Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
Apr 15, 2013, 9:42 am
#121
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York City
Programs: BA Gold Guest List; HH Diamond; Hyatt Diamond; SPG Gold
Posts: 2,833
Apr 15, 2013, 9:45 am
#122
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
Apr 20, 2013, 6:30 pm
#124
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jakarta
Programs: Krisflyer PPS, SPG, Hyatt GoldPassport, Shangri-la Golden Circle, British Airways ExecClub
Posts: 1,245
Anyone stayed there recently? How's the service, F&B? They are having a book 2 nights stay for three promotion this July so going to finally try this hotel.
Apr 20, 2013, 7:47 pm
#125
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York City
Programs: BA Gold Guest List; HH Diamond; Hyatt Diamond; SPG Gold
Posts: 2,833
I was not hugely impressed. There was a lot of 'my name is X, please do not hesitate to ask if you need anything', but not a lot of staff around in places where they'd actually be useful.
I arrived around 9pm after taking the Airport Express in (seemed to be the quickest option). Contrary to another post on this thread, I wasn't offered a meet-and-greet service; the prior contact I had from the hotel was just a list of transfer options -- and a veiled threat to bump my rate to rack if I couldn't show eligibility for my corporate rate.
The route from the station is signposted right up until you get to the ICC itself, then you're left to guess or ask the building staff. The entrance is through a pair of heavy doors and on neither of the occasions when I used it was there a doorman there.
Checkin is your typical row of stand-up desks; I can imagine one might have to queue a little at busy times.
I had booked the basic room and was upgraded to a corner room (grand deluxe? there're no floor plans on the RC site so difficult to know), 11515. The room was fine -- not a ton of closet space -- although I'm not a great fan of the styling. I don't know whether it was the weather (no real view the entire time I was there due to smog or rain) but the a/c seemed to have a problem getting the moisture out of the air, leaving the room cool but slightly clammy/damp.
One of my HK colleagues describes the hotel as "the worst in Hong Kong from a number of points of view", and while I wouldn't go that far, the location is not great (except from the viewpoint of connection to the airport) and the advantages over other hotels seem to be mainly novelty, the views -- good luck with that with the PM2.5 levels in HK these days -- and flashy styling.
I arrived around 9pm after taking the Airport Express in (seemed to be the quickest option). Contrary to another post on this thread, I wasn't offered a meet-and-greet service; the prior contact I had from the hotel was just a list of transfer options -- and a veiled threat to bump my rate to rack if I couldn't show eligibility for my corporate rate.
The route from the station is signposted right up until you get to the ICC itself, then you're left to guess or ask the building staff. The entrance is through a pair of heavy doors and on neither of the occasions when I used it was there a doorman there.
Checkin is your typical row of stand-up desks; I can imagine one might have to queue a little at busy times.
I had booked the basic room and was upgraded to a corner room (grand deluxe? there're no floor plans on the RC site so difficult to know), 11515. The room was fine -- not a ton of closet space -- although I'm not a great fan of the styling. I don't know whether it was the weather (no real view the entire time I was there due to smog or rain) but the a/c seemed to have a problem getting the moisture out of the air, leaving the room cool but slightly clammy/damp.
One of my HK colleagues describes the hotel as "the worst in Hong Kong from a number of points of view", and while I wouldn't go that far, the location is not great (except from the viewpoint of connection to the airport) and the advantages over other hotels seem to be mainly novelty, the views -- good luck with that with the PM2.5 levels in HK these days -- and flashy styling.
Apr 20, 2013, 8:23 pm
#126
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
well regarded RC club manager herve yen is now guest recognition manager
http://marriott5.typepad.com/asia_pa...carlton-1.html
http://marriott5.typepad.com/asia_pa...carlton-1.html
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Apr 21, 2013 at 2:58 pm
Apr 29, 2013, 9:57 am
#127
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,592
Had a lunch at their Italian restaurant and it was great, tasty & very original.
Service in the hotel was great.
Took a taxi coming in and they gave you a piece of paper with your taxi plate #, just in case.
People willing to help at the "ground" (9th I guess ?) floor and again at their lobby. Maybe they just wanted to make sure that I really go to the restaurant.
it's true that it doesn't seem easy to walk and reach the street from the hotel. Wonder what they're building in front of the hotel
I took the MTR on the way back, and it takes a good 5 mns walk throught the mall.
I found all people I spoke with very nice & professional.
They did forgot my coke and I forgot to remind them. They find out when they bring my check (not on the check) and they profusely apologie and bring me a complimentary one.
They also have at least one RR Phantom with "RC" plate
Service in the hotel was great.
Took a taxi coming in and they gave you a piece of paper with your taxi plate #, just in case.
People willing to help at the "ground" (9th I guess ?) floor and again at their lobby. Maybe they just wanted to make sure that I really go to the restaurant.
it's true that it doesn't seem easy to walk and reach the street from the hotel. Wonder what they're building in front of the hotel
I took the MTR on the way back, and it takes a good 5 mns walk throught the mall.
I found all people I spoke with very nice & professional.
They did forgot my coke and I forgot to remind them. They find out when they bring my check (not on the check) and they profusely apologie and bring me a complimentary one.
They also have at least one RR Phantom with "RC" plate
May 4, 2013, 8:06 pm
#128
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: DL, UA, BA, AA
Posts: 28
Stayed there a week ago for one night only. We'd spent the previous couple of days at Conrad HK and wanted to spend our final night there to try it out. I redeemed 70K Marriott points and I'm Marriott gold. It was our honeymoon trip and I let the hotel know about a month in advance, when they emailed me to ask if there was anything I wanted from them (they were obviously fishing for restaurant/ spa reservations).
In their response email they congratulated me and asked for dietary preferences so that they could serve us better. I also booked lunch at their chinese restaurant (was curious to see what 2-michelin star dim sum tastes like).
A day before check-in I had a confirmed upgrade to a Club Deluxe Harbor room, which is their most expensive offering below the suite level. They did not include access to the Club lounge and I declined to pay the 1,2000 HKD fee, since food options around Kowloon felt more attractive...
I enjoyed the room, and views from the 117th floor were, well, quite different from what I've experienced before. Dwarfing the skyline, I would say that buildings become too small for the city view to be beautiful, but it is impressive to look at skyscrapers looking so small without being on an aircraft. On the other hand, the harbor looks fantastic from up there and I enjoyed watching the formations of the docked ships.
I also quite liked the room's design as well as practicality, save for the lack of storage space, as noted above. Also there is no iron board in the room due to said lack, but they brought one very promptly when I asked. My favorite feature was the nook by the floor to ceiling windows from where one can watch the view. Second favorite feature was the sofa in front of the bed, at quite a reasonable distance from the tv, so that you could watch tv from the bed as well as the sofa in more or less equal comfort. Sounds simple but I rarely find it to be the case.
Even the nice upgrade aside, their whole "honeymoon" welcome left me with a very positive impression. When we walked into the room a very nice regular-sized chocolate cake was waiting for us. When we came back in the evening after wandering around Kowloon they had prepared the bathtub with foam and rose pedals, and strawberries with whipped cream and powdered sugar on the side. Having stayed at 5 different, and nice, hotels during our honeymoon trip, that was certainly the nicest any hotel had been to us.
We actually did not make use of the bathtub immediately, as we wanted to try the "highest bar in the world" first. Ozone reminds me of Las Vegas bars, being as blingy as it is, but I have to say, their drinks are good drinks, which I rarely ever find to be the case at so gimmicky hotel bars (I'm looking at you Lebua Bangkok, worst drinks ever). That said, the views from the bar were near indifferent to me -- everything just felt too small from the side windows to discern any shape, and the patio, which has the better views, is hardly usable because of the strong wings (even though it's 80% covered).
For the next day we already had confirmed a 3pm check-out and went to get dim sum at Tin Lung Heen at noon. Some items were great (crispy deep-fried pork buns), the rest were solid, but, as I suspected, the entire value of a 2 mich star restaurant is not gonna show on dim sum, and you might as well find dim sum from certain humble establishments even more satisfying.
We went back to the room and actually easily got an extra hour for check-out, eventually left at 4, while the Ritz staff took care of our (bountiful) luggage. We returned around 8 with a lot of additional stuff from the markets and the staff were kind enough to allow us to re-arrange everything at a nook in the downstairs lobby. It worked very nicely.
The funniest moment for me was when we were getting into the cab. We ended up having so much stuff and hotel staff were not being too busy at the time, that no fewer than 5 employees helped us put everything in the cab. It looked like a real mission. I wanted to tip before getting into the cab, but felt so overwhelmed and confused from the 5 Ritz employees surrounding me with smiles saying have a good trip that I just got into the cab smiling awkwardly and waved. It was all good fun and they were very helpful.
Overall, I agree with the above critical review that novelty, views and flashy styling characterize this hotel -- but these are things I like in good measure when on a discovery (as opposed to business) trip. I found that the height of the building itself gave me more pleasure when looking at it from outside as part of HK skyline than when I stayed inside, but I found the stay itself to be quite memorable and I would happily go back.
In their response email they congratulated me and asked for dietary preferences so that they could serve us better. I also booked lunch at their chinese restaurant (was curious to see what 2-michelin star dim sum tastes like).
A day before check-in I had a confirmed upgrade to a Club Deluxe Harbor room, which is their most expensive offering below the suite level. They did not include access to the Club lounge and I declined to pay the 1,2000 HKD fee, since food options around Kowloon felt more attractive...
I enjoyed the room, and views from the 117th floor were, well, quite different from what I've experienced before. Dwarfing the skyline, I would say that buildings become too small for the city view to be beautiful, but it is impressive to look at skyscrapers looking so small without being on an aircraft. On the other hand, the harbor looks fantastic from up there and I enjoyed watching the formations of the docked ships.
I also quite liked the room's design as well as practicality, save for the lack of storage space, as noted above. Also there is no iron board in the room due to said lack, but they brought one very promptly when I asked. My favorite feature was the nook by the floor to ceiling windows from where one can watch the view. Second favorite feature was the sofa in front of the bed, at quite a reasonable distance from the tv, so that you could watch tv from the bed as well as the sofa in more or less equal comfort. Sounds simple but I rarely find it to be the case.
Even the nice upgrade aside, their whole "honeymoon" welcome left me with a very positive impression. When we walked into the room a very nice regular-sized chocolate cake was waiting for us. When we came back in the evening after wandering around Kowloon they had prepared the bathtub with foam and rose pedals, and strawberries with whipped cream and powdered sugar on the side. Having stayed at 5 different, and nice, hotels during our honeymoon trip, that was certainly the nicest any hotel had been to us.
We actually did not make use of the bathtub immediately, as we wanted to try the "highest bar in the world" first. Ozone reminds me of Las Vegas bars, being as blingy as it is, but I have to say, their drinks are good drinks, which I rarely ever find to be the case at so gimmicky hotel bars (I'm looking at you Lebua Bangkok, worst drinks ever). That said, the views from the bar were near indifferent to me -- everything just felt too small from the side windows to discern any shape, and the patio, which has the better views, is hardly usable because of the strong wings (even though it's 80% covered).
For the next day we already had confirmed a 3pm check-out and went to get dim sum at Tin Lung Heen at noon. Some items were great (crispy deep-fried pork buns), the rest were solid, but, as I suspected, the entire value of a 2 mich star restaurant is not gonna show on dim sum, and you might as well find dim sum from certain humble establishments even more satisfying.
We went back to the room and actually easily got an extra hour for check-out, eventually left at 4, while the Ritz staff took care of our (bountiful) luggage. We returned around 8 with a lot of additional stuff from the markets and the staff were kind enough to allow us to re-arrange everything at a nook in the downstairs lobby. It worked very nicely.
The funniest moment for me was when we were getting into the cab. We ended up having so much stuff and hotel staff were not being too busy at the time, that no fewer than 5 employees helped us put everything in the cab. It looked like a real mission. I wanted to tip before getting into the cab, but felt so overwhelmed and confused from the 5 Ritz employees surrounding me with smiles saying have a good trip that I just got into the cab smiling awkwardly and waved. It was all good fun and they were very helpful.
Overall, I agree with the above critical review that novelty, views and flashy styling characterize this hotel -- but these are things I like in good measure when on a discovery (as opposed to business) trip. I found that the height of the building itself gave me more pleasure when looking at it from outside as part of HK skyline than when I stayed inside, but I found the stay itself to be quite memorable and I would happily go back.
May 4, 2013, 8:27 pm
#129
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: DL, UA, BA, AA
Posts: 28
Pics for the above text. http://www.flickr.com/photos/9547764...7633420802404/
Jul 4, 2013, 7:32 am
#132
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York City
Programs: BA Gold Guest List; HH Diamond; Hyatt Diamond; SPG Gold
Posts: 2,833
Where is this documented? It's not on the website. When I stayed back in April, the email I got from the guest services executive included only this on the topic of transport options from the airport:
"Limousine service can be arranged to bring you directly from or to the hotel. Limousine service options include:
* Air-conditioned 3-Seater Mercedes Benz limousines at HK$1,000 per vehicle, one way (up to 3 guests with 3 suitcase)
* Toyota Alphard 6-Seater Van at HK$1,050 per vehicle, one way (up to 5 guests with 5 suitcase)
Limousine booking do require advance reservations, so we ask that you kindly provide your flight details and we will take care of the rest.
Alternatively, Taxi is abundance in the Hong Kong International Airport and take approximately 30 minutes. The taxi fee will be approximately HKD $250 to $300 depending on traffic, charges for extra luggage and a toll fee are applicable.
Another mode of transportation to hotel would be by Airport Express. The Airport Express train can be accessed directly from the airport terminal building. The train runs every 12 minutes from 05:50am to 01:15am (last train departs from airport at 12:48am). Journey between the Airport and Kowloon station takes approximately 20 minutes, and the single journey fare costs HKD 90 per adult. Tickets can be purchased via any Airport Express Customer Service Centre. The hotel is a five-minute walk from Kowloon Station, through Elements Mall. For more information, please click below link."
"Limousine service can be arranged to bring you directly from or to the hotel. Limousine service options include:
* Air-conditioned 3-Seater Mercedes Benz limousines at HK$1,000 per vehicle, one way (up to 3 guests with 3 suitcase)
* Toyota Alphard 6-Seater Van at HK$1,050 per vehicle, one way (up to 5 guests with 5 suitcase)
Limousine booking do require advance reservations, so we ask that you kindly provide your flight details and we will take care of the rest.
Alternatively, Taxi is abundance in the Hong Kong International Airport and take approximately 30 minutes. The taxi fee will be approximately HKD $250 to $300 depending on traffic, charges for extra luggage and a toll fee are applicable.
Another mode of transportation to hotel would be by Airport Express. The Airport Express train can be accessed directly from the airport terminal building. The train runs every 12 minutes from 05:50am to 01:15am (last train departs from airport at 12:48am). Journey between the Airport and Kowloon station takes approximately 20 minutes, and the single journey fare costs HKD 90 per adult. Tickets can be purchased via any Airport Express Customer Service Centre. The hotel is a five-minute walk from Kowloon Station, through Elements Mall. For more information, please click below link."
Jul 4, 2013, 9:00 am
#133
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
Where is this documented? It's not on the website. When I stayed back in April, the email I got from the guest services executive included only this on the topic of transport options from the airport:
"Limousine service can be arranged to bring you directly from or to the hotel. Limousine service options include:
* Air-conditioned 3-Seater Mercedes Benz limousines at HK$1,000 per vehicle, one way (up to 3 guests with 3 suitcase)
* Toyota Alphard 6-Seater Van at HK$1,050 per vehicle, one way (up to 5 guests with 5 suitcase)
Limousine booking do require advance reservations, so we ask that you kindly provide your flight details and we will take care of the rest.
Alternatively, Taxi is abundance in the Hong Kong International Airport and take approximately 30 minutes. The taxi fee will be approximately HKD $250 to $300 depending on traffic, charges for extra luggage and a toll fee are applicable.
Another mode of transportation to hotel would be by Airport Express. The Airport Express train can be accessed directly from the airport terminal building. The train runs every 12 minutes from 05:50am to 01:15am (last train departs from airport at 12:48am). Journey between the Airport and Kowloon station takes approximately 20 minutes, and the single journey fare costs HKD 90 per adult. Tickets can be purchased via any Airport Express Customer Service Centre. The hotel is a five-minute walk from Kowloon Station, through Elements Mall. For more information, please click below link."
"Limousine service can be arranged to bring you directly from or to the hotel. Limousine service options include:
* Air-conditioned 3-Seater Mercedes Benz limousines at HK$1,000 per vehicle, one way (up to 3 guests with 3 suitcase)
* Toyota Alphard 6-Seater Van at HK$1,050 per vehicle, one way (up to 5 guests with 5 suitcase)
Limousine booking do require advance reservations, so we ask that you kindly provide your flight details and we will take care of the rest.
Alternatively, Taxi is abundance in the Hong Kong International Airport and take approximately 30 minutes. The taxi fee will be approximately HKD $250 to $300 depending on traffic, charges for extra luggage and a toll fee are applicable.
Another mode of transportation to hotel would be by Airport Express. The Airport Express train can be accessed directly from the airport terminal building. The train runs every 12 minutes from 05:50am to 01:15am (last train departs from airport at 12:48am). Journey between the Airport and Kowloon station takes approximately 20 minutes, and the single journey fare costs HKD 90 per adult. Tickets can be purchased via any Airport Express Customer Service Centre. The hotel is a five-minute walk from Kowloon Station, through Elements Mall. For more information, please click below link."
Jul 4, 2013, 9:28 am
#134
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York City
Programs: BA Gold Guest List; HH Diamond; Hyatt Diamond; SPG Gold
Posts: 2,833
I'm probably not going back there in a hurry; it's not convenient for my office in Central (c.f. the Conrad/Shangri La which are also on our list), and I prefer the Mandarin Oriental when on my own dime.
Jul 4, 2013, 7:05 pm
#135
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jakarta
Programs: Krisflyer PPS, SPG, Hyatt GoldPassport, Shangri-la Golden Circle, British Airways ExecClub
Posts: 1,245
I am going to try out the RC HK for the first time today. I booked a limo from airport and it doesn't include meet and greet, in contrast to FSHK where meet and greet comes standard with all airport transfer. Not really a deal breaker for me as HK airport is easy to navigate.