RichardInSF

A cab from where? I've only taken cabs on the HK side to and from the Airport Express terminal, and maybe once to/from the GH to a nearby club.

mileageking

Taxi from HKG airport to GH is about HK$350

iceman77_7

Have a stay coming up this weekend. Flight arrives at hkg at 1830, what time does the club lounge stay open until? A search of this thread says it closes early, but no exact time.

DHalltheway

Around 2200 hrs last time I was there.

Cocktail ends before then

rhu171

IIRC, the lounge closes at 11 PM. The cocktail hours end promptly at 7.30 PM, but the last time I was there they had cheese and dessert spread out until closing time (probably leftovers). Also note they serve alcohol at all times, although they save their best one (Moet IMHO) during cocktail hours only.

iceman77_7

Staying here for 1 night on a Hyatt CC confirmed suite award. Booked a executive harbor view suite. Initial thoughts:

Took the airport express to MTR to Wan Chai. Would not recommend doing this in the future. I'm a fit male in my 20s and I was pretty tired after all that walking with just my carry on and backpack. The walk from Wan Chai MTR to the hotel is pretty long.

Check-in was smooth. I was given the suite as promised and it delivered. Particularly impressed by the free fruit, snacks, water and wine (as a platinum guest). Also liked the personalized notes. As others have mentioned, the bathrooms could definitely be updated, the gold trim is very dated.

Didn't make it to the club lounge until after cocktail hour. Great view, but the food/drink spread, or lack thereof, made me leave 5 minutes after arriving. Looking forward to breakfast this AM!

price123

We have a stay coming up here in a couple of weeks. I have to say I have been blown away by the pre-arrival email contact (I wanted to check about rennovation plans). Can't wait to get into our Plateau Suite!

iceman77_7

To finish up the rest of my stay, excellent breakfast spread, much more than just a "continental breakfast" advertised in the welcome letter. A number of hot options including dim sum, eggs, sausage, etc. and a large selection of pastries and juices. Definitely impressed.

I ended up taking the Airport Express hotel shuttle back from the convention center to Hong Kong Station. Took about 15 minutes, much better than walking to Wan Chai station and then the MTR. When I return, I'd definitely take the Airport Express hotel shuttle to the hotel. Sure there are stairs from the convention center to the hotel, but you'd have to walk up them (and many others) from the Wan Chai MTR to the hotel.

rhu171

Did you take exit A5 from the MTR and then the pedestrian bridge to the hotel? IIRC there are no stairs to be climbed (other than the ones from the convention center to the hotel) and, IMHO, an easy 5-10 mins walk using this route from the MTR to the hotel.

RichardInSF

Correct but still a long walk with bags, and then you still either have to go down to the street from the convention center driveway and back up to the hotel or take the steps from the convention center driveway to the hotel.

For about HK$25 you can cab it from the airport express station, except at rush hour when there tends not to be any cabs available.

former230

Completed a stay here last week. I actually had simultaneous rooms at both the Grand Hyatt and the Hyatt Regency TST across the harbor. My room at the HR TST was a suite while I was just given a standard room with a great view of the harbor at the GH.

Things I liked about the GH were the grand entry, the room view, a good breakfast spread, and the property itself is certainly great. What a grand impression the lobby makes. Fantastic.

I am a Diamond and was certainly treated very well and even escorted to my room, but received no gift or amenity in the room. I thought the breakfast was very nice, but frankly I didn't find it much different in substance from the Hyatt Regency TST. Maybe I missed something.

The crowd at the GH seemed to cater much more to a business crowd with the vast majority of people at breakfast and cocktail hour in suits/ties. I was vacationing and while I dressed nicely, I felt that my lack of suit/tie seemed to get me ignored more by service. Had to wave down a server for more coffee every morning, etc.

Overall, the GH is very nice, very luxury oriented, but frankly, it was almost a little too over the top for me if that is possible - maybe because I was on vacation. If I was in on business and the location was more convenient for me to work, I would stay there again without question. However for all future personal trips, the Hyatt Regency TST will win out for me. A lot of it comes down to personal preference though. Look in the Hyatt Regency TST for my review of that one.

Oh, and I did the walk from the MTR station at Wan Chai a few times with a backpack...no big deal to me but I suppose if you were hauling bags it could be a pain if doing it more than once. I actually enjoyed the scenery on the walk. Cabs to/from the other side of the harbor were avoided by me between the hours of 7am to 7pm because of traffic. Took the ferry a few times too.

Goosh

Completed a stay here from 11.16 to 11.18. Had to wait for a cab at the Airport Express station for about 15 minutes, but not a big deal. Why can't every airport follow the model in Vegas where they can get 20 groups of people into cabs at the same time. Anyways, I digress...The hotel itself is great. We had a grand executive harbor view suite. I assume it's one of the lowest grade suites if not the lowest since I used a confirmed upgrade. Nice amenity of wine and snacks. The room itself was perfectly fine, but the bathrooms could be updated a tad. A bit too many mirrors and gold trim. View of the harbor especially in the early morning is spectacular. The club lounge was probably the best part of the stay. I'm not a huge breakfast person, so the spread there was ore than enough and the setting just cannot be beat. Will definitely stay here again in the future.

price123

Recently stayed here in a Plateau Suite (upgraded from Plateau Room) - haven't seen any reviews of the room so below are links to our detailed reviews of:
The Hotel
The Plateau

These have many pictures which I don't have time to post here. But the text is below.

price123

Hotel
Most visitors to Hong Kong come on business but it is also a unique and vibrant cultural capital. 1,104 sq kilometres on 262 islands and the Kowloon peninsula. They work hard here, with 17 days holiday the norm and that includes 12 statutory days off! It is surprisingly green and mountainous. Inhabitants (other than the wealthy) generally live in very small homes because real estate prices are amongst the highest in the world. So the green spaces, especially Victoria Peak are precious and well used.

For the leisure visitor a trip on the Peak Tram to the recently opened viewing platform (think of a shopping Mall with a viewpoint on the roof) is a must but expect to queue for up to an hour unless you go really early. Another must is the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour (one of the most important deep water facilities in the world) between Tsim Sha Tsui on the tip of Kowloon peninsula and Wanchai. The price had risen by 200% between my visits in 1996 and 2012 but it still costs a derisory c20 (US money). You cross one of the busiest waterways on the planet and there is always lots to see.

The Metro system is one of the better legacies of British Colonial rule, without it, Hong Kong really wouldn't function. try it, it is safe, clean, efficient, cheap and runs on time. Oh, and you can use your cellphone in the tunnels as most teenagers do most of the time.

The food is worth travelling to Hong Kong for even if you have no other reason. If you like Dim Sum as I do, you will never tire of the artistry that goes into those tiny creations here.

The Room - Harbour View King
Although we stayed in the Plateau Spa, we also viewed a Harbour View King room. These rooms are of a good size (38 square metres) and are great for a short stay or for a couple. One nice feature is the desk which faces the TV and the window, allowing someone to work but also interact with their surroundings or travelling partner. The bathroom is quite large with bath and separate shower, although the decor may not be to everyone's taste.

The hotel starts a major renovation project in January which will last for 18 months. During this time around 30% of the rooms will be unavailable, as 2-3 floors will be renovated at a time and buffer floors will be blocked below and above. We were delighted to be shown the mock-up of the new rooms, but were sworn to secrecy so no photos. Suffice to say the new rooms are a great improvement and feel bigger, lighter and more modern than the current rooms thanks to the use of completely different materials and the employment of a different bathroom layout which may or may not still have 4 walls (probably not), whilst still maintaining some Asian influences.

Grand Club Lounge
The Grand Club Lounge is a large space on the (30/31st) top floors of the hotel. The reception is on the 30th where there is a small sitting area with self-serve Nespresso. Upstairs is the main lounge which is huge but divided into 4 separate areas with slightly differing style and furniture. There is a large central dining area with great views of Victoria Harbour, and the food station. There are two sections with easy chairs for relaxed dining/meeting.

Breakfast in the morning had a wide range of continental items (great fresh fruit) and an option of hot dishes including fried noodles, dim sum, congee, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages. The offerings change daily.

Throughout the day wine (not champagne) and soft drinks were available. Then, in the evening, premium spirits and Ruinart champagne are offered, in addition to a good choice of buffet items including 2 hot dishes which change daily, such as quiche, chicken satay or vegetable samosas. The cold options included salads, fish, meats and canapés - our favourite was the king prawns with the sweetest mango we had ever tasted. Each day there was also fresh fruit and a few dessert options, such as apple crumble or mango pudding. Our one comment about the food would be that it would be great to see some more local specialities, especially with the hot buffet options. Quality overall both of ingredients, design and presentation were extremely high.

Service in the lounge was particularly good - on one occasion our champagne was lacking fizz and was whisked away and replaced before we could even comment.

Dining
The Grand Hyatt Hong Kong has a huge choice of quality dining venues. We enjoyed a spectacular lunch in One Harbour Road, the Cantonese restaurant with views over the harbour from the 8th floor of the hotel. The restaurant offers a range of traditional and more modern dim sum - we savoured mashed taro dumplings with scallop in curry sauce, steamed pork and shrimp dumplings, steamed garoupa dumplings, rice flour rolls with pork and black truffle, honey-roasted BBQ pork and desserts of lotus paste in a sesame crust and red mung bean soup. Each dish was delicious and tasted different - make sure you eat here on your visit. One particularly attractive feature of 1 Harbour Road is the private dining possibilities. This includes a rare opportunity to dine at the heart of the action at The Chef's Table, tucked away INSIDE the kitchen. There is also a more conventional but beautifully appointed private dining room at one corner of the restaurant, again with great views.

Other dining options in house include Italian from Grissini where Paulo and his team know how to make you feel welcome and serve you with flair. Then there is Japanese Kaetsu, the Grand Hyatt Steakhouse, the Grill, all-day dining at the Grand Cafe, or Tiffin, which offers beautiful confectionary and buffet menus plus Suday brunch with bottomless champagne. For sweet treats, Chocolatier offers pastries, cakes and hampers.

In addition to these restaurants, there is an art deco champagne bar and the pool-side lounge, which offers a range of beverages - one note of caution, if you're a non-smoker, the pool-side lounge may not be the best place for you.

Health and Leisure
In addition to the wonderful Plateau Spa, the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong has all the leisure facilities you would expect of a 5* City hotel, but a few more unusual.

The gym is well-equipped with weights and cardio equipment and, as it is manned, you will be brought bottled water during your workout. Gym kits are available to borrow in the rooms (sizes are clearly on European scale rather than local. Large means large) and sweat towels are available on entrance to the gym.

The hotel also has a 50m outdoor swimming pool and separate children's pool, a play area, tennis courts, a jogging trail and driving range.

Overall, this is a fantastic hotel whether you spend time in Hong Kong for business and leisure. From meeting the Hyatt rep at the airport to our departure, we couldn't find anything significant to criticise. With the refit beginning in the new year, this will be in the top few hotels in Hong Kong for years to come.

price123

Plateau Spa
Needing somewhere to stay in Hong Kong on the first leg of a tour of SE Asia, we decided to check out the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong by staying in the Plateau Spa situated on the 11th floor, with great views overlooking the harbour. We hoped it would help us over the jet-lag before moving on to Bangkok. We were not disappointed.

We were greeted from our airport transfer by a member of the spa team who escorted us to the 11th floor. Feeling slightly disorientated, it was wonderful to just follow someone and not have to find our own way. On exiting the lifts onto the 11th floor, there was a great feeling of calm, with serene surroundings of polished marble, tasteful pale wooden panelling and friendly staff.

We originally booked a Plateau Room, but were delighted to be upgraded to a Plateau Suite, complete with a small terrace and a fantastic bathroom (of which, more later). The rate was reasonably priced at HKD5500+ (US$700) per night, including a 1h massage per person per day and club lounge access (although we would have received this as diamond guests). We were pleased to find we could also order room service breakfast on a complimentary basis - we would have loved to eat on the terrace but Hong Kong was too foggy during our stay.

The Room - Plateau Suite
Our Plateau Suite was a beautiful minimalist suite with Japanese styling. The living room had low-level seating around a coffee table (complete with welcome amenity) the minibar and a hot-water machine (a pity there was no Nespresso). As the corner suite, we had a small terrace overlooking the harbour in 2 directions, with seating area. The sleeping area had a comfortable Futon bed with copious fluffy pillows and floor-to-ceiling windows with fantastic harbour views. Although we had never slept on a Futon, we found it extremely comfortable, and less obtrusive than a normal King bed. In the bedroom area was a sink and mirror for morning ablutions. In fact, the sinks in the suite deserve special mention as they had a variety of great designs - really deep and in black marble.

Then we discovered the piece de resistance - the bathroom. Firstly, there was a toilet area and a walk-in wardrobe with plenty of amenities including lounge wear and work-out clothes (to borrow). The bathroom itself was a wet-room with private steam bath, rain-shower and jacuzzi Japanese soaking tub. The whole room was made of dark stone with low-level lighting, so it was fantastic lying in the jacuzzi watching the nightly laser show through the windows overlooking the harbour.

Throughout the suite, mirrors were cleverly used to maximise the feeling of space - just be careful if you are jet-lagged as we kept walking into them!

Treatments
The Plateau Spa offers a wide-range of treatments including massages, facials, body treatments, reflexology and baths. Products used include June Jacobs, an American company offering natural botanical products, and Carita, the Parisian brand aiming to reveal the unique beauty within each of us.

As our room package included a nightly treatment, we tried a number of treatments including the signature Plateau massage, reflexology, facials and the Green-tea moisturising massage. We were impressed by the attention to detail of the therapists, for example covering us with bathrobes to keep us warm when we turned onto our back part way through the massage, and covering our hair with a spare towel to prevent it getting oily.

If you are not staying in the spa, we would recommend booking a bath treatment. The couples' suite we had treatments in had a massive bath (almost a swimming pool) with great views over the harbour.

Treatment Room
The treatment room allocated for our treatments could accommodate couples. On entering the suite, we were invited to sit in the lounge area whilst we were given details about our treatments and asked whether we had any allergies or other special requirements. After being shown the bathroom, wardrobes and wonderful soft cuddly dressing gowns, we were left to change before going through to the treatment suite. Both beds within the suite had heated blankets, so let your therapist know if you're feeling chilly.

Although we didn't use it, the bath/pool within the suite was stunning and probably the largest we have ever seen. The suite also had a private steam room and shower with June Jacobs products.

After each treatment, we were asked whether we wanted water or Chinese Tea. We chose the latter and this was served with a fruit cup with ripe strawberries, wonderfully sweet pineapple and kiwi fruit.

The Plateau Spa in the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong is a fantastic choice in a city replete with luxury hotels. We would particularly recommend staying here if jet-lagged, or if you really want to pamper yourself. Although not cheap, the rooms represent decent value when taking into account the complimentary treatment for each guest.

Every therapist we had contact with was lovely and professional - they were in tune with their clients' needs and were proactive about asking if things were ok (eg is the room warm enough? how is the pressure? or volume of music). The facilities of the spa (outdoor pool and gym) are as expected for a 5* hotel and the luxury treatment room itself is stunning with a great bath and views over the harbour. In all, we strongly recommend staying in the Grand Hyatt in Hong Kong and using the Plateau Spa.