The Peninsula Hong Kong
To experience The Peninsula is to experience its flagship hotel in Hong Kong. A stay here is remarkable and truly exceptional beyond comparison. This Grande Dame of The Far East inhabits a spirit of proud history and hospitality so authentic that it's not an easy one to replicate.
The entrance to the hotel
Name: The Peninsula Hong Kong
Location: Hong Kong
Address: Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Accommodates: 2 children and 2 adults
Type: Deluxe Harbour View Suite with a Connecting Grand Deluxe View Room
Minimum stay: None but we recommend 2 nights or more.
Best for: families, those wanting to experience high-end luxury in a heritage setting
Kids activities: No specific kids activities during our stay but The Peninsula caters to children and child-friendly amenities are dotted throughout the rooms. Best of all - they offer babysitting services.
Highlights: Too many to mention! The babysitting services, the dining options, the marvellous swimming pool, plus the modern and luxury features in the room (smart technology), super spacious, amazing views and convenient location (right next to the MTR)
Visited: 2023
The hotel’s fleet of Rolls Royce
Each touch point is carefully thought through to ensure each feels as though they’re receiving a personalized and attentive experience. With a proud heritage that has been implemented across Peninsula’s other hotels internationally, it is here in Hong Kong where you’ll find the original signature hotel experience and we’re delighted and honoured to share our experience through this editorial review.
The Room
Our stay was over two cherished nights that we’ll always hold close to our hearts. It began with a pick-up in one of their fleets of Rolls-Royce Phantom automobiles, heading out to Tsim Tsa Chiu in Kowloon, where the hotel is located. A very stylish, serene and hospitable ride made more pronounced by our chauffeur, who very briefly, entertained our kids during the traffic lights by giving them Peninsula-themed stickers to play with. Whilst enjoying the luxury car ride and the cityscape views we soon approached the hotel and were warmly greeted before being swiftly escorted up to our accommodation. To say the suite blew us away would be an overstatement. What captivates you beyond anything else is the panoramic harbour views of Hong Kong as well as the generous amount of space and suite-set up. Upon entering our Deluxe Harbour View Suite with a connecting Grand Deluxe View Room, we were immediately touched to find a Peninsula tent set up for our kids along with personalized signature Peninsula Teddy bears each boring our children’s name. If that isn’t a welcoming gesture we don’t know what is. Additionally, because they took note that it was my Birthday and that we came during the Easter holiday, they welcomed (and spoiled) us with the most amazing chocolate Easter Egg and hand-sculpted chocolate Teddy Bear as well as a gorgeous and mouth-watering richly glazed birthday cake. We really felt special in the eyes of The Peninsula and it is such a wise destination if you happen to be in Hong Kong and are looking to spoil someone whatever the occasion may be.
The wonderful welcome platter that greeted our kids
We loved the handwritten note and the cookies that they could spend time creating in the room
The Peninsula surprised me with a birthday cake!
In terms of room layout, the Deluxe Harbour View Suite is generous in size alone. The Suite has an almost luxury living-area concept about it - with its own workstation (all the stationary one could possibly need including a fax/printer), a super comfortable sofa area, a dedicated mini bar area offering signature Peninsula tea blends and of course the entertainment unit beside it. Adjacent to the living area is the bedroom - again very generous in size with the unique feature being what we like to call, the “observation area”. In the corner of the vast bedroom there’s the opportunity for you to relax in the lounge chairs as you gaze out of the marvellous skyscraper jungle from high above whilst further observing the views through the suite’s standing telescope. Suffice to say, our 6-year old had a lot of fun with this, and we’re sure a lot of fond memories made for him.
They set up a kids tent for our children with customised teddy bear’s that bore their names
The main living area of our suite that leads to another connecting room
Our Deluxe Harbour View Suite
Gazing out into the distance
Making cookies with my mom
Eating their cookies in the tent
Personally, it is hard to pick and choose which part of the suite was my favourite. The unparalleled views from high above, the smart in-room technology features, the generous size, the quality of the in-room hardware and luxury interiors, were all exceptional. If I had to choose one part of the suite however, it would have to be the luxurious marble-cladded bathroom with direct views of Hong Kong’s multitude of skyscrapers. With the large oval shaped tub, coupled with the commanding city views of Kowloon there’s nothing quite like it when you’re truly enjoying bath-time with a glass of bubbly, staring out into the city from high above.
The ensuite bathroom in our Deluxe Harbour View Suite
Enjoying the best views
In-room amenities
It was in the suite where our one year old’s cot was set up. Equally, it could’ve been set up in the connecting Harbour View room that we had. The connecting Harbour View room was very much similar to the suite if not slightly smaller but still generously sized. The connecting room mirrored the suite in terms of in-room amenities and features. The only small difference was the bathroom which didn’t provide any views - still, the views from the connecting room itself certainly make up for the lack of it in the bathroom. Both suite and connecting room were uber comfortable and luxurious. Plush carpets, 300 thread count bed linen from Quagliotti, temperature controlled atmosphere, carefully thought out toiletries and in-room amenities and perhaps the most convenient gadget in the room: the fully-customized interactive digital bedside and desk tablets (with 11 languages available). Think of it as like your in-room concierge where with a touch of a button things can get done in an instant. Whether its entertainment, dining options, concierge services to how you control your room temperature, lighting and shades, it’s that simple.
By having both the Grand Deluxe Harbour View Room with the Deluxe Harbour View Suite, really made for an exceptional experience. Not only did it afford the space, it also let us parents have a bit of downtime so the kids could spend their time exploring the rooms and using the space to their imagination. Coupled with the lovingly-made kids tent, the kids found themselves playing hide and seek, fuelling their little curious minds through the standing telescope, playing with their crayons and drawing their pictures on sheets and sheets of paper - to be saved as a memory of their holiday they once had here. We came as guests only to also make memories in a stunning and historical setting that has modernized with the times but has still kept its true spirit alive.
Diving into bed
The Food
Dining options and wellbeing activities are plentiful at The Peninsula, particularly if you’re only spending three to four nights here. In our case, this was two nights. On our first night, after comfortably checking-in, we had the chance to undergo a spa session at the hotel's renowned spa. As it was my Birthday, I was able to experience their ‘Treasure the Moments’ package together with my mother. Before our treatment, we were able to enjoy the spa facilities. We highly recommend that anyone visiting the spa, come at least half an hour early to their appointment so as to make use of their relaxation area. The relaxation area has day beds that lets guests enjoy the harbour views in a serene setting. A chance to decompress after a long day’s work perhaps, before going in for your treatment. If you’re not staying as a guest at The Peninsula, we still highly recommend giving their spa a go. It’s really worth the experience.
After our spa session, we headed back to our room to get ready for dinner at their contemporary European restaurant Felix. Now here’s a winning factor for parents: The Peninsula is able to help you book any babysitting services that you might require through their babysitting agency that they partner with. All you need to do is request for it, fill in a form and sign a waiver. Our babysitter’s bio was shared with us 2 weeks prior to our arrival and the sitter herself was great in terms of keeping us updated and assuring us that the kids were ok. This gave us a chance to celebrate a night out and enjoy dinner together as a couple over an incredible night view. If you thought the views in the suites were great, the views at Felix are breath-taking. Perhaps one of the most romantic places you could dine at over a deliciously crafted 6-course tasting menu by Chef Aurélie Altemarie. The food here really fills you up and the dishes that we enjoyed the most were their Boston Lobster and their Hokkaido Scallop Mille-Feuilles. Felix is definitely an experience to undergo whether you’re a guest of Peninsula or not - the talent of Chef Altemarie alone is one for your taste buds to sample. Among our other wonderful dining experiences that evening was exploring ‘The Bar’, which serves artisanal cocktails in a classical setting of wood-panelled walls and dim lights with live piano playing in the background. It certainly felt nostalgic and was actually one of our favourite spots to chill out at, if only we could stay longer.
Enjoying a culinary feast at Felix
We loved that they added little touches like this to our menu
Enjoy one night of peace with the most amazing night views
‘The Bar’ where we enjoyed light bar snacks and live music
In terms of breakfast and lunch we had the opportunity to try their in-room dining experience which we highly recommend during your stay here. Choosing your menu is made simple by using the tablet - offering a choice of Chinese, Continental, and English breakfast options. We chose all three just to give it a go and it resulted in a joyous breakfast feast within the comfort of our suite. The fact that we didn't have to bother getting out of our pyjamas meant we didn't have to stress about telling our kids to “sit down and behave”.
Enjoying in-room breakfast dining in our suite
There are a total of eight restaurants including the bar, at The Peninsula Hong Kong. Although we didn’t get to try them all, we were able to try the ones that were suited for our family of four; all family-friendly. The Verandah at The Peninsula was another restaurant which we thoroughly enjoyed due to their in-depth buffet spread. The Japanese, Indian and Chinese sections were exquisite. The perfect restaurant for breakfast/lunch if you’ve got your kids in tow. The quality and service are excellent and the options mouth-watering. However there’s nothing quite like The Peninsula Hong Kong swimming pool dining experience. The swimming pool here is a marvel to look at and perhaps one of the best swimming pools there is in Hong Kong. This indoor retreat has Hong Kong’s iconic skyline as its backdrop. As it's set on the top floor, you have an incredible vantage point of skyscrapers making for a truly spectacular albeit casual lunchtime experience with the kids. The pool side menu is replete with local and international fare and you’ll certainly feel like you’re on holiday when you can have a bite, dip into the pool and admire the backdrop around you. It certainly felt indulgent.
Enjoying the gorgeous indoor pool
Such a fun thing to do as a family - lunching at The Peninsula’s indoor pool which has its own menu offering
A glance at the menu and at the mess…
The best part about the swimming pool for me was coming down here in the early morning without the kids around and just doing a few laps before heading into the steam room/sauna area
Activities
The Peninsula Hong Kong continues to factor in the heritage aspect in the experiences that they offer. One such incredible experience that we underwent Is their recently introduced ‘Afternoon Tea on the Harbour’. The Peninsula Hong Kong are known for their reputable afternoon teas at their main lobby, and they’ve now managed to carry that over to Hong Kong’s most popular and traditional mode of transport - The Star Ferry. From the 31st of March until 2nd of July 2023, guests and non-guests can book the lavishly done up Ferry and enjoy an afternoon tea of sweet and savoury bites, live music and mesmerizing views. This experience really hit the spot for us as a family - our kids got to marvel at the city and witness its skyscrapers whilst we were able to sit back and contemplate over scones and clotted cream. Whether you’re a guest or someone who has never been to Hong Kong, this experience is such a treat and lets you see Hong Kong at a distance making one realize just how small yet mighty, this city is.
This was such a unique experience to do as a family - afternoon tea aboard their fully customised ferry boat which went around the island as live music was played
Our son out on the deck with views of Hong Kong and a peak at one of the original ferry’s doing its usual route
=) enough said
<3
Conclusion
Service her e was exceptional and attentive. I was met with a ‘Happy Birthday’ wherever it was that I was experiencing at the hotel and our kids were always front of mind when it came to the in-room and dining experiences. The Peninsula Hong Kong is a destination in itself and a hotel we highly recommend should you be looking for a luxury hospitality experience coupled with a strong heritage that lets you experience the real luxury/lifestyle side of Hong Kong. Whether you're coming as a family, as couple; whether on business or for leisure, there are options for any type of luxury traveller. Particularly now that Hong Kong has finally opened and lifted their restrictions, the city is back in full swing and The Peninsula Hong Kong has got its arms wide open ready to welcome international travellers.
It is indulgent, it is opulent, it is The Grande Dame of the Far East. She is a treasure and the people that look after it and its guests are sure to receive that personalized Peninsula touch that can be felt when you return home. It is a memory and an occasion worth having in this city.
Thank you Peninsula Hong Kong for making our stay so special - I certainly felt spoilt on my Birthday, but the best bit was to celebrate it together with my mom.
