Review: Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong
When next travelling to Hong Kong, don't overlook the Horizon Club experience and evening service at the Island Shangri-La.
By Chris C., December 5 2019
Country
China - Hong Kong
City
Hong Kong
Hotel
Shangri-La
Notes
The Good
- Top-notch dining
- Great Golden Circle elite member recognition
- Location for doing business on Hong Kong Island
The Bad
- Breakfast can be a little busy at Cafe Too, although Restaurant Petrus is a great alternative
X-Factor
- Excellent views and evening service at the Horizon Club Lounge
Introduction
Offering 565 guestrooms and suites, eight food and beverage venues, expansive leisure facilities and a Horizon Club Lounge, the 56-storey Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong caters to high-end travellers visiting for work or on a well-deserved break.
Location & Impressions
As its name suggests, the hotel is located on Hong Kong Island. Situated on Supreme Court Road, the 56-storey hotel sits above the Pacific Place shopping centre in the Admiralty district, just east of Central Hong Kong.
The hotel is directly connected to that shopping complex – and to Admiralty Station on the MTR, via the same walkway – with a spacious and upmarket lobby greeting guests on their arrival, and setting the scene for the rest of the hotel.
Take one of the glass lifts to view The Great Motherland of China mural, which spans multiple storeys in the centre of the hotel.
Also, for those travellers who rarely know what day it is, take a look below your feet in those lifts for a handy reminder, which the hotel staff swap over every night at midnight.
The Harbour View rooms offer exactly that, looking towards Kowloon and Tsim Tsa Tsui, and when staying in a Horizon room type, hotel staff will whisk you straight to the room to complete check-in in privacy, rather than down in the lobby.
Fresh fruit and warm tea greet guests upon arrival, with the fruit refreshed each day.
Shangri-La Golden Circle Jade and Diamond members will also find their room stocked with their pre-selected amenities, such as sparkling water, soft drink and beer.
In addition, Diamond guests can add a complimentary bottle of white or red wine, with members able to change their preference via the membership section of the Golden Circle website, or via hotel staff.
Room
Horizon Harbour View rooms come well-appointed, with comfy seating and a work desk joined by finer touches like a chandelier in every room.
Bedside tables house bottled water, the Lost Horizon novel which inspired the Shangri-La hotel brand, and a charity bear available for purchase.
This is also where you'll find controls for the lighting and curtains.
Bathrooms are spacious, with dual sinks, large mirrors and a separate shaving mirror.
To one side, a walk-in shower with Shangri-La and L'Occitane amenities at the ready.
On the other, a separate bathtub, complete with a shower wand.
There's a TV here too, if your schedule allows for a long and relaxing soak while being entertained or catching up on the day's news.
Plush towels remind where you're staying, but just in case you've forgotten, there's the brand's logo in each one:
Booking a Horizon Harbour View room also includes access to the hotel's Horizon Club Lounge, but more on that later.
Work
When there's work to do, the sizeable desk is the perfect place to get things done, with a comfortable chair, excellent lighting and plenty of working space.
You're all set for power, with UK, Chinese and an international outlet under a hatch. Note, Australian pins are best used via the international plug on the right, owing to these being a slightly different size than accommodated via the similar looking Chinese slot.
Under a separate hatch, there's a US/Japanese type outlet too, as well as a USB charger and connections for the television.
Above the desk, there's a mirror for taking in the harbour view reflected behind (shown below while standing), although this could be enjoyed better while seated if the mirror ran further down – as when working at the desk, you'll mainly just see the sky.
The Horizon Club Lounge is also open throughout the day if you'd prefer to escape the room and work from a different venue, where services such as document printing and translation are available too.
Eat
Dining is a real highlight of this hotel, headlined by Restaurant Petrus on the 56th floor, as featured in the 2019 Michelin Guide.
Taking full advantage of the hotel's location, diners are treated to a great view of Victoria Harbour, with many of the tables strategically positioned to take in all the sights.
For guests with Horizon Club Lounge access – being those booked into Horizon-level rooms, as well as Golden Circle Diamond members staying in any room type – daily breakfast here is complimentary, with espresso coffee for that morning caffeine kick.
Breakfast can also be purchased by other guests for HKD$371.80 (including the hotel's 10% service charge), with a comprehensive buffet of fresh fruits and salads, yoghurts, pastries, cold cuts, cheese and accompaniments available too.
Beyond that, a wide variety of dishes are also prepared and served to order, included as part of the breakfast.
Choices include a full English breakfast, organic egg omelette, steamed Dover sole roll, soft scrambled organic eggs, pan-seared beef medallion, traditional Chinese breakfast, Hong Kong breakfast, dim sum, Japanese breakfast, handcrafted "bamboo pole" noodles and caramelised pancakes.
For a break from the typical egg dishes, the pan-seared beef medallion was delicious and tender, served with an avocado salad, beef jus, and a fried organic egg for that morning touch:
Breakfast is also served at Cafe Too, an alternative choice for Horizon and Diamond-tier guests, as well being complimentary for mid-tier Golden Circle Jade members staying in any room type.
Here you'll find a wider variety of buffet choices than offered higher up at Restaurant Petrus, covering local and Western delights, with favourites like omelettes made to order too.
Speaking of Restaurant Petrus, it's a delightful choice for lunch with a view, with the venison tortelloni a top pick from the set lunch menu, flavoured with pumpkin and orange, topped with cheese and adorned with pomegranate which adds a beautiful freshness to the dish.
To follow, a sirloin arrives perfectly cooked to medium rare, with pommes soufflées on the side (not pictured) adding a slight crunchiness to the dish, which was well-balanced with the sauces, foam and spinach.
To finish, the chocolate tart with salty lemon and ice cream was divine, with a nice combination of zestiness and sweetness, tying all the flavours together.
Expect to pay HKD$536.80 for two courses, HKD$646.80 for three courses or HKD$756.80 for four courses at lunch time, again all including the hotel's 10% service charge.
Just down the hall in the Horizon Club Lounge, evening canapés are comprehensive with a wide selection of sweet and savoury bites.
Among them, Thai pomelo and prawn salads, ready to take and enjoy:
Beyond favourites like dumplings, spring rolls and hot choices, the fattoush salad is also a nice and light pre-dinner snack:
A wide variety of drinks are complimentary during the 5:30-7:30pm service including cocktails, beer, wines, spirits, cognac (Martell VSOP and Martell XO), and Veuve Clicquot (NV) Champagne:
Staff are attentive, offering to refresh drinks without needing to be asked, and always remembering the drink that had been ordered prior to suggest another.
Other food and beverage venues at the hotel include Island Gourmet (patisserie), Summer Palace (Cantonese), Lobby Lounge (afternoon tea and snacks), Lobster Bar and Grill, Nadaman (Japanese) and Waterside Terrace (Thai).
Relax
When business is taken care of, the Horizon Club Lounge is a great place to relax of an evening and take in the views, even after the daily cocktail and canapé service has concluded.
Otherwise, make use of the 24-hour gym for your daily workout, with a wide range of equipment and personal training services available on request.
There's an outdoor pool as well with views across Hong Kong Island, opening daily from 6am until 10pm.
With great facilities, a stylish Horizon Club Lounge, top-notch dining options and rewarding perks for elite Golden Circle members, the Island Shangri-La Hong Kong is an excellent hotel choice, whether heading to the city on business, leisure, or a little of both.
Also read: Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong hotel review
Chris Chamberlin was a guest of Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Nov 2016
Total posts 130
Very good review Chris. Have stayed here quite a few times and it is a very nice hotel. Great location with access to Pacific Place. The Shangri La in Kowloon is also very good. In fact the Shangri La hotel group as a whole in my experience never disappoints.
14 Oct 2013
Total posts 4
Oh Chris, don't do this to me. Now I want to go back! You forgot two things "Vegemite & Island Ale" in the Horizon Club.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Nov 2018
Total posts 118
Singapore is also a fantastic hotel.
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