The Excelsior was one very fine hotel I stayed in during my last visit to Hong Kong. Owned and managed by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, it is the largest hotel in Hong Kong island with 884 guest rooms and suites. You can choose a view of the city or Victoria Park but nothing beats the rooms overlooking Victoria Harbor where you can see the boats passing by and of course, the magnificent buildings on the Kowloon side.
It was quite dream-like to have this image of Hong Kong from my room, albeit a little foggy. I wax sentimental over skyline views, it makes me feel I’ve conquered the world. The hotel was also thoughtful enough to send me a vase of flowers + fruit platter with a signed note from General Manager Michael Ziemer. It’s routine practice but makes all the difference. Looking closely at the skyscraper on the left, that’s the International Commerce Centre (ICC), the tallest building in the territory and the fifth highest in the world.
Paradise was this Executive Deluxe Harbour Room on the 28th floor (photo from the hotel). It had all the comforts like a big bed, ref, TV, safe, desk, iPod dock, internet and a bath spread over an ample 34 square meters, fairly spacious by HK standards.
(note: for room rates & other categories, click here)
For a little extra cost, I highly recommend getting a room on the Executive Floor located on the 28th to 32nd floors of the hotel. This way, one will have access to the Executive Lounge located on the 31st. For one, there’s the extreme convenience provided by the lounge’s express checkin/checkout service, considering that The Excelsior lobby is one of the busiest there is in town (it is a favorite of international airline staff).
I most appreciated the fact that guests can help themselves to complimentary breakfast, light lunch, afternoon snacks and evening cocktails, plus the drinks to go with it as you wish…it saves on the cost of dining out, leaving you with more budget for shopping (hah!) Service at the lounge was very good and the food they served was exquisite too. I did not anymore feel the need to eat outside.
The Excelsior’s prime location is what will probably appeal most to tourists on the lookout for good shopping. I loved that Causeway Bay is alive till the wee hours of the morning with street side stalls, music, performances and great unnamed restaurants offering a variety of cuisines.
The wide array of shopping choices was also dizzying, and mostly if you have cash to burn. For high-end international brands, there’s Time Square, Lee Gardens and Fashion Walk.
This was the biggest Forever 21 store I ever saw and it was open till 1 am…
IKEA was crowded as well. I couldn’t even get myself the Swedish meatballs… lines were too long! 🙂
Sogo Department Store
Harbor view + location + room + excellent dining + accessibility truly makes The Excelsior the best address in Causeway Bay. I was a happy camper 😉
The Excelsior, Hong Kong
281 Gloucester Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel No. +852 2894 8888
email: exhkg-reservations@mohg.com
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