CheVive

Hi All,

What's the best hotel in Central? I'm taking a rather fussy client, and want good location for all my meetings (we arrive late from SIN, have a full day of meetings around Central, and then need to run off to the airport -- preferably by train).

This is a business trip, so I'm less worried about cost than location and especially quality of rooms and service, etc.

I'd love SPG points, but I'm guessing its not going to happen given my requirements this time.

For those that shortlist MO, which one is best?

Thanks in advance.

PS, I've only been to HKG once when I was 14 (before handover), so don't remember much at all...

dtsm

Mandarin Oriental 'in' Central
ShangriLa and Conrad at Pacific Place
Four Seasons at IFC

Throw a dart at any of them and you can't go wrong.

Pickles

Not in 'Central', although the FS can be considered to squeak by, it is more like Sheung Wan...

In 'Central', your choices are the MO and the LMO. Can't go wrong with either. I prefer the MO, others prefer the LMO.

dtsm

Isn't that what I posted? I identified location of each hotel and only listed one "in" Central....

The other locations are viable alternatives given he wants to parachute in, have meetings and fly out. IFC and PP both have MTR stops that take you direct to Airport Express - maximum 10 more minutes than say Mandarin Oriental.

rkkwan

FS is connected to the AE station and the "Hong Kong" MTR station on the Tung Chung line.

From the MO/LMO, it's about 10 minutes walk over the bridges or using the tunnel to the AE station.

From Pacific Place, you need to take one stop of MTR to Central, and then walk the same 10 minute to the AE trains.

jetsethotel

Hands down, the Four Seasons! Very attentive service, decor, view, food, etc...

It's attached to the IFC, so it's certainly 'Central' enough.

Mandarin Oriental is okay, but I was expecting a bit more. Apparently, it's been renovated, but I couldn't see much difference from the last time I was there.

But, the Grand Dame of Hong Kong does not lie in Central, but across the harbour.....the Peninsula. It's celebrating its 80th Birthday. Stayed there last night, and noticed a rather 'relaxed' clientele compared to my last visit. Service, as expected, still has that traditional British aristocratic attitude.....ie. attentive enough, thoughtful, but not necessarily friendly by Western standards.

All 3 hotels do have car service upon request.

Pickles

I take it you have never stayed there, but just visited the lobby, then.

jetsethotel

No, we just went for the luncheon buffet at the Mandarin....which was quite a nice spread actually.

We were debating whether to switch over for a couple of nights, but since the lobby didn't look any different from our last visit, we didn't bother.

Pickles

That's funny. Although the 1F lobby is pretty much identical to the "old" Mandarin (and on purpose) the rest of the building (except for the Man Wah Chinese restaurant on the 25th floor, which went even more retro), is very different. The biggest difference is in the rooms.

dtsm

Over the past 30yrs I had the fortune of staying at pretty much every 6-star hotel in town, except for the newer Four Seasons.

Years back, my wife and I had a great deluxe room at the Shang but she heard so much about the Peninsula, esp the high tea. So we moved over for several nights - never to return again.

My favorite still will remain the MO in Central - in the old days, just walk out the door, down the long tunnel and onto the Star Ferry. Loved breakfast in the Grill, had many meetings in the mez bar, high tea, and then only a short walk to Airport Express and the airport, and service impeccable. I haven't tried the new rooms since renovation.

For OP and his needs, can't go wrong with any of the ones I posted.
POV

ace26

FS is your best bet for convenience to Central. I assume OP will take a taxi so Central vs SW doesn't really matter, and FS has taxis waiting at all times. FS is a business-oriented hotel and will satisfy even the fussiest of guests. It will also be your quickest getaway to the airport via AE.

For MO vs LMO, MO is my choice and is the more business-y of the two.

I think it's funny to judge a hotel by it's lobby. The post-renovation MO rooms are fantastic, if somewhat small.

Pickles

I don't understand. Why would you say that the FS is the most convenient to Central, when it isn't even 'in' Central? The MO and the LMO are, and if your business takes you anywhere 'in' Central (e.g. HSBC building, Standard Chartered building, Legco, HK Club, Jardines, Cheung Kong, Citibank Tower, Prince's Building, Landmark, Chater House, Alexandra, IFC2, etc.), then the closest is the MO or LMO. If you are talking about IFC1 or Hang Seng building, then yes, the FS is closer.

ace26

Ok, I didn't say it was the most convenient or the closest. I said I think it's the best business hotel for the "fussy client" that's more convenient than, say, anywhere in Kowloon, AND it provides the easiest exit for their "run off" to the airport via AE.

If they plan to walk then yes, you're right that the MO or LMO is the closest. But is it really likely that the OP will walk with a client? They'll probably take a taxi, in which case a few minutes won't make a huge difference.

char777

I was very impressed with the Island Shangri-La. I stayed there in May, and the service and quality of the hotel were fabulous. I would definitely put that hotel in my top five hotels list.

However, since it was my one and only time in HK, I can't say that I know the city too well, so if you want to take the train to the airport, I'm not sure if there's a place closer to the train station or not.

Pickles

The closest hotel to the Airport Express is the FS. It is no more than a 3-4 minute walk indoors (if you know where you're going!)