The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
Address: International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2263 2263
Website: www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/HongKong/
Visited on: 2011-12-22
The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, currently the world’s highest hotel, is quite literally taking luxury to new heights. Perched between levels 102 and 118 at the International Commerce Center (ICC) in Kowloon, the hotel sits majestically atop floors of bankers, a train/metro station that directly links to the airport, and an upscale shopping mall called Elements. Needless to say, it all comes with unrivaled views of Victoria Harbour and the iconic Hong Kong skyline as the backdrop.
The arrival lobby is located on the 9th floor, and from there we zoomed right up to the 103rd floor reception in a mere 53 seconds. That would be 9 meters per second. Pop!
Reception area on the 103rd floor.
Since we were staying at one of the Club Level rooms, the receptionist led us to the Club Lounge up on the 116th floor to be checked-in. The lounge, with its soft lighting and comfortable couches, is also an ideal place to relax and grab a quick meal. More on this later.
We were then escorted to our room on the 117th floor. Plush carpets, 600-thread count bed linen, 42-inch LCD TV, iPod docking station with an iPod preloaded with songs (conveniently organized into playlists like Jazz, Classical, Pop, etc.), Blu-Ray player, in-room Wi-Fi internet, and Nespresso coffee making machine…nice, very very nice.
The bathroom is equipped with separate shower and toilet areas, a bathtub with an embedded LCD TV, and toiletries from Asprey London (and if you are staying in a suite, you’ll get Acqua di Parma toiletries.)
After having a fun time exploring all the amenities in the room, we headed back to the Club Lounge for a late night snack. The lounge is open 24 hours and offers breakfast, mid-day light snacks, afternoon tea, evening hors d’oeuvres, chocolate treats and cordials, and late night snacks. There’s also Wi-Fi internet access, complimentary pressing of one suit per stay, dedicated Club concierge service, meeting facilities (a meeting room with panoramic views of the Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island), and a library area.
As it was after 10:30pm, the evening hors d’oeuvres and desserts services were already over, but the hotel has thoughtfully stocked the fridge with pre-packed salads, cookies, chocolates, and beverages of all sorts for those with late night cravings. All I needed was some peanut m&ms and snickers bars.
To end the night, we headed up to Ozone on the 118th floor. Outdoor terrace, signature cocktails, Asian tapas, DJ beats. Did I mention this is the highest bar in the world?
Finally, we went back to our room for a good night’s rest. Tomorrow, we will explore the rest of the hotel, including the infinity pool up on the top floor. Yup, that’d be the highest pool in the world alright.
Click here to see the rest of the hotel.
This is really a huge and tall hotel. I like the interior and exterior design. The lights used was excellent and it is a compliment to the hotel. And what I love most is the view from the hotel, so beautiful and amazing. Excited to be there soon.