Where to stay in Hong Kong – The Langham
As some of the most expensive real estate in the world, it’s not surprising that hotel rooms are also at a premium in Hong Kong. That said, when looking where to stay in Hong Kong, it is possible to find exceptional value.
Generally we’ve tended to stay on Hong Kong Island for the most part, but glowing recommendations for the executive lounge at the Langham on Kowloon made us rethink. It was a masterstroke.
The Langham is on Peking Road, in the Tsim Sha Tsui district. It’s perhaps not as glamorous an area as, say down near the Ritz Carlton (see our blog about the Dom Perignon Sunday brunch here) but not as grungy as some of the surrounding streets.
It’s an older building and there’s still a sense of grandeur. The formula in luxury hotels the world over, but especially in Asia, is simple – marble and crystal public spaces and the desire to impress.
Having only hand luggage, we took the easy Airport Express into the city. Getting to Tsim Sha Tsui station is relatively straight forward, changing to the MTR system to minimise any potential time outdoors trailing our wheelie cases. As it turned out, we stayed underground the whole way, emerging across the road from the hotel entrance.
And we were quickly aware that we were in for a different experience. Heading towards the check-in desk, a team member bounded up, took Greedy Girl’s passport and came back seconds later acknowledging we had an executive club room and we could check-in in comfort up there.
Inside a few minutes we were parked in the lounge (see the picture of the initial room at the top of the post), with a glass of very fine Perrier-Jouet champagne and team members were fussing around getting us our room, sending our bags there and ensuring we were settled.
The Langham is to based on a slightly British vibe. There are stuffed sofas, upholstered club chairs, even a small ‘library’ area in the lounge. There are plenty of traditional tables in the lounge also should you wish to take advantage of a reasonably decent spread of an evening. Indeed, there are all day delights – including free-flow champagne, meaning you can be watered and fed very well here as part of your room rate.
Over the course of four, very relaxing days we thoroughly enjoyed this hotel. Using your preferred mode of transport (taxi/train/ferry), it’s easy to get pretty much wherever you want to go but we were looking to just relax, take in the view from the pool and eat, drink and be merry.
The executive club rooms are nicely presented and, for Hong Kong, reasonably spacious, with good hanging spaces and enough storage. Given the trip was for Greedy Girl’s birthday, there were some little extras already in our room …
Balloons and rose petals!
Huge chocolate birthday cake
Desk area
The large king-sized bed was plenty comfortable enough but, as is usual in Hong Kong, it’s on the firm side. There are plenty of different pillows. The room also came with robes and slippers which we used to go to and from the pool upstairs.
The bathroom has a separate tub, toilet and walk in shower, all marble clad. There’s a lighted magnifying mirror and decent toiletries.
Separate tub
Shower cubicle and toilet
While we took full value from the club lounge, there were times when we preferred to prop ourselves up in bed and have a cup of tea in privacy. The room had plenty of variety of tea bags, plus a handy little gizmo to ensure the correct brewing time.
Cute!
Generally Hong Kong isn’t a place we’ve spent much time sitting by a swimming pool, but the pool, spa and gym area here is very nice. There aren’t a huge number of seats available but we managed to find a shady spot whenever we wanted, with fresh towels and cold water brought around by the very attentive staff on a regular basis.
The pool
And so to the food offerings in the club lounge. Breakfast was as you’d expect, but without a chef actually on duty, you order eggs your way and they take a few minutes to be prepared. No dramas at all, with an excellent omelette Greedy Girl’s favourite way to start the day.
Being all-day champagne (and the birthday celebration the first morning), this was the very pleasant sight that awaited her at breakfast on day one …
What a way to start the day…
Part of the spread
A golden omelette
Throughout the day there are also some treats available – beyond the usual cookies in a jar. The very obliging staff are happy to whip out the toaster press to prepare you a fresh chicken and cheese wrap. And absolutely delish they are too … Went brilliantly with a sip of champagne …
A decadent, delicious wrap
Spending a fair amount of time in the lounge over four nights, we had plenty of variety to keep us happy and it didn’t stop us heading out to check out fabulous food and coffee elsewhere. We were exceptionally well looked after and it was a true spoil to relax and enjoy the world-class service on offer.
What do you look for in a hotel? Comfort, sleep quality, a great shower. All big ticks here. The room was comfortable and quiet, we were able to turn off the air-conditioning at night and sleep contentedly under a sheet. We loved the lounge and particularly the staff. They went out of their way to ensure we were having a wonderful time.
That’s easy to say when everything goes well, but it really gets put to the test when there’s a tiny bit of adversity. The security safe in the room malfunctioned and a team of technicians concluded the offending thing would need to be broken open. Did we have anything that could be damaged? Umm, yes – Greedy Girl had already been taken to Chanel for new earrings for her birthday and they could certainly be the worse for wear should a sledgehammer be required.
One of the executive team members stayed with the maintenance crew, overseeing the operation and ensured we were installed in the lounge with a comforting glass of bubbles while the extrication took place. It took 20 minutes but it was executed flawlessly. We were delighted – but even more so when the delightful team member said we needed to be ‘compensated’ for the inconvenience, so she arranged for the hotel’s limousine service to take us to the airport the following day for our flight to Taipei.
That attention to detail and standards is less common these days. We couldn’t have been happier with our stay at the Langham and there’s a very good chance, at around A$400 a night for an executive club room, it just might be our go-to home away from home in Hong Kong for the foreseeable future.
The Langham
8 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
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