Hotel reviews: InterContinental Hong Kong

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The Intercontinental graces some of the most prestigious hotel ranking systems and is often singled out for praise by international publications like Condé Nast Traveller, Travel and Leisure, Gourmet, Wine Spectator, etc. As you might expect, it is not a hotel you will forget in a hurry.

Indeed, it is one of just two hotels that gives you the rare feeling of being in a resort when you are in the middle of the crowded city of Hong Kong!

A number of the facilities are open 24 hours a day, including the gym and the business centre, with porters who are constantly present and very responsive. All of the hotel's guests can access a lounge club for an additional (and not inconsiderable) fee. French cookery classes are also organised here once a month. Yoga and tai chi classes (40 minutes, 5 days a week) can be attended for free.

Works of art are on display throughout the hotel, including paintings by the famous artist David Chan, who offers a very contemporary vision of traditional calligraphy!

On the stroke of 8, the hotel is the perfect place to admire the Symphony of Lights that takes place over Hong Kong bay every evening.

• Location
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• Overview
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It is a superb contemporary hotel designed according to the principles of feng shui, the most striking example of which is the vast, open, lobby, with its huge bay windows on the entrance and promenade sides, which let the famous 9 dragons of Hong Kong come down from the city's hills every day and drink from the sea. You will also notice that there are no obstacles separating the different spaces, meaning that the energies can flow freely. Twilight is without a doubt the most beautiful time of day here, when the bluish sky is reflected in the harbour waters and the city lights twinkle beyond the world-famous view of Victoria Harbour. It is a 'must' to try the '9 dragons' cocktail in the large bar to the rear - after all, it is their signature drink. The 17-floor hotel was completely renovated in 2007. The vast club lounge is open from 6:30am to 10:00pm, and is a superb place to come and work, eat (breakfast, afternoon tea, various cocktails) or relax and read a book from the library. There are great views of the harbour to one side and Kowloon to the other. The highly professional staff are ever present, and the 24-hour business centre offers a massive range of services (including translators, secretarial staff, etc.)

The Intercontinental has one of the biggest outdoor swimming pool complexes in the whole of Hong Kong (open from 6:00am to 10:00pm), and it is in a fantastic position. The big hexagonal swimming pool is surrounded by very comfortable deckchairs. Holistic Thai massages are on offer in two large huts closed off behind cream-coloured curtains. Further away, bathers can sit back in one of three connected infinity jacuzzis looking out over the bay. Each jacuzzi is heated to a different temperature, and gives the magical feeling of being immersed in the waters of Victoria Harbour! The tai chi lessons take place nearby, looking directly onto Stars' Avenue. There is a little rectangular pool with water lilies, an aquatic walkway, a pebble pathway and a bed of plants; all in all it is a veritable garden at the heart of Hong Kong. Guests can relax and make the most of the bar constructed on teak decking between the two pools; it is a pleasure to take breakfast there! Everything is perfect, and it is a beautiful, designer setting.

Inside, the Intercontinental has a huge, superb spa inspired by the principles of feng shui. It is open from 6:00am to 11:00pm, but an access card also allows 24-hour access. The treatments most often requested here are 'Jet lag relief' and 'Oriental healing'. Out of interest, one of the facial treatments uses caviar. Each of the green-marble clad rooms in the the complex is a suite with a jacuzzi, sauna and shower (amounting to a hammam). Two of the treatment rooms have been adapted for couples. There is also a gym with the latest equipment including a Power-plate machine.

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The hotel has 495 rooms, 2/3 with unobstructed views over Victoria Harbour and the remaining 1/3 larger in size, so you will need to decide where your priorities lie! There are 10 room categories and 92 of the rooms are suites, all of which have views over the bay. Unsurprisingly, the private rooms display an elegant and cosy kind of luxury, with a subdued and highly functional design that is particularly appreciated by business customers. All the furnishings and hi-tech amenities are provided for the most comfortable of stays: a wide plasma screen television with around 40 channels, a radio, a DVD player, films on request, a full minibar, a large desk with a flap (concealing various plug sockets), a Bose system, a telephone, WiFi access, a fax (in the suites, and available on demand in the other rooms), a safe and an Ipod dock. The beds have high headboards, the carpet is thick, there is a pillow menu to select the pillows of your choice and the bedding is divine. Attention has been paid to every detail to help make you more comfortable. Guests have 24-hour high speed internet access in all the rooms, and can call the butler or room-service at any time of day. The large bathrooms are finished in marble from Italy, and have a hair dryer, a magnifying mirror, a wide range of Elemis hospitality products, etc.

Aspects of the superb suites worth noting are the generous size of the lounge, the huge jacuzzi bathtub with a view directly over the bay, the bedding (black and gold in the Deluxe suites), an Asian influence seen in the carvings made in the wooden desk, access from the bedroom to the bathroom through a very well fitted dressing room (Executive suites). Nine of the suites have a patio, with two deckchairs on wooden decking looking out into a fabulous view. Three of the hotel's suites have a superb graded outdoor terrace and pool. The presidential suite, which is the largest in the city, is unique in that it is constructed over two levels, which is rare in Hong Kong.

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A full range of flavours can be found in the hotel's five sublime restaurants. This is the only hotel in Hong Kong with two restaurants run by award-winning chefs famous the world over, so don't forget to book in advance! All the dining areas are very well decorated, and all enjoy a spectacular view over the harbour.
Top French chef Alain Ducasse has opened one of his very popular 'Spoon' restaurants at the Intercontinental, and visits twice a year to check on his creation. The rest of the time, one of his disciples skilfully manages the restaurant, where passion and energy combine to produce delicious contemporary French cuisine. This unique restaurant is reached along a corridor lined on either side by more than 4,800 bottles (450 different wines). The sommelier is French. The ceiling in the dining room is superbly decorated with 550 Murano glass spoons. Luxury rules supreme at Spoon, with magnums of Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy all served by the glass!
Another star at the Intercontinental is the not-to-be-missed Nobu, the best known Japanese restaurant in the world. The impressive, cutting edge restaurant was designed by David Rockwell. Nobu's ceiling is a stunning sight, with sea urchin spines stuck in one by one to achieve an incredible final result portraying the waves of the sea. You will be blown away by the bar which is made of a waterfall of 7,700 stones representing blossoming cherry trees. The sommelier, who is employed by the restaurant, strives to find the perfect combinations of cuisine and wine, including sake. In addition to the sophisticated menus, various tasting menus can be sampled depending on events taking place at the time and the season.
The sophisticated Yan Toh Heen is famous internationally for the quality and delicacy of its Chinese cuisine. It serves traditional Cantonese cuisine from a menu that changes seasonally according to the Chinese calendar. You realise you must be on to a good thing when you see how many locals hurry to the restaurant from their offices every day for a business lunch. The chef works in collaboration with a dietician in order to offer healthier dishes. Whatever you do, before you leave make sure that you try the 'dim sum' or one of the 24 kinds of fish on the menu. One thing is for sure, you can't complain about the number of choices on offer.
The Steak House Bar and Grill serves up divinely cooked meat. It is the only restaurant in Hong Kong with a wood charcoal grill and it is superbly designed, with bright red leather-covered walls. The beef it serves is top quality and sourced internationally (including Wagyu beef from Kobe). There is also a choice of various seasonings (including 12 kinds of mustard and 8 kinds of salt). The very cosy wine cellar has more than 450 vintages, including a large selection of wines sold by the glass.
Harbourside, the main restaurant, is open from 6:00am to 1:00am. It serves up an enormous and particularly well prepared international buffet with a diverse range of select Asian and Western dishes, and a section is set aside for sushi and another for seafood (including lobsters). A low calorie menu is also available. On Sunday, the hosts come to make the most of the fabulous but expensive 'Champagne Brunch' served from 11:30am to 3:00pm. You can also eat in the amazing lobby lounge with a spectacular view of Hong Kong, or dine outside on the swimming pool terrace.