Little at the time I’ve been updating experiences from my latest trip, this time with my wife and two year old boy, traveling from Rome to Busan via: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Singapore, and Hong Kong. For our last stop Hong Kong we had decided on choosing a hotel with a view over the Victoria Harbor. Our final choice was the Hong Kong Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Tsim Sha Tsui and this is what my stay was like.
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Arrival and Check-In Experience
Our flight landed early in the morning so we killed some time at the airport while our son was taking a nap in his stroller. We got an Uber ride downtown from the airport which cost us about 300$ HKD (about 30 Euro). We were still very early for checkin but decided to head to the hotel and get all the formalities over and done with.
As the Uber dropped us off the hotel staff took our suitcases, so that we didn’t have to carry them around all day. They were then sent to our room.
The location is one of the best if you are looking for a hotel with a view over Victoria Harbor. The view is unobstructed with the hotel situated on the harbor front just a few minutes walk from the star walk and the Tsim Sha Tsui ferry wharf.
Checkin staff were the kindest we had come across on the entire trip. Very attentive and keen to help out with our specific necessities. Although checkin was not officially scheduled until 3PM our room was ready for us at 1PM which was of massive help allowing our son to rest comfortably in the afternoon.
At checkin the deposit was charged to my credit card. For a 2 night stay 2000$ HKD was preauthorized from my AMEX card. The amount was then returned after checkout.
Nearby, a few blocks away, is also Bakehouse location where to get your custard tarts. Finally, The Alley was a good nearby place to get a Hong Kong style tea.
The Harbour View Room: Layout, Comfort, and Amenities
It must be noted that we did pay extra for a room at the Hong Kong Sheraton with a Harbor view. Only part of the hotel’s rooms have a Harbor view with most of them offering a city view which is not that interesting at all. One of the most attractive features of this hotel is in fact its phenomenal view over the harbor and the Hong Kong island iconic skyline.
The room, located on the 14th floor, was comfortable offering more than enough space for 2 adults and 1 child. We had
- A king size bed
- Flat screen TV
- A table
- 2 Armchairs
- Bathtub
- Shower
- Minibar (not stocked)
- Tea and instant coffee
- Safe
The bathroom featured a walk in shower, with a bathtub beside it, separated from the toilet and basin by a glass door. The bathroom walls were mainly in transparent glass with a curtain for privacy. The idea for the glass walls is so that you can admire the Hong Kong harbor view even while in front of the mirror.
The table in the room was big enough for us to have dinner on it. Complimentary water was present in the room.
There was one thing about the room worth pointing out. It had that older British hotel structure where rooms are communicating and then separated by looking the door. That means that when our neighbors checked in we could hear them, particularly when they continuously tried to open the dividing door.
Another thing worth noting is that the air felt always fresh in the room. It was overall a very enjoyable space to be in.
Bathroom: Design, Fixtures, and Cleanliness
The bathroom was spotless and modern. The entire room felt like it hadn’t been too many years since its last renovation. The bathtub was big enough to lay down and relax in. The shower had an overhead nozzle which created a rain effect. There was enough pressure in the water making it enjoyable to use.
Hotel Facilities and Services
The hotel offers guest complimentary use of a gym and of the rooftop swimming pool. Also in the swimming pool area is a hydromassage hot tub. If you’re the type of person that likes to keep active while traveling, the pool isn’t exactly the type which allows to train. It gets busy during the day.
The hotel also has a lounge bar and restaurant one floor below the swimming pool where a special dinner with fireworks view was held on October 1st in occasion of Chinese National Day. Incidentally we had no idea of this event when booking and wondered why prices were so high.
There’s also a bar and cafe in the reception area, with extremely high quality coffee, where to take a break before or after a day out.
Finally in the hours before and after checkin and checkout a bag deposit is available. A useful service so that you don’t need to be carrying your bags around all day.
Family Stay Perspective
From a family point of view this was the best place we stayed on our entire trip. I would strongly recommend this Marriott property. If I’m in Hong Kong in the future will definitely look into booking a room here. My son absolutely loved the view and spotting boats, cars and helicopters in and around the harbor.
Once again the room is room is large enough to accomodate 2 adults. Also it felt very safe. Nothing that a toddler could break or hit and get hurt.
Pricing, Value, and Booking Tips
The hotel is fantastic and good value for money, however, that doesn’t mean it was cheap.
Our stay cost me all together, 775 Euro (or approximately 900$ USD). The second night of the stay is what drove the overall price up due to the Chinese National Day with the huge influx of tourists it brought to Hong Kong.
I kid you not on October 1st and 2nd it was a challenge to walk some smaller streets and the ferries were jam packed.
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