as if by magic. Chef Leung is a master at his craft, but the service follows suit.
And then there is the Lobster Bar and Grill, which, as its name suggests, is a decadent night out with live jazz, artisanal cocktails and fine foods. Think seafood towers, caviar and blinis, fresh oysters, crab cakes and Angus steak. And then, of course, there is the lobster: bisque, Thermidor, risotto, grilled or poached with garlic butter… Again, was it OTT or just a taste of generous Asian hospitality? One bite of the blue lobster fettuccine, and you’ll be convinced this is just how things were intended. Vegetarians will enjoy the chilli aglio e olio and madeleines for dessert.
Finally, there is Nadaman, where we recommend a seat at the Teppanyaki table and a set lunch with Japanese wagyu. The fried rice preparations – with your choice of proteins, including dried sardines and sea urchin – are impeccable. Breakfast is a busy affair, but those in signature suites can eat in the lounge (soon to be renovated but with a great view) or order room service. Options include Western set menus with eggs, Chinese menus with congee and Shanghainese noodles, and even Moroccan shakshuka and dan dan mien.
The spa
The spa boasts some suites that are perfectly designed for a day with friends or family, as well as sauna and steam rooms and well-appointed changing areas – more Dyson hair appliances. On offer are facials by Tata Harper or Dr Burgener, a state-of-the-art gym with personal training sessions, or group classes for reformer pilates, aerial yoga, meditation and singing bowl therapy – the last far more relaxing and transformative than we have experienced before.
The neighbourhood
It’s very centrally located, just a couple of minutes from a shopping mall but also from Hong Kong Park. Your views take in the Victoria harbour and city skyline with the mountains behind the skyscrapers – pretty unbeatable at night. Getting anywhere from Central is incredibly convenient and taxis are everywhere. If you want to be in the midst of the action, this is the spot for you.
The service
In a word: impeccable and intuitive, especially when on a top floor. Staff are seemingly always on hand and ready to help, well-informed and courteous. They’re used to jetlagged, demanding business travellers as well as jetlagged, demanding families with kids. Restaurant recommendations are highly encouraged, given how popular the outlets are with even Hong Kong residents. That Asian brand of service – warm, thoughtful and generous – is alive and well here.
For families
The 45th floor, aka the family floor, is nothing short of extraordinary. This is a wonderland to the max, creating new standards for luxury family stays. The lift lobby itself has been transformed into a train station with a model toy train running across its length. (Adults will find themselves pretty mesmerised too.) The 21 themed rooms are fantastical playgrounds where kids will go gaga over the bunk beds – cleverly disguised as airships and forts and trams, with slides and canopies and child-sized secret doors – making bedtime less of a battle and more of an adventure. There are playful touches like special torches revealing hidden patterns on walls and a book exchange corner, turning each stay into a treasure hunt. Room themes include Underwater Treasures, Safari Adventure and Fisherman’s Cove. The playroom, a lively communal hub called The Hangout, is a dream come true, stocked with both ice-cream treats and healthy snacks (because balance), while practical touches like a dedicated laundry room show that the hotel really gets what families need when travelling. But the genius of these spaces lies in how they strike that perfect sweet spot between kid-friendly excitement and parent-approved practicality – like the inclusion of the centrally located Pantry, with a wash basin, microwave, and other essentials to enable easy preparation or reheating of meals for children. It will be hard for any child not to find this utterly delightful and unforgettable – just be prepared for them to throw a total tantrum when it comes time to leave.
Eco effort
The hotel has bid farewell to single-use plastics and welcomed in new bamboo amenities, including toothbrushes, razors and combs. The typical mini shower gels and shampoos have also been replaced with refillable large bottles, further minimising plastic waste. The slippers you’ll find in the rooms have been redesigned and now feature natural cork soles and 50 per cent less plastic. In parallel with these initiatives, the hotel has been working on transforming its dry-cleaning process with advanced, more eco-friendly technology favoured by high-end laundries. Once in place, this will allow staff to care for guests’ most delicate garments while reducing harmful emissions.
Accessibility
The hotel is fully wheelchair accessible, and a number of rooms and suites have been designed specifically with those with disabilities in mind.
Anything left to mention
While a few areas at this iconic hotel do feel like they need some updating – the spa, lobby, club lounge – they’re primarily public areas that don’t reflect just how sophisticated the rooms are or how popular the restaurants are even during the week. The Island Shangri La Hong Kong still delivers. In a city with newer hotels that have much to boast about, it retains an authenticity and personality with great service to boot.
