Island Shangri-La Hong Kong

Media Invite

One of the most famous names in the Hoteling Industry is Shangri-La! After our first experience at the Shang with the first ever Shangri-La hotel in the world—in Singapore, (Shangri-La Singapore), we were excited to check out Shangri-La in Hong Kong—the beautiful Island Shangri-La. Before we begin, What are the origins of the word Shangri-La?

Shangri-La is a mystical, harmonious valley, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains. Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise, and particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia — a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world.

It is in these mystical origins, that we started our journey on the heavenly Island Shangri-La!

Sitting near the Peak, high above the city, the island Shangri-La, lives up to its name of being an Oasis in the mountains. Wrapped in White Marble, we were surrounded by luxury the moment we stepped into the hotel. With its high ceilings and classical Chinese Deco, we felt like we were stepping into a whole new world, away from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong.

Check out the high ceilings and the many chandeliers that littered every hallway and room.  Truly Luxurious! Makes one feel like you are walking through the courts of an Imperial Palace

After checking in, we were brought up to our rooms, and allowed to “soak” in the beauty of Shangri-La. Our rooms were very spacious and we have magnificent views over the Victoria Harbour and the Kowloon skyline. We were so high, that Nathan was convinced he could see China! (hahaha so much for a 7yr old’s geography!). We loved the size of the room, as it meant that the kids had lots of room to run around. The toilet also came with another important piece of equipment! A TV in the bathtub! Looks like the kids are really going to have a soak this holiday!

 

The great thing about Island Hong Kong is that the hotel is situated on high ground. This means that  the view of Hong Kong from our room was breath taking.  As our rooms were on the Horizon Club floors, we had access to the Horizon Club. This simply means that we were going to get an “Upsize” on our heavenly experience!

Located on level 56, the Horizon Club is the highest executive lounge with stunning vistas of Victoria Harbour and a landscaped roof garden, which is the ONLY venue of its kind in Hong Kong. The kids loved the views, and the snacks and tea on offer at the opulent lounge.

Check out the Roof Top Garden, which is just adjacent to the main lounge. Get a healthy dose of greenery, as you sit back and relax with a good book or your pc, and enjoy the great views of the city. The cool part of this garden, is that it is naturally cooled by the outside air, and we were able to enjoy a good afternoon tea, while we were nicely cooled by the cold temperatures outside. Simply relaxing!

Staying at the Island Shangri-la means that one will encounter one of the grandest paintings ever. The “Great Motherland of China”, the largest Chinese landscape silk painting in the world greets every guest who takes the Bubble lifts. It is 16 storey high and it is recorded in the Guiness Book of World Records. One can take the lifts to view the entire painting from bottom up! Absolutely beautiful!

When we woke up the next morning, we noticed even more distinct details about the Hotel. One of the Interesting things about Shangri-la, is that it has carpets in the lift which remind you the days of the week. We were later informed that the Hotel does this, so as to remind Jet-lag customers which day of the week they were in.

Breakfast at the Island Shangri-la is another serious buffet of Choice! From Western to an Eastern spread, guests are spoilt for choice. We loved the fact that we did not have to line-up for our morning eggs, as all you need to do is to tell the chef, and he delivers your eggs to your table.

And they don’t just do the simple Omelette or scrambled eggs. They had our favourite Eggs Benedict and Poached Eggs.

If you have time in Hong Kong, do visit “Cafe Too” (also our breakfast venue) serves up a “mean” International Buffet as well. Check out the spread at the restaurant. We simply love the choice and Variety, and it just reminds us of “The Line” at Shangri-la Singapore.

Check out the many other restaurants that filled the Hotel. Definitely a wide array in terms of genre and enough to satisfy any palate. The Lobster Bar and Grill had interesting Decor, in that there is a aquarium right next to Diners as they devoured their seafood.  A Big Hit with all children!

For the Shopaholics who visit Hong Kong, you must be wondering about the shopping around Island Shangri-La. You will be glad to know that the Hotel is located above the swanky Shopping Mall- Pacific Place. You will find all your typical High End Shopping right in this mall.  And located at the basement is Admiralty MTR Station, which hooks one up immediately to the rest of the City. Definitely convenient for all modes of transport!

Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the Island Shangri-La. The experience at the beautiful hotel truly reminded us of a happy land isolated from the outside world. We were so reluctant to leave this beautiful paradise. It is definitely no wonder that has been nominated by Time Magazine as one of Top 5 Places to stay in Hong Kong!

To find out more, do visit Island Shangri-La. or check out our visit to the other Shangri-La in Hong Kong: Shangri-La Kowloon.