Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong
It has been a while since I stayed at the Island Shangri-La in HK. I used to stay there whenever I was in HK for business. But in the last 2 years, my meetings seems to be more on Kowloon side, so for convenience, I have been staying at Hyatt Regency at TST instead.
In a recent trip to HK in early Nov 2018, I decided to stay at the Island Shangri-La at Pacific Place for its proximity to shopping. I was arriving on Sunday as my meetings start early on Monday morning. So I decided to take a mid-morning flight so that I had some free time on Sunday afternoon to browse the mall and also meet a friend in HK for dinner.
I took the airport express to IFC and from there hop into a cab to get to Island Shangri-La. Check in at the hotel was efficient. I was only staying for a night and was upgraded to a city view king room on the club floor but without club privileges.
The Room
The room was very spacious. It has a classical deco and even had a chandelier. Somehow gave me an old world feel.
This was the view from my room:
On the bedside table was a cute little bear. Unfortunately, it was not complimentary. If you want to bring this little friend home, you will need to part with HKD130. Considering the price you have pay for the room, they should have just given it as a gift for all guests like Conrad.
Bathroom while not the most modern, was also huge. It had a double sink vanity, a bathtub, a shower cubicle, a toilet bowl and a separate bidet. The design while a little dated is somehow quite comfortable and warm.
Afternoon Tea @ Island Gourmet
I arrived at the hotel around 3pm and had brunch on the plane. I figured I’ll be hungry before my dinner appointment at 7pm and so thought to check out a cafe at Pacific Place.
Shangri-La is connected to Pacific Place at level 5. Near the exit to the mall is Island Gourmet which is a popular spot for afternoon tea. The cakes looked so attractive on the shelves that I went in to try to get a table. Unfortunately it was full.
So I just proceeded to the mall which was connected to the Admiralty MTR station. I took the MTR to TST (one station away) to get Jenny Cookies which the family loves. I was back within 30mins and decided to browse the shops at Pacific Place mall.
I went back to Island Gourmet 1 1/2 hour later and was seated immediately. The cafe was small and cosy. Deco was classic like the rest of Shangri-La.
I decided to have a slice of mille feuille and an ice coffee. The cake was delicious.
The bill for my cake and ice coffee came up to HKD126.50.
The next morning, I had a breakfast meeting at the Four Seasons hotel and so did not eat at the Island Shangri-La.
It was a pleasant one night stay at Island Shangri-La. It was not your most modern hotel, but service was great. The thing I don’t like about this hotel is that it is crowded. Lobby is also full of people. So it does lack some form of peace which I would prefer.
Next up : Eating in HK – Roast Goose @ Yung Kee Restaurant