Hotel Review: Conrad Hong Kong (Executive Harbour View Room)
Hong Kong is one of the most densely-populated cities in the world and land space is becoming increasingly scarce. Therefore, it is not unusual to see a relatively higher room rate across all luxury hotels (and there is no lack of such properties here in Hong Kong). I stayed at the Conrad Hong Kong (which is located on Hong Kong island) after spending a night in Shenzhen - this is also the side where the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong is located.
If you intend to get to the Conrad Hong Kong by the use of MTR, get off at the Admiralty Station, head towards Pacific Place and then make your way up to level 3 and find this entrance between CÉLINE and LOEWE. Alternatively, if you wish to arrive in style, you may arrange for a Tesla S to pick you up at the airport on Klook - it should cost around S$70 which is what I paid for the journey from the Conrad Hong Kong to the airport. I arrived at the property at approximately 3:00PM and was quickly shown to the Executive Lounge which is located on Level 59 of the property. As a Diamond Hilton Honors member, I was also offered a complimentary late checkout at 5:00PM (which was great since my flight was in the evening) the following day which meant more time to rest and relax in my own room.
I stayed in an Executive Harbour View Room at the Conrad Hong Kong which comes with 42sqm of space. There are also Executive Rooms that face the peak (as well as the super-expensive houses and condominiums there) if you prefer but I am always happy with an impressive view of the Victoria Harbour. My room was located on Level 58 and therefore I could easily access the Executive Lounge (located on Level 59) via a flight of stairs - I love it when hotels do this as I do not have to wait for the lift just to go one floor down or up. My room was located on a non-smoking floor (most rooms are) and when I walked in, I was greeted with that amazing Victoria Harbour view - I also arrived on a pretty good day so the weather was perfect!
I have enjoyed a view of the world-famous Victoria Harbour from many different angles here in Hong Kong. I have seen it from a bird's-eye view when I stayed at the world's highest hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, when I visited Hong Kong last year after flying in from Tokyo on ANA's Business Class on the 787-900. I also saw it from the most-impressive Victoria Harbour Suite (which offers a 270-degree view) when I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and most recently, I saw it from Hung Hom when I stayed at the brand new Kerry Hotel, Hong Kong but one can never get tired of this view!
While the rooms over at the Conrad Hong Kong definitely show signs of age (it is one of the first few international luxury hotels to open over here in Hong Kong anyway), everything is still kept in great condition. If you have stayed in one of Conrad Centennial Singapore's older Classic Room, you will probably see the resemblance (it is to my understanding that the Conrad Hotel in Singapore was essentially modelled after the Conrad Hong Kong). To the side of the bed, you will find a decent-size work desk with a chair where you will be able to get some work done if required. The power sockets are not universal but if you do require an adaptor, simply press '0' on your phone to get it delivered to your room.
While I was taking some photos of the room, I heard the doorbell ring and when I opened the door, I was surprised to find out that some fresh tea has been prepared for me - probably as a welcome amenity - in a nice teapot. You will find a large flat-screen TV in your room that has a pretty generous selection of cable and satellite TV channels. There is also a chair located by the side of the room (perfect for sitting here with a book in hand) for you to take in the views of this beautiful city. Caffeine-seekers would also be pleased to find a Nespresso machine in the room, located above the fully-stocked minibar, with complimentary Nespresso coffee pods which are replaced during evening turndown and in the morning.
The bathroom of the Executive Harbour View Room here at the Conrad Hong Kong comes with a deep-soaking bathtub, a separate shower, a double sink, a huge mirror and a bathroom at the end. You will also find a rubber ducky by the tub (which you can bring home if you would like) - this is fairly iconic to most Conrad hotels globally but it is definitely not as memorable as the one that I have gotten from the Conrad Tokyo when I visited last year.
I also found a small television in the bathroom of the Executive Harbour View Room that I was in - the awkward placement of this TV makes it only possible to watch while you are brushing your teeth or washing your face (watching it from the tub proved to be a challenge). As I have mentioned before, the Conrad Hong Kong has been around for sometime and therefore the design may not necessarily be the most well-thought out one but the property itself has a lot of pros to outweigh the cons.
Bath amenities here at the Conrad Hong Kong (like all Conrad Hotels that I know) are provided by Aromatherapy Associates by default but you can always select from other brands while you are there - Refinery, Tara Smith Vegan Hair Care and Shanghai Tang. Now a little bird told me that the default amenity would become Shanghai Tang at some point next year but I can't really confirm until I see it for myself. If I have to choose a personal favourite, I really like the Tara Smith Vegan Hair Care branded amenities but the Refinery ones (with a muted design) comes in as a close second.
Since I got in to the Conrad Hong Kong at approximately 3:00PM, I quickly made my way back to the Executive Lounge (which I simply took the stairs to get to) for afternoon tea after taking all the photos I needed in the room. Afternoon Tea is served daily at the Executive Lounge from 3:00PM to 5:00PM - expect to find a small selection of sweets and savouries during this time. I was fortunate enough to enjoy the view from my very own room but the Executive Lounge boasts the same impressive view but with a much nicer seating area. There are these little sofa chairs (that seat up to two adults on each side) - which are probably the most sought-after seating areas in the lounge - that offer a view of the Victoria Harbour (perfect for guests staying in a room with a view of the peak).
Evening cocktails and canapés are served in the Executive Lounge from 5:00PM to 7:00PM daily so if you are motivated enough like me, you can simply get in around 4:30PM to enjoy both the afternoon tea selection as well as unlimited cocktails, wines and beers in the two hours that follow. Champagne is not served here in the Executive Lounge but you will find a sparkling wine which is quite palatable.
The canapés served during the evening cocktails will probably be sufficient for a light dinner but in case you are a big eater, there are plenty of restaurants located around the hotel itself - I recommend Wah Lam Noodle Restaurant (華南粉麵茶餐廳) for one of the best beef noodles that I have ever tasted (it is also within walking distance from the Conrad Hong Kong). There are actually two sections where you will be able to find food at in the Executive Lounge and it is easy to miss out on the other area if you are seated in one so make sure check out the other side as well.
If you stay long enough at the Executive Lounge and wait until the sky turns dark, you will be rewarded with a beautiful view of the Victoria Harbour - it is fascinating to see all the lights from such a vantage point. One of the greatest things about visiting in Summer is the comparatively clearer skies and cleaner air - I have struggled with a clear photo on my previous trip when I visited in late Autumn. That being said, you do need to put up with the crazy temperatures and typhoons if you come at the peak of Summer so make sure you plan your trips very carefully.
I got back to my room after drinking quite a fair bit at the Executive Lounge (since I did not get to enjoy a drink at The St. Regis Shenzhen) and was delighted to find out that not only my room's evening turndown has been completed but there was also a nicely-chilled bottle of Perrier-Jouët Champagne by the side of the bed and that my friends, is my idea of a perfect evening turndown!
I also discovered that my welcome amenities have been delivered to the room while I was out and they include a box of chocolate pralines (placed in a dim sum basket which is actually quite suitable since it is Hong Kong after all) and a fruit platter.
Two Conrad Hong Kong teddy bears were also placed on the bed when I got back to the room - I moved one of them next to the Champagne for an earlier photo since people do not generally associate teddy bears with a problem with alcohol. As you may already know, Conrad Hotels around the world are known to give out these teddy bears or stuffed animals which are generally symbolic to where the hotel is located (even though the teddy bear design is a default) - for example, the Conrad Bali gave me a monkey and the Conrad Bangkok gave me an elephant.
This is the night view from the Executive Harbour View Room that I have taken at the Conrad Hong Kong with Nikon's brand new AF-S Fisheye NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED. This is taken at 15mm where the distortion is at its lowest (and Lightroom does not seem to have a lens profile correction loaded for it yet) but check out that amazing view!
Guests staying in an executive room or suite will have the option of having either the full buffet breakfast experience at the Garden Café or a more private one at the Executive Lounge - I opted for the latter since I wanted to save some stomach space for some local food outside. There was no a la carte menu over at the Executive Lounge when I visited and therefore if you are starving and would like more variety, check out the Garden Café instead.
One of the greatest things about the Conrad Hong Kong is that it is connected directly to Pacific Place (which is a high-end shopping mall) and the Admiralty MTR Station which makes it easy to get around on the metro. Additionally, the property is also located to a number of great restaurants and cafés (most of which you can access on foot) which you can check out in the link above - I have curated a small list of places to go if you are visiting Hong Kong for a weekend and do not know where to go.
While the Conrad Hong Kong may not be the newest and most exciting property to stay in in Hong Kong, it is an iconic hotel that still ranks amongst the top few luxury hotels in this city. I was addressed by name at the Executive Lounge each time I visited and the staff seems to work in mysterious ways - my room was made up beautifully in the morning and every single thing was replenished without fail. If you are looking for a luxury hotel that belongs to an international hotel chain (to take advantage of the loyalty program), the Conrad Hong Kong is amongst one of the top few hotels that I would personally recommend to stay in.
Conrad Hong Kong
Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
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Used one of my Nightly Upgrade Awards (NUAs) at the W Osaka to secure a beautiful Marvelous Suite. The hotel is located on Midosuki Boulevard and within walking distance to Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori.