Recommend October 2011 - (Page 31)

Opposite page: Suite accommodations at the Peninsula Shanghai. “People have forgotten that travel can be glamorous. We want to bring back that feeling. This hotel retains the elegance of the past, but represents the new generation of the family.” Joseph W. Y. Chong, Hotel Manager, Peninsula Shanghai anchor Hong Kong property—where elegance and luxury go hand-inhand—are in for a nonpareil experience. Calling the Peninsula Hong Kong the ultimate urban retreat may not be far off the mark. “We’re not really a boutique hotel,” says Stephanie Sim, director of public relations for the Hong Kong property, “just a rather small hotel company. We don’t expand and we are small on purpose in order to more easily control the quality of our product.” Indeed. The property seems custom-made for demanding, upscale guests who frequent not fly-by-night Hong Kong tailors, but someone of the caliber of Sam, the highly-praised master who handcrafts suits for royalty, film stars and presidents from his modest shop on nearby Nathan Road. Yes, the Hong Kong Peninsula wears as well as a hand-stitched silk suit. Arrivals with a penchant for history and romance won’t be disappointed. Liveried chauffeurs immediately take charge of luggage handling and other mundane tasks while greeting guests at the airport. In the air-conditioned cocoon of the car, the driver offers a menu so guests can choose a meal to be waiting in the room after checking in. Then it’s time to settle back for the splendid ride to the city in one of the hotel’s fleet of Rolls-Royce Phantoms—beautiful and quiet masterpieces that give credence to the old adage that “in a Rolls-Royce with the windows closed at 70 miles per hour, the only sound one should hear is the ticking of the clock.” Yes, Rolls-Royces still adhere to the tradition of analog clocks. But it’s the hotel that astounds. Although those early China Clipper travelers would be surprised that the hotel no longer has the harbor view that made it famous because one of Hong Kong’s manic land reclamation projects blocked the panorama with an ugly convention hall, the Peninsula built a 32-story tower to give guestrooms an even more spectacular view. The tower added 132 rooms and suites, including the sterling and expensive Marco Polo Suite, a favorite retreat for the rich and famous. In total, the hotel now has 300 rooms. Nightly rates run from approximately $560 dbl for a deluxe room; $650 for a deluxe room with a view and suites begin at around $950 for a superior suite with astounding harbor views. All guestrooms feature marble bathrooms containing telephone extensions with “hands-free” function, TV and mood lighting; fully stocked, complimentary mini-bars; flat-screen satellite TVs with a selection of 53 local and international channels and video camera replay facilities and many other astonishing amenities. The rooms are among the most spacious in Hong Kong, generally measuring about 500 sq. ft. Suites are furnished to the very highest standards of luxury in a fresh, classic European style, although subtle Oriental influences are reflected in the rich fabrics which follow a varying theme of deep blue or green, gold and ivory. It’s no surprise the Peninsula Hong Kong lobby looks like a foyer in St. Petersburg’s Winter Palace, or perhaps a wing in Versailles. After all, this is Hong Kong’s most fabled spot for afternoon high tea. The property is clad in lore. Here in the 1950s, film icon Clark Gable taught Peninsula Barman Johnny Chung how to mix a screwdriver, a drink then unknown in Hong Kong. Chung still performs his magic behind the bar. The hotel’s Felix Restaurant is a masterpiece designed by Philippe Starck. In addition, there are six other restaurants serving different types of haute cuisine; two bars; a resplendent indoor pool with a sun terrace overlooking the harbor; health club; spa; concierge; business center; designer-brand shopping arcade; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; in-house nurse and even a practice music room dominated by a grand piano. peninsula shanghai If Peninsula Hong Kong represents the collection’s rich origins, its newest Asian property in Shanghai reflects the high life of a century ago when Shanghai was Asia’s undisputed capital of glamour, intrigue, passion and opulence, all wrapped neatly into a deliciously excessive and decadent Chinese roll. In those days, this was where wealth sprawled in flashy opulence on the banks of the muddy Huangpu River in Gatsby-like magnificence that put other wealthy cities to shame. Books and stories about its glamour abound. Here, champagne flowed as easily as the intrigue that was its mainstay—as spies, adventurers, high-rollers, traders, heavy duty financiers and people on the make made Shanghai their Asian playground of choice. Sir Lawrence Kadoorie, father of current Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels Ltd. (HSH) chairman Michael Kadoorie, who oversees the Peninsula Hotels operations, once remarked, “There never was and never will be another city like Shanghai between the two world wars—a city october 2011 31 ÍÍ

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend October 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk: Coworth Park, London
Tour Talk: Cox & Kings
Paws Up Ups "Glamping" to New Heights
"Alpine" Adventure at Four Seasons Resort Vail
Hotel Beaux Arts Miami
Out & About in New York City
Adventures on Hayman Island
It's the Good Life at The Leela Kovalam Beach
Peninsula Shanghai & Hong Kong
Silversea's Silver Spirit
Thailand Travel Planner
Luxury in the Wilderness, by Best of Patagonia
Savoring St. Vincent & the Grenadines
CuisinArt Resort & Spa, Anguilla
Luxurious Egypt
A Good Turn for Bern, Switzerland
Mexico's Luxury Trail

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