Thanks for the information! Good to hear this!

My booking is actually Sunday and Monday night so I think it should be OK. But given it is just the week before Xmas I may contact hotel to book it anyway ..... But have to say that I really look forward to it.

I am a non-Ambassador and lowly PC Gold so no Club access for me. Can someone comment on their (buffet) breakfast there? I am thinking of getting it but not sure how much it cost vs the quality of it .....

Questions on IC HKG GS
 

So I'm mulling over a weekend in HKG and thinking about staying at the IC HKG GS for a night. Read most of this thread and posts from the RA thread. I still have a few questions to ask as this thread seems slightly confusing in mixing up the IC HKG and IC HKG GS. I'm staying at the Grand Stanford as I'm coughing up the dough and I don't want to pay the exorbitant cost for the IC HKG.

1. It seems the IC HKG and IC GS are very close, 5-10 min walk depending on speed. Also, seems that the IC HKG is slightly newer and has much better views if you get harbor view. Did I get this right? What else makes the IC HKG that much better that it's worth the higher cost? How is the GS better?

2. It seems at both you select either an UG to suite as an RA or club access. Is this correct? I've read good reviews on both the suites and also the club lounge at the GS. Any recommendations? I'm leaning towards club now, as upgrades are nice but I'd rather have the lounge food this time around.

3. Any other considerations I should have in paying for a night at the GS rather than going cheap for say the HIX?

First and foremost, there's a thread about IC HK GS http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inter...ad-merged.html - however this thread here is pretty much a mix up of both hotels... ;)

1. 10 Minutes walk (rather than 5). IC HK has great harbour view, as it is across from Hong Kong island city center. GS is a further up, there's a road between the hotel and the harbour, and windows are alligned a tad awkwardly, so that the rooms in the back of the hotel (where the main entrance is) have quite limited harbour view.

2. Afaik, GS offers either club or suite. I took a harbour view suite without club last time, having booked a harbour view room. Club is good, but not as good as IC HK. I tend to not have club in Hong Kong, there are dining and lounge options just about everywhere ;) Rooms at the GS could do with some renovation. There are mostly old stlye TVs and everything else is very "classic". IC HK is new and has modern style.
There are not "worlds" between the two hotels. Each hotel has its charm.

Overall, IC GS is a great bargain. It's great hotel, despite some flaws, now offering pretty good upgrades. IC HK is a lot more expensive and for great rooms it is really expensive. Views from rooms and pool are unsurpassed in Hong Kong. In your case, I'd opt for the GS - it is really a great bargain and offers good RA recognition - and it's probably less than half the price of IC HK.
As for the HIX, oh well - it's a HIX, and probably just 300-500 HKD cheaper. I'd go for the IC GS ;)

I booked 5 nights on points at the IC HK for our second honeymoon - the only available option was "King Bed Superior Plaza View" with no b/f.

Question 1/ What can I expect as Plat Amb in terms of upgrades, comp b/f etc ?

Question 2/ What would be suggested to get as a paid u/g? What do they charge for b/f? Would it be a better deal to ask (and pay) for Club access? What they charge for harbour view upgrade?

And somewhat offtopic - is Macao a day-trip or is it worth the hassle to pack up in HK, and move over for a night? Basically we could move to Macao for the last night and take the hydrofoil the next morning to the airport.

We had the same dilemma for a trip in Jan. I mailed the hotel and got the following back
"The Priority Club Reward Night only can redeem the basic room (in our hotel it is Contemporary Superior Plaza View Room). Further to your request for a harbour view room, we are delighted to propose an room upgrade to our Contemporary Superior Harbour View Room with daily supplementary charge of HK$1,000 plus 10% service charge per room per night."
We took this and had an amazing room... it was our honeymoon and they came with champagne and strawberries and chocolate dip!

I think they are known for not giving anything for nothing. No free breakfast and I think we decided the cost for club access was not worth spending.

Great info thanks! I guess I just need to now decide Club or UG...

That sounds much better than what my wife and I received on our first night of our honeymoon which was at this property. The hotel was aware that we were on our honeymoon and this was a one night stay en route to Bali. Check-in was done in the room. The agent acknowledged our special occasion by saying "Congratulations on your wedding" and then proceeded to shake our hands. That's it. :rolleyes: I was baffled.

Now I was on a F&F rate. I wasn't expecting a bottle of Champagne or an upgrade to a suite. But perhaps a plate of chocolates or a small cake would have been very much appreciated.

I will treasure that handshake for the rest of my life :rolleyes:

This is in stark contrast with how the two Four Seasons properties in Bali recognized our wedding: beautiful flower bouquets for my new wife, chilled sparkling wine in our ocean view villa at Jimbaran Bay and riverfront villa at Sayan, chocolates and cakes, flower petals in our bathtub and bed, etc.

Thanks so much IC Hong Kong! I'll be sure to be a be a repeat guest of your hotel because there is such a dearth of luxury hotels in Hong Kong :rolleyes:

day trip
 

personally, I would do maccao on a day trip, there are speed boats that can get you there quickly, and then have the whole day there. (make sure to get in the priority line when boarding) I managed to walk all over, have lunch, gamble in some casinos and pay for my trip to HK :-) The boat trip back in the early evening to HK was nice too!

Thx, I think we'll do Macao on a day-trip, too. No hassle of checking in and out of hotels...

2 night stay last weekend. Booked a deluxe junior suite and was upgraded to an executive suite with full harbour views (superb room on 3rd floor with what was essentially a glass wall looking out over the harbour). provided with fruit, bottled water and a welcoming cup of speciality tea. Club lounge was excellent and friendly and I would agree with comments that the food and beverage offerings were very good. Got the hotel car to and from the airport and was impressed with the inward journey (late evening) taking a little over 20 minutes.

I hope to go back and would recommend to others.

Grande Stanford GM info. and other
 

Greetings:

I am planning a four nights stay at the GS, this will be in celerbration of our 55th wedding anniversary (We spent our 25th and 50th at the GS and at the "old" Holiday Inn)

I am in the weird position that we had been treated so well the two previous times that I don't want Mrs T to be disappointed on this up coming stay.

I am sure that the GM has been changed since our 50th stay, so would appreciate anyone out there that has the present GM name and email address.

I also would appreciate any comments on how I am booking the four night stay.

I am planning on paying cash for a Club Harbor view room the first night, using a free weekend night certificate the second night and then points for the two remaining nights.Needless to say I am looking for an upgrade to enhance our stay.

My big question is will I have the same room for all four nights based on the cash room the first night??

( I am ambassador Plat. now, Gold at check in)

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks to all..............

warning this thread is MIXED between the two hotels
 

Anyhow I just stayed at the IC and this hotel is HORRID for upgrades or even treating RA properly THey say they upgrade two levels they dont give suites. A two grade upgrade is "nothing" but city view with a small room. since the hotel doesn't give upgrades then I expected a Club Lounge, NOT:mad:
interesting this hotel is one of the few corporate OWNED hotels. I even spoke to the assistant manager and was shocked how little they cared about a RA.
Interesting how this is one of two hotels in the chain that dont follow IC upgrade rules.
Back to the Grand Stanford for my next stay.

Not my experience. I always get a two category upgrade. However, you will under normal conditions never get an upgrade from non-harbour view to harbour view. Book Deluxe Harbour View and you will be happy.

To be clear what does one need to book here as an RA to get Harbor View with club access? (And at the risk of being off-topic, would also like to know what one needs to book for view/club at the Grand Stanford?)

The IC HK does not grant club access for free. If you want to have club access, you can either book a rate that includes it (they sometimes have "free club" specials on Best Flex rate), or pay the club supplement on arrival. To receive a harbor view, you need to book a harbor view (upgrades are given only to higher rooms within the same view category).

For GS HK, you will typically either receive a room with harbor view and club access or a suite with city view without club.