Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong; Rosewood Hong Kong; Le Méridien Munich; Grand Hotel et de Milan; The Mandrake, London; Citadines Islington London

BACKGROUND This is the first Hyatt Centric-branded property in the Greater China region, and the second in Asia (the first is in Japan). It was formerly known as Hotel Vic on the Harbour, but was rebranded last year. Hyatt describes the Hyatt Centric portfolio as an upper-upscale lifestyle hotel brand.

WHERE IS IT? The hotel is located in North Point on Hong Kong Island. It is part of a mixed-used development which also includes a shopping mall, and is just steps away from the North Point Ferry Pier and MTR station, from where the rest of the city is easily accessible.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? The hotel is split between the East and West towers. The entrance has a stylish seating area with a large, glass ceiling that lets lots of natural light in. This leads up to the public check-in area on the 2nd floor. Although I checked in at the Club Lounge, I did notice a long line had formed in the public check-in area (a hotel spokesperson said they were expecting about 90 per cent occupancy for the imminent Mid-Autumn festival due to the popularity of its staycation packages).

The hotel’s Covid-19 safety measures include hand sanitising liquid in every elevator lobby, temperature checks at entrances, and thermal-imaging cameras located at various checkpoints throughout the hotel to spot people with fevers. Face masks are mandatary in public areas.

ROOMS There are a total of 665 rooms and suites. I stayed in a Harbour View Deluxe room on the 15th floor, which had massive windows with stunning views of Victoria Harbour. The décor had a silvery, white and black colour theme, and the room had a king-size bed, a sofa, coffee table, comfy chair, TV, fridge, international plugs by the bed, and electric curtains.

There was also a Nespresso coffee machine. I noticed small labels reading “sanitised” on high-touch items like the telephone, remote controls and door handles – a reassuring feature.

The bathroom was modern and functional, with lots of bright marble and lighting.

It had both a rain shower and a normal shower head, and also a bathtub near a window with views of the harbour. The amenities, which had packaging with black-and-white illustrations of Hong Kong’s skyline, included a comb, shower cap, a vanity kit and dental kits.

LOUNGE The Club Lounge is on the 22nd floor of the West Tower. I ate breakfast here every morning, and once again, there are sweeping views of Victoria Harbour. There’s plenty of comfortable seating, including a private meeting space, for those who want to buckle down and get some work done. The service in the lounge was very cordial and attentive.

The hotel also has 1,400 sqm of indoor and outdoor meeting and events spaces.

FOOD AND DRINK The hotel has three restaurants and bars. Cruise, located on the 23rd floor in the West Tower, is a rooftop restaurant and bar serving a wide variety of Asian cuisine from Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, etc. It offers both indoor and outdoor seating with panoramic harbour views. The Farmhouse, located on the West Tower’s second floor, is a spacious all-day dining restaurant. The Farmhouse Deli, also located here, is a café with pastries, cakes, coffee and a wide range of teas.

I had dinner at the Cruise restaurant where I was served a six-course meal as part of a set menu that was designed for sharing, featuring a variety of Asian dishes and desserts. Cruise is an elegant restaurant with large floor-to-ceiling windows, and the night time view of the Hong Kong skyline serves as an impressive backdrop, even during a thunderstorm. The restaurant has also adapted to the times by placing transparent barriers between tables, providing diners with a face mask container and an antiseptic wipe, and also ensuring its serving staff wear face masks.

LEISURE Facilities include a 24r gym, a 25-metre rooftop infinity pool, sauna and steam rooms. There’s also a “virtual reality fitness experience” at the gym.

VERDICT The location is excellent, away from the busier Central and Causeway Bay districts but giving easy access around the city. Views of the harbour abound, and the club lounge is a quiet and comfortable spot to get some work done. Seher Asaf

Cruise is an elegant restaurant with large floorto-ceiling windows