Country
China
City
Shenzhen
Hotel
St. Regis Hotel
Notes
The Good
- Great location
- Swanky rooms with beautiful views
The Bad
- Most staff lack English skills
- Free in-room Wi-Fi is slow
X-Factor
- Amazing whisky bar on level 100
Introduction
The St. Regis Hotel Shenzhen was, for a time, occupying the tallest structure in Shenzhen when it first opened in 2012 – while it’s now the second tallest building in Shenzhen (and the 14th tallest in the world), The St. Regis still perches on a commanding position overlooking Shenzhen’s central business district as well as Hong Kong over the border.
Location & Impressions
The St. Regis Hotel Shenzhen is located in the KingKey building, occupying the top 28 floors of the tower. The hotel is walking distance to Grand Theatre subway station and just a 15-minute drive to the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Like other skyscraper hotels, the St. Regis features a grand entry foyer where upon entering you are whisked up in an elevator to the ornate 96th floor lobby for check-in. Rooms are located from the 75th floor onwards, with two-storey suites on the 76th floor and a club/bar area on the 100th floor.
The lobby features stylish furnishings and a spectacular view out over Shenzhen and its surrounds...
Service from the check-in staff is courteous and efficient, and we’re quickly escorted to our room on the 94th floor.
Room
As far as first impressions go when entering a room, it’s difficult not to be impressed by the handwritten welcome note, accompanied by a fruit bowl and a bottle of French wine awaiting us.
The St. Regis offers a number of room options, including a range of standard hotel rooms as well as two-storey suites. The rooms range in size from 43sqm to 63sqm, while the suites are 70sqm to 108sqm. All rooms feature a standalone bath tub and a separate jet-massage shower, as well as generous closet space...
...tea/coffee facilities and of course an adequately-sized television.
Our room was classified as a Fortune room, a designation reserved for rooms above the 82nd floor. Inside, you’ll find a king-size bed...
...and an armchair and ottoman – not really well equipped if you planned to have any informal meetings in the room, but plenty enough for solo travellers.
The rooms also come with an iPad to control room settings, such as the lighting, curtains and temperature – St. Regis calls this their ‘digital butler’ service and it’s handy to have after a long day on the road.
Inside the bathroom there’s a standalone bathtub with spectacular views looking out over the skyline...
...and a separate jet-massage shower.
There’s plenty of amenities in the bathroom in case you’ve forgotten to pack anything, and additional items can be ordered through the butler service.
Work
The room features an executive desk with a very comfortable office chair, so you won’t have to struggle with the furniture when trying to get some work done.
The St. Regis also offers complimentary Wi-Fi , but unfortunately it’s rather slow. It is possible to pay for a ‘Premium High Speed’ internet connection at a rate of 2CNY per minute, or 100CNY per day (around $20AUD at the time of writing). We’re not big fans of this tiered system, and for a high-end property such as the St. Regis, high-speed internet for all guests should really be included in the room rate.
The St. Regis offers a couple of handy ‘butler services’ including packing and unpacking of your luggage when you’re arriving or departing – we didn’t take advantage of this as we’re pretty particular about where our things are placed, but this could come in handy if you’re especially rushed to get away.
There’s also complimentary pressing of two garments per day, so you can make sure you have a crisp outfit ready to go before any meetings.
For anything such as printing or faxing, there’s also a Business Centre on the fifth floor of the hotel – open 24 hours, but staffed during business hours only, there are other services such as laptop rental, videoconferencing and typing services that we didn’t get a chance to sample.
One of our biggest issues with the hotel was the lack of English-speaking staff. While the staff members are all courteous and friendly, it’s difficult to communicate with the language barrier if you’re not a Mandarin speaker. This can make it tricky to get basic requests across, although you can call down to the butler service for assistance.
Eat
The St. Regis offers a well-appointed breakfast spread in the mornings – nothing particularly stands out compared to other Asian five-star hotels, but the food is plentiful and of high quality.
As the hotel is located in the KingKey building, there’s a plethora of dining options from high-end fine-dining restaurants to casual dining options.
Within the St. Regis you’ll find a number of restaurants and bars, including Tian Gong, a casual Chinese restaurant, and Italian restaurant Elba, with plenty of funky furniture...
... and sensational views over Shenzhen.
There’s also a whisky and cigar bar on level 100 called Malt, located near the Library...
as well as a wine bar named Decanter, boasting Shenzhen’s largest selection of wines.
Relax
The St. Regis Shenzhen offers a few different options for relaxing and staying fit. There’s a large fitness center located on the 75th floor with a decent range of cardio and weight machines, as well as an aerobics/yoga room, a steam room and a sauna.
There’s also a stunning indoor infinity pool on the same level with lounges, sitting areas, and a poolside bar.
Next to the pool is the in-house Iridium Spa...
...featuring massages and spa packages if you’re so inclined.
The KingKey building has other relaxation options including an Imax Cinema, so it’s worth a look if you get bored of the room or other facilities.
While there are a couple of niggles that could be improved at the St. Regis Shenzhen, at the end of the day it’s an impressive property with a plethora of services and amenities. As a base for conducting business in Shenzhen the St. Regis is almost perfect thanks to its central location, comfortable rooms and fantastic views.
James has been interested in aviation ever since his first flight. When he’s not travelling, he’s still on the road indulging his motoring hobby, or trying a new whisky.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
31 Aug 2015
Total posts 121
Before I read the "...top 28 floors..." part, I was just thinking: 100 floors of hotel rooms?....
The room looks very nice, and it will be great to stay at this hotel in two weeks.
Thanks for the review! Great timing!
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
30 Nov 2015
Total posts 729
Ask for a room with a view (Grin)...
06 Sep 2015
Total posts 24
Mandarin? I thought the main language of Shenzhen would be Cantonese. And that would have been the first language of locals
12 Feb 2015
Total posts 2
No. Shenzhen is a Mandarin-dominant colony in Cantonese-dominant territory. Guangzhou and the rest of Guangdong are Cantonese-dominant.
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