LUXE APPEAL IN HONG KONG.
Opened in 1928, the Peninsula Hong Kong modeled itself on the grand hotels of Paris and London. Now it’s the flagship of an international chain that has set its own standard of luxury, one based on unique experiences as much as opulence.
Setting: On the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula — hence the name — with impressive views of skyscraper-studded Hong Kong Island across Victoria Harbor. It’s about a threeblock walk to Tsim Sha Tsui subway station and the Star Ferry pier, which bring the rest of this “special administrative region” of China, as it’s been known since 1997, into easy reach.
The appeal: Elegant tradition with high-tech finesse. Generations of Hong Kongers and visitors have enjoyed formal afternoon tea in the soaring lobby. Guests find equally gracious but more modern style in the 300 guest rooms and suites, many in the 30-floor tower added in 1994. All have spacious marble baths, numerous touch-screen controls and hidden conveniences such as Nespresso machines and charging stations.
Insider’s tips: A 15-minute or longer helicopter tour (from $256) from the hotel helipad includes access to the China Clipper lounge, an Art Deco enclave with fascinating aviation mementos. To sample four famous restaurants and Asian and European cuisine in one night, take the progressive Culinary Journey (from $247), which travels from the lobby to Spring Moon, Gaddi’s and Felix, the dramatic 28th-floor dining room designed by Philippe Starck.
Good to know: Cathay Pacific now flies from San Francisco to Hong Kong three times a day, including nightly service on a roomy new Airbus A350. A round-trip airport transfer in one of the hotel’s Rolls-Royce Extended Wheelbase Phantoms costs $370, compared with $35 each way by taxi. Closed for renovations, the Hong Kong Space Museum across the street is due to reopen shortly; neighboring Hong Kong Museum of Art should reopen in mid-2019.
Details: Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. (011) 852 2920 2888, http://hongkong.peninsula.com. From $561.