Wedding + Honeymoon: South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong and Dubai
Apr 6, 2019, 12:57 pm
#31
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: BTR/MSY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,258
I really missed out on your report with my little FT hiatus. Great report, and congratulations! It's really tempting to hop on a plane and show up at your MIL's doorstep for chow.
Apr 7, 2019, 2:07 pm
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New York City
Programs: UA: 1K, Hyatt: Explorist and Marriott: LF Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,268
I'm actually contemplating on flying to Korea on the back end of my career break
Jun 19, 2019, 12:37 pm
#34
Join Date: Jun 2010
Programs: United 1K, AA Exec P, Lifetime Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Avis Pres. Club, Hertz Gold
Posts: 94
35k points per night on any hotel in bangkok is a sin. Can book any of those hotels for less than 200bucks a night.
ICN Security blows, but at least its equal treatment for all
Why didnt you get an expedited immigration pass on your flight to BKK? If not you can use your busines class boarding pass.
3500bhat for a van to the hotel is nuts. Grab would have been 25% of that price and easy pick up on departure level.
ICN Security blows, but at least its equal treatment for all
Why didnt you get an expedited immigration pass on your flight to BKK? If not you can use your busines class boarding pass.
3500bhat for a van to the hotel is nuts. Grab would have been 25% of that price and easy pick up on departure level.
Last edited by DanielW; Aug 7, 2019 at 12:01 am Reason: Excess quotation.
Jun 24, 2019, 1:39 pm
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New York City
Programs: UA: 1K, Hyatt: Explorist and Marriott: LF Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,268
35k points per night on any hotel in bangkok is a sin. Can book any of those hotels for less than 200bucks a night.
ICN Security blows, but at least its equal treatment for all
Why didnt you get an expedited immigration pass on your flight to BKK? If not you can use your busines class boarding pass.
3500bhat for a van to the hotel is nuts. Grab would have been 25% of that price and easy pick up on departure level.
ICN Security blows, but at least its equal treatment for all
Why didnt you get an expedited immigration pass on your flight to BKK? If not you can use your busines class boarding pass.
3500bhat for a van to the hotel is nuts. Grab would have been 25% of that price and easy pick up on departure level.
In terms of the van, 100% agree that the GRAB would have been much cheaper but in terms of convenience of someone waiting for us at 2 AM and not having to deal with the concept of taking our luggage to the pick-up location and others - I think in terms of the honeymoon, it was money well spent to be honest (also an additional plus of the wife not nagging which FAR outweights the 3500 THB).
Last edited by LDNConsultant; Jun 27, 2019 at 12:22 pm
Jun 24, 2019, 1:55 pm
#36
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New York City
Programs: UA: 1K, Hyatt: Explorist and Marriott: LF Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,268
Vana Belle, a Luxury Collection Resort, Koh Samui (Day 2)
Its been a while since the update so apologies to everyone. After getting back to New York, recently took some time off from Consulting and finding my next career is little bit draining but to be honest… its my first break I’ve had in 13 years so I’m taking full advantage of the situation! As mentioned previously – the great thing about the Tropical Pool Villa is the privacy that it provides. With its own private entrance as well as the dense trees/vegetation – it offers immense privacy.
The Tropical Pool Villa has a perfect view of the ocean. Having a private terrace as well as the pool allows to have a perfect view of the sunrise
After enjoying a nice cup of coffee while watching the sunrise – as usual, my stomach gives several signal stating “it needs food”. Breakfast is offered in the hotel’s KIREE restaurant and luckily from our villa it was a quick 2-3 minutes walk.
As mentioned before, the F&B at the resort is little bit underwhelming. In comparison to the Athenee Hotel in Bangkok, the breakfast option at the KIREE was little bit of a miss. The breakfast was provided by the rate that I booked.
But forgot to take pictures of: bread section, vegetable section (salad and etc) as well as cold meat/cheese section.
The buffet selection is little bit on the light side (in terms of a resort) and most of the menu is selected from an a la carte menu.
It goes without saying, the service in Asia, Thailand and this resort was excellent. The staff is extremely extensive and always try their best – however, I believe due to the language barrier and the “island/resort lifestyle” there was a little miscommunication in the speed and the items we have received (e.g., we ordered sliced avocado and had to wait circa 20 minutes when there was a total of 3 or 4 tables that were occupied). But all in all, the quality as well as total experience from an F&B perspective, the Vana Belle was little bit underwhelming.
Post breakfast, my wife and I wanted to go snorkeling, however due to the strong wind and wave – all activities were cancelled. However, we decided to pick this package for the day after (more details on the package in later part of the report).
I’m the type of person whom has a tendency (even on holiday) to semi check work e-mails and/or presentation. However on this trip, I went radio silent. My wife and I decided to just bum around in our patio and have a swim in our pool.
After a relaxing at the pool and the patio – the wife and I decided to go on a quick trip outside to a local Thai restaurant for lunch. After a quick GRAB ride (flat rate around island at 500 THB), we arrived at The Chef Thai Restaurant and Bar. It is a nice sit down restaurant and the food was fantastic (compare to the resort). The one thing to remind people is that the restaurant is next to a river/creek (for which in Thailand can cause a lot of flies, bugs and etc) as well as the restaurant doesn’t accept Credit/Debit Card.
After wonderful late lunch, we grabbed a quick GRAB ride to one of the tourist attraction in Koh Samui – Big Buddha Temple. From the restaurant it was a 30-minute ride and the temple is located in the north east of the island. It was as usual extremely hot and humid in Koh Samui – after a quick picture and walk around the temple…… the wife and I decided to go back to the resort to enjoy the cool drinks/AC.
After a quick 3 hour nap in the cool AC of our room, we were ready for dinner. We actually been planning for this dinner for a while and liaised with my Ambassador as well as Tong (Butler) to schedule a private beach side dinner. On the day of the check-in Tong confirmed our date, time as well as the menu. The menu are as follows and it was a 4 course mean for 8,999 THB (which roughly translates to $295 USD) for two people. When we first arrived, it was beautifully decorated – I think picture probably speaks more volumes than I could…
Before the meal began, Tong as well as another server greeted us and presented us with today’s menu. Before the appetizer, we were brought hors d'oeuvre of vegetable wrap with light yogurt sauce.
For the appetizer, both the wife and I ordered the Seared Scallops with Fennel Puree, Braised Squid, Lobster Bisque Sauce with Crispy Prosciutto.
The scallops were perfectly cooked and overall the appetizer was excellent.
After the appetizer, we had our soup which was Roasted Forest Mushroom with Truffle Oil.
The soup was fantastic and was rich with truffle oil. It was perfectly seasoned and again… SO MUCH truffle oil.
For the main, the wife and I had a combination of – Australian Rib Eye, Tiger Prawn, Seabass and Porkchop.
In comparison to the seafood BBQ we had the previous night, the meat as well as the seafood were extremely fresh and perfectly cooked.
Both my wife and I aren’t a huge dessert fan but we did order both the dessert option and literally had 1 bite.
Overall the dinner was excellent and the pace between each course was perfect. Tong was extremely attentive and constantly checked on us. What a perfect way to end our second night in Koh Samui!
Its been a while since the update so apologies to everyone. After getting back to New York, recently took some time off from Consulting and finding my next career is little bit draining but to be honest… its my first break I’ve had in 13 years so I’m taking full advantage of the situation! As mentioned previously – the great thing about the Tropical Pool Villa is the privacy that it provides. With its own private entrance as well as the dense trees/vegetation – it offers immense privacy.
The Tropical Pool Villa has a perfect view of the ocean. Having a private terrace as well as the pool allows to have a perfect view of the sunrise
After enjoying a nice cup of coffee while watching the sunrise – as usual, my stomach gives several signal stating “it needs food”. Breakfast is offered in the hotel’s KIREE restaurant and luckily from our villa it was a quick 2-3 minutes walk.
As mentioned before, the F&B at the resort is little bit underwhelming. In comparison to the Athenee Hotel in Bangkok, the breakfast option at the KIREE was little bit of a miss. The breakfast was provided by the rate that I booked.
But forgot to take pictures of: bread section, vegetable section (salad and etc) as well as cold meat/cheese section.
The buffet selection is little bit on the light side (in terms of a resort) and most of the menu is selected from an a la carte menu.
It goes without saying, the service in Asia, Thailand and this resort was excellent. The staff is extremely extensive and always try their best – however, I believe due to the language barrier and the “island/resort lifestyle” there was a little miscommunication in the speed and the items we have received (e.g., we ordered sliced avocado and had to wait circa 20 minutes when there was a total of 3 or 4 tables that were occupied). But all in all, the quality as well as total experience from an F&B perspective, the Vana Belle was little bit underwhelming.
Post breakfast, my wife and I wanted to go snorkeling, however due to the strong wind and wave – all activities were cancelled. However, we decided to pick this package for the day after (more details on the package in later part of the report).
I’m the type of person whom has a tendency (even on holiday) to semi check work e-mails and/or presentation. However on this trip, I went radio silent. My wife and I decided to just bum around in our patio and have a swim in our pool.
After a relaxing at the pool and the patio – the wife and I decided to go on a quick trip outside to a local Thai restaurant for lunch. After a quick GRAB ride (flat rate around island at 500 THB), we arrived at The Chef Thai Restaurant and Bar. It is a nice sit down restaurant and the food was fantastic (compare to the resort). The one thing to remind people is that the restaurant is next to a river/creek (for which in Thailand can cause a lot of flies, bugs and etc) as well as the restaurant doesn’t accept Credit/Debit Card.
After wonderful late lunch, we grabbed a quick GRAB ride to one of the tourist attraction in Koh Samui – Big Buddha Temple. From the restaurant it was a 30-minute ride and the temple is located in the north east of the island. It was as usual extremely hot and humid in Koh Samui – after a quick picture and walk around the temple…… the wife and I decided to go back to the resort to enjoy the cool drinks/AC.
After a quick 3 hour nap in the cool AC of our room, we were ready for dinner. We actually been planning for this dinner for a while and liaised with my Ambassador as well as Tong (Butler) to schedule a private beach side dinner. On the day of the check-in Tong confirmed our date, time as well as the menu. The menu are as follows and it was a 4 course mean for 8,999 THB (which roughly translates to $295 USD) for two people. When we first arrived, it was beautifully decorated – I think picture probably speaks more volumes than I could…
Before the meal began, Tong as well as another server greeted us and presented us with today’s menu. Before the appetizer, we were brought hors d'oeuvre of vegetable wrap with light yogurt sauce.
For the appetizer, both the wife and I ordered the Seared Scallops with Fennel Puree, Braised Squid, Lobster Bisque Sauce with Crispy Prosciutto.
The scallops were perfectly cooked and overall the appetizer was excellent.
After the appetizer, we had our soup which was Roasted Forest Mushroom with Truffle Oil.
The soup was fantastic and was rich with truffle oil. It was perfectly seasoned and again… SO MUCH truffle oil.
For the main, the wife and I had a combination of – Australian Rib Eye, Tiger Prawn, Seabass and Porkchop.
In comparison to the seafood BBQ we had the previous night, the meat as well as the seafood were extremely fresh and perfectly cooked.
Both my wife and I aren’t a huge dessert fan but we did order both the dessert option and literally had 1 bite.
Overall the dinner was excellent and the pace between each course was perfect. Tong was extremely attentive and constantly checked on us. What a perfect way to end our second night in Koh Samui!
Jun 27, 2019, 11:16 am
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New York City
Programs: UA: 1K, Hyatt: Explorist and Marriott: LF Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,268
Vana Belle, a Luxury Collection Resort, Koh Samui (Day 3)
Another beautiful morning in Koh Samui!
On the 2nd day, the wife and I wanted to schedule a snorkeling tour around the islands of Koh Samui. However for the past couple of days the waves and the wind have been extremely strong. However, the wife and I decided to book a VIP (pun intended) snorkeling tour. A representative from the tour was present at hotel and we booked directly (luckily the cost of the trip will be put against the hotel bill thus extra SPG/Marriott points). The morning of the tour, we got confirmation that the weather has settled down but the waves and the winds were on the strong side. The tour group picked us up from the resort at 9:00 AM and we were on our way to the Pier. We made several stops in other hotels/resorts throughout the island but we arrived promptly at 9:30AM.
Once we arrived at the pier, it was a bit hectic. Since the pier was a gathering spot for other tour groups, we were assigned to obtain appropriate color wrist bands which indicated your appropriate destination. After a quick 15 – 20 minute, we finally headed to our boat. The boat held circa 30 – 40 individuals and we were soon headed to Koh Tao Island. Koh Tao Island is roughly circa 1.5 – 2 hour speed boat ride away from Koh Samui. The ride it self was extremely rocky and to say the least it was FAR away from VIP as one could imagine.
After a rocky 1.5 hour speedboat ride, we finally arrived at Northern part of the Koh Tao Island – Mango Bay. As part of the tour package – we were given snorkeling gear and given circa 1 hour to relax on the island. Mango Bay had restaurants and bars (not part of the tour package) or individuals could relax on the beach/island. The wife and I decided to snorkel for the hour.
After an hour or snorkeling we packed up and all had a quick lunch. The lunch was basic Thai lunch with appropriate meat, curry, rice and soup at a local restaurant on the south part of Koh Tao Island. The lunch was basic but it was fulfilling to say the least. After a quick 45 minute lunch, we were all headed to Koh Nang Yuan.
Koh Nang Yuan is a short 15-20 minute away from Koh Tao and its truly paradise. The enticing aquamarine waters, the white sand, and the picturesque rocks setting the perfect scene. The tour package included a 100 THB entrance fee and for reminders the island prohibits plastic water bottles (upon arrival). The island has one resort and one restaurant (the service is impeccable in the sense that if you don’t sit down and order the boss will yell at you – unless you were either European/American).
After 2 hours on the island and much of the same activity (e.g. snorkeling and relaxing on the island), we headed back to the boat and were on our way back to Koh Samui. Since the wind and waves were extremely strong, it was an extremely bumpy ride. After an 1.5 hour boat ride back and several bouncy waves – we were finally back to Koh Samui. For 2,500 TBH per person, the full day tour was a good deal. However, once I was on the island and started to compare the quality of the boat/accessories to other tour groups ours was little bit underwhelming to say the least. A quick conversation with other groups whom paid just 500 – 1000 more THB than what we did – I could have done a little more research but the convenience of just booking via the hotel was extremely easy.
We arrived at the resort at 5:30 PM and Tong invited the wife and I to Ambassador Drinks.
The drinks were excellent but a little kid was causing little bit of an issue (more to come on this front later in the night) – he was playing with a laser pan and using it to point at individuals. The hotel staff were excellent in treating the situation quietly and promptly.
After a long day of outdoor snorkeling, we just wanted a quick dinner thus we choice Kiree – a Thai restaurant within the resort. We ordered several dishes from the menu – however as previously stated the resort’s F&B was slightly underwhelming.
After a dinner we decided to relax in the home and our pool. However after couple hours after dinner that same kid whom was playing around with the laser pen started shooting his laser pen into our room several times. It actually hit my eye once as well as one of the hotel workers whom checked upon the status of our room. After several complaints to the hotel management whom went down to the restaurant to talk to the kids and his parents – it still didn’t work. Since it hit my eye, I decided to go down and talk to the parents to discuss the incident. I approached the Dad (whom was French and couldn’t speak English) to tell him about the situation (his daughter translated). I told him “Your son has been playing around shooting laser pen into our room and hit my eye as well as hotel staff – could you please don’t let your kid do it again”. I’m not sure how that got lost in translation but the Dad basically reached to his wallet and tried to give me some THB. Now that I slowly got pissed off and the hotel staff could see that – they tried to state that the kid has been running around and shooting lasers several times, but the parents wouldn’t have it. Basically said F*** you in French and left.
After the incident, the hotel staff and management continuously apologies for the incident for which I told “its not your fault that the parents cant control the kid – he was basically shipping wine and smoking while his 8 year old kid was running around in resort by himself”.
Funny thing is that I saw the same family in the morning for breakfast. While I was walking into the restaurant – he gave me the middle finger (for which the hotel restaurant manager saw as well) and asked if they act like that again, he will have to remove them from the restaurant.
The last night in Koh Samui was truly eventful but to be honest the hotel staff did an excellent job in trying to deal with the situation.
Overall: I would give 5 Stars to Vana Belle Resort. As an Ambassador - they were always aware of where I went throughout the resort and constantly asked me if I needed anything. Tong was excellent in providing local knowledge/tips as well as his attention to small details (e.g. my wife liked a certain Thai bar snack and Tong packed them for us prior to our flight to HK as well as he remembered that we love cheesecake, thus he brought cheese cake and glass of white wine to our room on our last night). Its always the little things and attention to detail that makes the stay memorable for which Vana Belle certainly excelled! My one thing to point to the resort is the F&B. I think the quality of the food & beverage can be massively improved since there are two types of people (in my opinion) - 1. Who only stay at the resort or 2. Who tend to adventure outside. If you are in the first category, the F&B within the resort can be slightly underwhelming in terms of the quality/quantity.
Another beautiful morning in Koh Samui!
On the 2nd day, the wife and I wanted to schedule a snorkeling tour around the islands of Koh Samui. However for the past couple of days the waves and the wind have been extremely strong. However, the wife and I decided to book a VIP (pun intended) snorkeling tour. A representative from the tour was present at hotel and we booked directly (luckily the cost of the trip will be put against the hotel bill thus extra SPG/Marriott points). The morning of the tour, we got confirmation that the weather has settled down but the waves and the winds were on the strong side. The tour group picked us up from the resort at 9:00 AM and we were on our way to the Pier. We made several stops in other hotels/resorts throughout the island but we arrived promptly at 9:30AM.
Once we arrived at the pier, it was a bit hectic. Since the pier was a gathering spot for other tour groups, we were assigned to obtain appropriate color wrist bands which indicated your appropriate destination. After a quick 15 – 20 minute, we finally headed to our boat. The boat held circa 30 – 40 individuals and we were soon headed to Koh Tao Island. Koh Tao Island is roughly circa 1.5 – 2 hour speed boat ride away from Koh Samui. The ride it self was extremely rocky and to say the least it was FAR away from VIP as one could imagine.
After a rocky 1.5 hour speedboat ride, we finally arrived at Northern part of the Koh Tao Island – Mango Bay. As part of the tour package – we were given snorkeling gear and given circa 1 hour to relax on the island. Mango Bay had restaurants and bars (not part of the tour package) or individuals could relax on the beach/island. The wife and I decided to snorkel for the hour.
After an hour or snorkeling we packed up and all had a quick lunch. The lunch was basic Thai lunch with appropriate meat, curry, rice and soup at a local restaurant on the south part of Koh Tao Island. The lunch was basic but it was fulfilling to say the least. After a quick 45 minute lunch, we were all headed to Koh Nang Yuan.
Koh Nang Yuan is a short 15-20 minute away from Koh Tao and its truly paradise. The enticing aquamarine waters, the white sand, and the picturesque rocks setting the perfect scene. The tour package included a 100 THB entrance fee and for reminders the island prohibits plastic water bottles (upon arrival). The island has one resort and one restaurant (the service is impeccable in the sense that if you don’t sit down and order the boss will yell at you – unless you were either European/American).
After 2 hours on the island and much of the same activity (e.g. snorkeling and relaxing on the island), we headed back to the boat and were on our way back to Koh Samui. Since the wind and waves were extremely strong, it was an extremely bumpy ride. After an 1.5 hour boat ride back and several bouncy waves – we were finally back to Koh Samui. For 2,500 TBH per person, the full day tour was a good deal. However, once I was on the island and started to compare the quality of the boat/accessories to other tour groups ours was little bit underwhelming to say the least. A quick conversation with other groups whom paid just 500 – 1000 more THB than what we did – I could have done a little more research but the convenience of just booking via the hotel was extremely easy.
We arrived at the resort at 5:30 PM and Tong invited the wife and I to Ambassador Drinks.
The drinks were excellent but a little kid was causing little bit of an issue (more to come on this front later in the night) – he was playing with a laser pan and using it to point at individuals. The hotel staff were excellent in treating the situation quietly and promptly.
After a long day of outdoor snorkeling, we just wanted a quick dinner thus we choice Kiree – a Thai restaurant within the resort. We ordered several dishes from the menu – however as previously stated the resort’s F&B was slightly underwhelming.
After a dinner we decided to relax in the home and our pool. However after couple hours after dinner that same kid whom was playing around with the laser pen started shooting his laser pen into our room several times. It actually hit my eye once as well as one of the hotel workers whom checked upon the status of our room. After several complaints to the hotel management whom went down to the restaurant to talk to the kids and his parents – it still didn’t work. Since it hit my eye, I decided to go down and talk to the parents to discuss the incident. I approached the Dad (whom was French and couldn’t speak English) to tell him about the situation (his daughter translated). I told him “Your son has been playing around shooting laser pen into our room and hit my eye as well as hotel staff – could you please don’t let your kid do it again”. I’m not sure how that got lost in translation but the Dad basically reached to his wallet and tried to give me some THB. Now that I slowly got pissed off and the hotel staff could see that – they tried to state that the kid has been running around and shooting lasers several times, but the parents wouldn’t have it. Basically said F*** you in French and left.
After the incident, the hotel staff and management continuously apologies for the incident for which I told “its not your fault that the parents cant control the kid – he was basically shipping wine and smoking while his 8 year old kid was running around in resort by himself”.
Funny thing is that I saw the same family in the morning for breakfast. While I was walking into the restaurant – he gave me the middle finger (for which the hotel restaurant manager saw as well) and asked if they act like that again, he will have to remove them from the restaurant.
The last night in Koh Samui was truly eventful but to be honest the hotel staff did an excellent job in trying to deal with the situation.
Overall: I would give 5 Stars to Vana Belle Resort. As an Ambassador - they were always aware of where I went throughout the resort and constantly asked me if I needed anything. Tong was excellent in providing local knowledge/tips as well as his attention to small details (e.g. my wife liked a certain Thai bar snack and Tong packed them for us prior to our flight to HK as well as he remembered that we love cheesecake, thus he brought cheese cake and glass of white wine to our room on our last night). Its always the little things and attention to detail that makes the stay memorable for which Vana Belle certainly excelled! My one thing to point to the resort is the F&B. I think the quality of the food & beverage can be massively improved since there are two types of people (in my opinion) - 1. Who only stay at the resort or 2. Who tend to adventure outside. If you are in the first category, the F&B within the resort can be slightly underwhelming in terms of the quality/quantity.
Last edited by LDNConsultant; Jun 27, 2019 at 12:27 pm
Jun 27, 2019, 11:38 am
#38
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New York City
Programs: UA: 1K, Hyatt: Explorist and Marriott: LF Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,268
Koh Samui Airport – Hong Kong International
Flight Number: PG 805
Flight Route: USM – HKG
Departure Time: 11:30 AM ICT
Take Off: 11:41 AM ICT
Landing: 03:13 PM HKT
Gate Arrival: 03:25 PM HKT
Aircraft: Airbus A319
Seat: 9D and 9E
After a brilliant stay at the Vana Belle Koh Samui, we arranged a hotel van to drop us off at Koh Samui International Airport.
The airport is extremely small, however we arrived at 10:30AM to check-in desk and there was a huge line. Koh Samui airport is a focus city for Bangkok Airways, thus a lot of passengers (circa 30 individuals) were in line to check in their luggage. Bangkok Airways provides 20kg of check-in luggage, since we had extra luggage due to honeymoon we had to pay extra. Bangkok Airways provides a simple table which highlights excess luggage rate which is indicative of your origin and destination zone. We paid $14 USD per KG and we were happily on our way to gate.
From the check-in counter, international gates are a short 5 minute walk. Post clearing immigration, we still had 20 minutes prior to boarding thus we relaxed Blue Ribbon Club Lounge (courtesy of Priority Pass). The lounge is nothing special but the cool AC was refreshing.
Nothing really exciting to report on flight but the seats were comfortable for a 3 hour flight.
We arrived in Hong Kong on time and with my E-Gate permission, I cleared immigration in 30 seconds (unlucky for my wife it took her a lot longer) and headed towards baggage claim to pick-up our luggage. Whenever I’m in Hong Kong, I always take the airport train since it conveniently drops me off at Kowloon Station and frankly the W Hotel. But with the amount of luggage, we decided to take Uber which was a quick 30 minute ride at circa $35 USD to the hotel.
Flight Number: PG 805
Flight Route: USM – HKG
Departure Time: 11:30 AM ICT
Take Off: 11:41 AM ICT
Landing: 03:13 PM HKT
Gate Arrival: 03:25 PM HKT
Aircraft: Airbus A319
Seat: 9D and 9E
After a brilliant stay at the Vana Belle Koh Samui, we arranged a hotel van to drop us off at Koh Samui International Airport.
The airport is extremely small, however we arrived at 10:30AM to check-in desk and there was a huge line. Koh Samui airport is a focus city for Bangkok Airways, thus a lot of passengers (circa 30 individuals) were in line to check in their luggage. Bangkok Airways provides 20kg of check-in luggage, since we had extra luggage due to honeymoon we had to pay extra. Bangkok Airways provides a simple table which highlights excess luggage rate which is indicative of your origin and destination zone. We paid $14 USD per KG and we were happily on our way to gate.
From the check-in counter, international gates are a short 5 minute walk. Post clearing immigration, we still had 20 minutes prior to boarding thus we relaxed Blue Ribbon Club Lounge (courtesy of Priority Pass). The lounge is nothing special but the cool AC was refreshing.
Nothing really exciting to report on flight but the seats were comfortable for a 3 hour flight.
We arrived in Hong Kong on time and with my E-Gate permission, I cleared immigration in 30 seconds (unlucky for my wife it took her a lot longer) and headed towards baggage claim to pick-up our luggage. Whenever I’m in Hong Kong, I always take the airport train since it conveniently drops me off at Kowloon Station and frankly the W Hotel. But with the amount of luggage, we decided to take Uber which was a quick 30 minute ride at circa $35 USD to the hotel.
Jun 27, 2019, 12:17 pm
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New York City
Programs: UA: 1K, Hyatt: Explorist and Marriott: LF Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,268
W Hotel, Hong Kong (Day 1)
For individuals who don’t know me very well, I spent a fair amount of time working and living in Hong Kong. During my time in London as a Consultant, I lived in Hong Kong and especially the W Hotel for 13 months. Subsequent business trips after, I’ve always stayed at the W Hong Kong. I was contemplating the Ritz Carlton just across the street, however without the ability to apply SNA as well as not providing breakfast benefits, I decided that the W Hong Kong was a better choice. Several days before the stay, I got a confirmation that my room has been upgraded.
The check-in was a breeze and the Hotel Manager came down personally to greet me and thanked me for staying in W Hong Kong. As an Ambassador - they presented me with a choice of the normal welcome amenity:
Main entrance
Small Bathroom on the left hand side of the main entrance
The living room area - which sadly we never used since we were always outside
Well stocked bar - the alcohol wasn't complementary but everything else was (the juice and snacks were taken off by the Front Desk during check out since it was our honeymoon)
Sofa/living room area with the view of Hong Kong harbor
Walk in Closet Area with a Dyson hair dryer (which my wife loved)
The 2nd small bathroom just across the closet area
Bedroom
Main Bathroom + Sink (with the usual Bliss products)
Tub as well as the shower
After quick photos around the room (prior to getting messy) – we took a quick break before heading to our dinner reservation.
After couple hours of rest and unpacking, we headed over to Mott 32 (link). Mott 32 is located in basement of the Standard Chartered Building in Central. I’ve been to this restaurant more than I can count but my wife was looking forward to this restaurant the most since her favorite thing to eat is probably Peking Duck. Mott 32 calls it self an “contemporary chinese” restaurant which focuses on Cantonese food but also injecting some Beijing/Szechuan dishes. They emphasize on the quality of the ingredient and they work extremely closely with farms/vendors to source local ingredients. As you can probably imagine, all of this comes at a price.
We had to pre-order the duck in advance. The ducks are air-dried in their custom oven before they are roasted. The total cooking time is well over 48 hours but the server asked it would probably take 45 minutes before it could be served.
We managed to order quite a bit:
The Whole Duck was presented prior to cutting
THE SKIN!!
How devine - it was served with white section of scallion as well as cucumber and sauces.
We were also impressed by the other details - like how the server would swirl the two dipping sauces together to form a beautiful circle.
The napa cabbage was brilliant - the flavors were subtle but the crisp provided by the wok fried japanese shrimp as well as the flavors from the XO sauce made the vegetable dish perfect side pairing for the duck.
After the meat/skin of the duck were devoured, they provided the crispy duck rack. It was lightly fried and sautéed around with salt and chili pepper.
I've been to Mott 32 numerous times and I've never had a "bad/horrible" meal. The price in comparison to other restaurants can quickly rack up, but if you are looking for one of the best Peking Duck restaurants in Hong Kong in an elegant setting/environment - I would say Mott 32 is the place to go. They are also famous for their Iberico Pork Charsiu BBQ (which is also excellent).
After an excellent meal, we grabbed a quick uber ride back to the hotel for night in of movies and champagne!
For individuals who don’t know me very well, I spent a fair amount of time working and living in Hong Kong. During my time in London as a Consultant, I lived in Hong Kong and especially the W Hotel for 13 months. Subsequent business trips after, I’ve always stayed at the W Hong Kong. I was contemplating the Ritz Carlton just across the street, however without the ability to apply SNA as well as not providing breakfast benefits, I decided that the W Hong Kong was a better choice. Several days before the stay, I got a confirmation that my room has been upgraded.
- Room booked: Wonderful Room, Non-Smoking, 1 King Bed
- Room received: Wow Suite, Skyline View, Corner Room, 1 King City View
The check-in was a breeze and the Hotel Manager came down personally to greet me and thanked me for staying in W Hong Kong. As an Ambassador - they presented me with a choice of the normal welcome amenity:
- 1,000 Point
- Breakfast at Kitchen
- Welcome Gift
Main entrance
Small Bathroom on the left hand side of the main entrance
The living room area - which sadly we never used since we were always outside
Well stocked bar - the alcohol wasn't complementary but everything else was (the juice and snacks were taken off by the Front Desk during check out since it was our honeymoon)
Sofa/living room area with the view of Hong Kong harbor
Walk in Closet Area with a Dyson hair dryer (which my wife loved)
The 2nd small bathroom just across the closet area
Bedroom
Main Bathroom + Sink (with the usual Bliss products)
Tub as well as the shower
After quick photos around the room (prior to getting messy) – we took a quick break before heading to our dinner reservation.
After couple hours of rest and unpacking, we headed over to Mott 32 (link). Mott 32 is located in basement of the Standard Chartered Building in Central. I’ve been to this restaurant more than I can count but my wife was looking forward to this restaurant the most since her favorite thing to eat is probably Peking Duck. Mott 32 calls it self an “contemporary chinese” restaurant which focuses on Cantonese food but also injecting some Beijing/Szechuan dishes. They emphasize on the quality of the ingredient and they work extremely closely with farms/vendors to source local ingredients. As you can probably imagine, all of this comes at a price.
We had to pre-order the duck in advance. The ducks are air-dried in their custom oven before they are roasted. The total cooking time is well over 48 hours but the server asked it would probably take 45 minutes before it could be served.
We managed to order quite a bit:
- Apple Wood Roasted 42 Days Peking Duck "Signature Mott 32 Cut"
- Peking Style Spicy Crispy Duck Rack (which uses the remaining meat and bone from the Peking Duck)
- Wok Fried Japanese Shrimp, Baby Beans, Napa Cabbage, XO Sauce
- Bottle of Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc 2015
The Whole Duck was presented prior to cutting
THE SKIN!!
How devine - it was served with white section of scallion as well as cucumber and sauces.
We were also impressed by the other details - like how the server would swirl the two dipping sauces together to form a beautiful circle.
The napa cabbage was brilliant - the flavors were subtle but the crisp provided by the wok fried japanese shrimp as well as the flavors from the XO sauce made the vegetable dish perfect side pairing for the duck.
After the meat/skin of the duck were devoured, they provided the crispy duck rack. It was lightly fried and sautéed around with salt and chili pepper.
I've been to Mott 32 numerous times and I've never had a "bad/horrible" meal. The price in comparison to other restaurants can quickly rack up, but if you are looking for one of the best Peking Duck restaurants in Hong Kong in an elegant setting/environment - I would say Mott 32 is the place to go. They are also famous for their Iberico Pork Charsiu BBQ (which is also excellent).
After an excellent meal, we grabbed a quick uber ride back to the hotel for night in of movies and champagne!
Last edited by LDNConsultant; Jun 27, 2019 at 5:35 pm
Jun 28, 2019, 6:58 am
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New York City
Programs: UA: 1K, Hyatt: Explorist and Marriott: LF Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,268
W Hotel, Hong Kong (Day 2)
Another 6AM wakeup call due to jet lag is such a pain – but I love the gym at the W Hotel. The FIT Gym is located on the 73rd Floor and at 6 AM its extremely quiet. After a quick 45 minute cardio as well as a shower/steam, I was refreshed and ready for BREAKFAST!
Breakfast is served in the KITCHEN and contains a wide variety of cuisine (e.g. Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Western and etc). Kitchen is located on 6th floor just slightly behind the set of elevators and you will have an excellent view of Hong Kong harbor. I love hotel breakfast in Asia due to the wide variety as well as the quality.
Dim Sum Corner as well as noodles
Noodle Bar
Condiments for Chinese Congee
Yogurt
Little bit of Japanese
Little bit of Japanese
Weestern
Bread Section
Bread Section
Bread Section
Freshly pressed juice - my personal favorite is the Mango!
Indian
Chinese
Chinese
Salad
Fruit
After breakfast, wife and I took a couple hours of just relaxing at the hotel and met my friend at Upper House Level 49 Café Gray for brunch. With my education in the UK as well as living in Hong Kong for 13 months, I’m extremely fortunate to have numerous friends from university and work living and residing in Hong Kong.
Café Gray is a contemporary European restaurant with a great view of Hong Kong.
We ordered:
The food wasn’t amazing but the view that you have from the restaurant is unbeatable.
After a quick brunch, we took an uber up to the VIctoria Peak. There are several ways to get Peak and one is taking the Peak Tram but with 3 individuals Uber ended up being cheaper and a lot quicker. After we reached Peak Tower, we took a quick walk around and snapped some photos.
Victoria Peak - sadly its always filled with tourists
After a quick tour, another uber right down to PMQ. PMQ was formally a Hong Kong Police residential building and now contains local shops and restaurants.
A short walk away from PMQ was my favorite egg tart bakery – Tai Cheong. The egg tarts are to die for – the pastry is buttery and flaky and the inside is warm and creamy!
My wife's hand
With all the walking around – we became extremely hungry and decided to hit one restaurant that I ALWAYS end up going to Hong Kong – Under Bridge Spicy Crab in Wan Chai. Their specialty is their spicy crab which can be around $700 HKD or $100 USD (depending on the weight). The crab they serve here is similar to Singaporean Chili Crab. We went little bit overboard and ordered:
The fried garlic and green onion is salty and perfectly pairs with rice and/or a bottle of beer!
The manila clam was extremely fresh and was stir fried with black bean sauce and a bit of pepper.
The water spinach is probably my go-to chinese vegetable dish. The crunchiness of the water spinach adds perfect texture and it was perfectly stir fried with garlic.
The steamed razor clams were extremely fresh and flavorful. They topped it off with chopped garlic, scallion and glass noodles with a bit of cooking wine + soy sauce.
Lastly the Crispy Belly Pork is my go-to Chinese BBQ. It’s the belly of the pork and the skin is perfectly dried and crispy and goes excellent with beer.
All of this cost circa $900 HKD and/or $120 USD. We arrived at the restaurant at 6PM and the restaurant wasn’t at full capacity. We left at 7:30PM and the a huge line started to form outside the restaurant. So please go early!
With our stomach full and happy - we bid our goodbye to our friend and headed back to hotel. All day of walking around Hong Kong (even in March) was a bit exhausting and needed shower/clean up before our night drinks at the Ozone at 12AM!
Another 6AM wakeup call due to jet lag is such a pain – but I love the gym at the W Hotel. The FIT Gym is located on the 73rd Floor and at 6 AM its extremely quiet. After a quick 45 minute cardio as well as a shower/steam, I was refreshed and ready for BREAKFAST!
Breakfast is served in the KITCHEN and contains a wide variety of cuisine (e.g. Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Western and etc). Kitchen is located on 6th floor just slightly behind the set of elevators and you will have an excellent view of Hong Kong harbor. I love hotel breakfast in Asia due to the wide variety as well as the quality.
Dim Sum Corner as well as noodles
Noodle Bar
Condiments for Chinese Congee
Yogurt
Little bit of Japanese
Little bit of Japanese
Weestern
Bread Section
Bread Section
Bread Section
Freshly pressed juice - my personal favorite is the Mango!
Indian
Chinese
Chinese
Salad
Fruit
After breakfast, wife and I took a couple hours of just relaxing at the hotel and met my friend at Upper House Level 49 Café Gray for brunch. With my education in the UK as well as living in Hong Kong for 13 months, I’m extremely fortunate to have numerous friends from university and work living and residing in Hong Kong.
Café Gray is a contemporary European restaurant with a great view of Hong Kong.
We ordered:
- Pesto Parpardelle Bolognese
- Grilled Red Snapper, Rutabaga, Avruga
- Garganelli with Prawn, Scallop, Clams and Baby Squid
The food wasn’t amazing but the view that you have from the restaurant is unbeatable.
After a quick brunch, we took an uber up to the VIctoria Peak. There are several ways to get Peak and one is taking the Peak Tram but with 3 individuals Uber ended up being cheaper and a lot quicker. After we reached Peak Tower, we took a quick walk around and snapped some photos.
Victoria Peak - sadly its always filled with tourists
After a quick tour, another uber right down to PMQ. PMQ was formally a Hong Kong Police residential building and now contains local shops and restaurants.
A short walk away from PMQ was my favorite egg tart bakery – Tai Cheong. The egg tarts are to die for – the pastry is buttery and flaky and the inside is warm and creamy!
My wife's hand
With all the walking around – we became extremely hungry and decided to hit one restaurant that I ALWAYS end up going to Hong Kong – Under Bridge Spicy Crab in Wan Chai. Their specialty is their spicy crab which can be around $700 HKD or $100 USD (depending on the weight). The crab they serve here is similar to Singaporean Chili Crab. We went little bit overboard and ordered:
- Large Crab
- Chinese Crispy Belly Pork
- Manila Clams
- Water Spinach
- Steamed Razor Clam
The fried garlic and green onion is salty and perfectly pairs with rice and/or a bottle of beer!
The manila clam was extremely fresh and was stir fried with black bean sauce and a bit of pepper.
The water spinach is probably my go-to chinese vegetable dish. The crunchiness of the water spinach adds perfect texture and it was perfectly stir fried with garlic.
The steamed razor clams were extremely fresh and flavorful. They topped it off with chopped garlic, scallion and glass noodles with a bit of cooking wine + soy sauce.
Lastly the Crispy Belly Pork is my go-to Chinese BBQ. It’s the belly of the pork and the skin is perfectly dried and crispy and goes excellent with beer.
All of this cost circa $900 HKD and/or $120 USD. We arrived at the restaurant at 6PM and the restaurant wasn’t at full capacity. We left at 7:30PM and the a huge line started to form outside the restaurant. So please go early!
With our stomach full and happy - we bid our goodbye to our friend and headed back to hotel. All day of walking around Hong Kong (even in March) was a bit exhausting and needed shower/clean up before our night drinks at the Ozone at 12AM!
Jun 28, 2019, 7:26 pm
#41
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New York City
Programs: UA: 1K, Hyatt: Explorist and Marriott: LF Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,268
W Hotel, Hong Kong (Day 3)
Well this is technically continuation from Day 2 but after dinner, the wife and I took some time to freshen up at the hotel prior to going to Ozone at the Ritz Carlton.
The Ozone Bar sits on 118th Floor of the Ritz Carlton Hotel at the ICC Tower in Hong Kong. Its claim to fame is “world’s highest bar in the world”. The entrance to Ozone from the W Hotel is extremely easy – you will have to walk up a set of escalators and pass all my favorite watch shops (e.g. Vacheron Constatin and Piaget) and you will be at the Ground Floor of the ICC Tower. From there you will take a set of elevators up to the main lobby level of the Ritz Carlton which is on 103rd Floor. On that floor you will find the Ozone Elevator and prior to entrance – a Concierge will check for availability. Luckily we had the W Hotel reserve a table for us (but on Saturday night – some people/party without reservation were being turned away).
Once you leave the elevator – you will be welcomed to the Ozone hallway which contains curtains hanging over brilliant granite floors with ambient lighting leads you to the check-in desk. There was plenty of tables both inside and outside on the rooftop terrace but it was shockingly absolutely full at 12AM.
The view from the Ozone is amazing but it’s a difficult place to take photograph of the island due to the glare/reflection from the window. But if you want a quiet place to enjoy drinks and ave a beautiful view of Hong Kong Island – Ozone is the place to go!
Bar Area in Ozone
View from 118th Floor of Ozone
I have no clue what we ordered to be honest...
After a quick drink and running into my high school friends from California – the wife and I headed back to the hotel. Once again I was ridden with jetlag and that means only one thing – hitting the GYM. After having a light breakfast of just wonton noodles and dimsum – we decided to do some shopping around Pacific Place before our final destination – Dubai. My wife went a little overboard with Hermes/Dior – a happy wife = happy marriage/home.
After couple hours of walking around and shopping – once gets naturally hungry. We realized that we haven’t had dimsum in Hong Kong so we decided to go to Lei Garden (recommended by my wife’s friend). In all honesty, Lei Garden would be the last place I would go for dimsum but due to sheer convenience of being located in Pacific Place, I decided to give it a try! Weekend and especially around 11AM is prime DIMSUM time in Hong Kong and I was shocked that we were seated immediately. With just a light breakfast the wife and I went little bit overboard and ordered circa 12 dishes.
Getting myself ready and warming my stomach with tea
The Classic - Har Gow: Shrimp dumpling and this dish will often make or break a dimsum chef's reputation. I guess the dimsum chef at Lei Garden was ok since I've had much better at local restaurants in HK - the skin stuck to the paper (which indicated it was left in the cooker for a while and the shrimp was extremely overcooked.
The Classic - Siu Mai: Its a classic dimsum dish and this one was fantastic. The pork was flavorful and the shrimp fresh. No chewiness and/or smell from the pork/shrimp - which indicated that it was freshly made.
Shrimp Cheung Fun: Its a thin crepe roll made of rice noodles filled with shrimp and served with a sweet soy sauce
My personal favorite - crispy belly pork.
My wife's favorite the Xiao Long Bao (XLB): Often known soup dumpling - it was packed with pork broth!
Not sure what the exact name is but its bean curd wrapped with meat and vegetable and deep fried. It was fantasti!
You need to have your vegetables!
Roast Duck!
The meal roughly came to around $900 HKD or $115 USD. Since it was at Pacific Place and at Lei Garden the price was standard and expected in Hong Kong. However, if I had a choice I would have gone to other restaurants (hell even Din Tai Fung or Tim Ho Wan would have been much better) - but like I said a happy wife = happy marriage. My wife enjoyed everything so I guess this was a good meal!
After lunch, we went back to the hotel and started to pack. Since we had the WOW Suite, they offered a late check out of 4PM which let 9 hours before our flight to Dubai. Luckily I was at my favorite airport in the world - Hong Kong International so had plenty of time/opportunity to lounge hop!
We could have taken airport express to Hong Kong airport and could have used the City Check In, however since this is my wife's first business/first class experience - we decided to use the First Class Counter at HKG.
Overall: The W Hong Kong provides luxury stay in Hong Kong away from the hustle and bustle of the island. I used to love this hotel and spent a fair amount of my time, however as I grow older - the glitch and flair of the W Hotel Brand seems to have lost its lust. Its dark corridors and loud environment might have been great for individuals in their 20s, however I've grown extremely fond of the luxury collection!
Well this is technically continuation from Day 2 but after dinner, the wife and I took some time to freshen up at the hotel prior to going to Ozone at the Ritz Carlton.
The Ozone Bar sits on 118th Floor of the Ritz Carlton Hotel at the ICC Tower in Hong Kong. Its claim to fame is “world’s highest bar in the world”. The entrance to Ozone from the W Hotel is extremely easy – you will have to walk up a set of escalators and pass all my favorite watch shops (e.g. Vacheron Constatin and Piaget) and you will be at the Ground Floor of the ICC Tower. From there you will take a set of elevators up to the main lobby level of the Ritz Carlton which is on 103rd Floor. On that floor you will find the Ozone Elevator and prior to entrance – a Concierge will check for availability. Luckily we had the W Hotel reserve a table for us (but on Saturday night – some people/party without reservation were being turned away).
Once you leave the elevator – you will be welcomed to the Ozone hallway which contains curtains hanging over brilliant granite floors with ambient lighting leads you to the check-in desk. There was plenty of tables both inside and outside on the rooftop terrace but it was shockingly absolutely full at 12AM.
The view from the Ozone is amazing but it’s a difficult place to take photograph of the island due to the glare/reflection from the window. But if you want a quiet place to enjoy drinks and ave a beautiful view of Hong Kong Island – Ozone is the place to go!
Bar Area in Ozone
View from 118th Floor of Ozone
I have no clue what we ordered to be honest...
After a quick drink and running into my high school friends from California – the wife and I headed back to the hotel. Once again I was ridden with jetlag and that means only one thing – hitting the GYM. After having a light breakfast of just wonton noodles and dimsum – we decided to do some shopping around Pacific Place before our final destination – Dubai. My wife went a little overboard with Hermes/Dior – a happy wife = happy marriage/home.
After couple hours of walking around and shopping – once gets naturally hungry. We realized that we haven’t had dimsum in Hong Kong so we decided to go to Lei Garden (recommended by my wife’s friend). In all honesty, Lei Garden would be the last place I would go for dimsum but due to sheer convenience of being located in Pacific Place, I decided to give it a try! Weekend and especially around 11AM is prime DIMSUM time in Hong Kong and I was shocked that we were seated immediately. With just a light breakfast the wife and I went little bit overboard and ordered circa 12 dishes.
Getting myself ready and warming my stomach with tea
The Classic - Har Gow: Shrimp dumpling and this dish will often make or break a dimsum chef's reputation. I guess the dimsum chef at Lei Garden was ok since I've had much better at local restaurants in HK - the skin stuck to the paper (which indicated it was left in the cooker for a while and the shrimp was extremely overcooked.
The Classic - Siu Mai: Its a classic dimsum dish and this one was fantastic. The pork was flavorful and the shrimp fresh. No chewiness and/or smell from the pork/shrimp - which indicated that it was freshly made.
Shrimp Cheung Fun: Its a thin crepe roll made of rice noodles filled with shrimp and served with a sweet soy sauce
My personal favorite - crispy belly pork.
My wife's favorite the Xiao Long Bao (XLB): Often known soup dumpling - it was packed with pork broth!
Not sure what the exact name is but its bean curd wrapped with meat and vegetable and deep fried. It was fantasti!
You need to have your vegetables!
Roast Duck!
The meal roughly came to around $900 HKD or $115 USD. Since it was at Pacific Place and at Lei Garden the price was standard and expected in Hong Kong. However, if I had a choice I would have gone to other restaurants (hell even Din Tai Fung or Tim Ho Wan would have been much better) - but like I said a happy wife = happy marriage. My wife enjoyed everything so I guess this was a good meal!
After lunch, we went back to the hotel and started to pack. Since we had the WOW Suite, they offered a late check out of 4PM which let 9 hours before our flight to Dubai. Luckily I was at my favorite airport in the world - Hong Kong International so had plenty of time/opportunity to lounge hop!
We could have taken airport express to Hong Kong airport and could have used the City Check In, however since this is my wife's first business/first class experience - we decided to use the First Class Counter at HKG.
Overall: The W Hong Kong provides luxury stay in Hong Kong away from the hustle and bustle of the island. I used to love this hotel and spent a fair amount of my time, however as I grow older - the glitch and flair of the W Hotel Brand seems to have lost its lust. Its dark corridors and loud environment might have been great for individuals in their 20s, however I've grown extremely fond of the luxury collection!
Last edited by LDNConsultant; Jun 28, 2019 at 7:33 pm
Jul 3, 2019, 4:54 am
#42
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: TG*G LH*G Marriott Gold
Posts: 2
Thanks for the detailed trip report. The Vana Belle is way more expensive than many other hotels on Ko Samui offering similar accommodation and service level. I understand it's mostly booked through the Marriott rewards program and very few guests pay hard cash for the rooms there. Since you actually paid cash, would renting a private pool villa through Airbnb not have been a vastly more economic option ?
Jul 3, 2019, 10:03 am
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New York City
Programs: UA: 1K, Hyatt: Explorist and Marriott: LF Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,268
Thanks for the detailed trip report. The Vana Belle is way more expensive than many other hotels on Ko Samui offering similar accommodation and service level. I understand it's mostly booked through the Marriott rewards program and very few guests pay hard cash for the rooms there. Since you actually paid cash, would renting a private pool villa through Airbnb not have been a vastly more economic option ?
Hopefully you are enjoying the TR!
Jul 3, 2019, 2:25 pm
#44
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New York City
Programs: UA: 1K, Hyatt: Explorist and Marriott: LF Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,268
Hong Kong Airport
After shopping and packing up, we had to check out at around 4PM from W Hong Kong. Due to the amount of luggage, instead of going down to -1 Floor for the City Check In, we decided to call an uber to the airport. The minivan was sufficient for all our luggage and we were on our way to the airport. Since we left at 4PM on a Sunday, the traffic was very light/minimal at best and we arrived at the airport at around 4:30PM.
Compare to Incheon Airport with no priority security and weak (massive understatement) lounges, Hong Kong has often been rated very highly amongst frequently travelled individuals. For First Class travellers and OneWorld Emerald status holders have access to a dedicated First Class Check In at Hong Kong Airport. Cathay Pacific’s First Class Check-In is located on the left side of the terminal and consists of multiple two sided kiosks. Unlike traditional First Class Check-In Areas (e.g. British Airways LHR T5/Qatar DOH Check In Area) – it’s a more of a face to face check-in. As I walked to the First Class Check-In, an agent quickly came and grabbed my filled luggage trolly. The check-in was extremely quick and efficient
First Class Check-In Counter
Ready to Go!!
My one major complaint is that HKG lacks premium security/immigration queues, however unlike ICN – the lines were extremely quick and I finished security in 5 minutes. Since my South Korean passport allows for e-gate access, I cleared immigration in less than 30 seconds and I was ready to “lounge hop”. The concept of lounge hopping was extremely new to my wife – the sheer thought of “hopping” between lounge was unheard of and rather stupid in her opinion.
We headed straight to the Wing First Class Lounge. The Wing is one of two Flagship lounges in Hong Kong and its conveniently located just after security near Gate 1 – 4. Compare to the Pier (which is located a level below departures), the Wing is an open ceiling lounge that overlooks the terminal concourse. In many people’s opinion, the Pier’s reputation far exceeds that of the Wing – however, I tend to disagree. The Wing has good amount of view/light (due to the open ceiling) and the seating area is much more spacious in comparison to the Pier. However, the Private Cabana is one element that truly sets the Wing apart from other lounges in Hong Kong. Once I entered the Wing, I immediately went to reserve the Private Cabana and was told that there was 3 groups before me – which is fine, I’m in HKG for another 8 hours! Since it was almost 5 PM, we headed straight for the “The Haven” – which is a dining room which offers a la carte and buffet dining.
There has been numerous articles in regards to Sodexo’s current offering in HKG Lounges – I’ve been a frequent traveller to HKG since 2013 and I’ve seen the ups and downs. The pictures will speak for it self, but its quite sad (actually borderline depressing) to see the quality of the food offering in the Wing.
The a la carte menu at the Wing
Buffet Area
Buffet Area
Buffet Area
Buffet Area
Buffet Area
Buffet Area
After a quick look around the buffet area in which I saw couple small flies – we declined to sit down and headed to the Champagne Bar area for some bubbly. My wife gets extremely agitated – actually let me rephrase – hostile when she gets hungry. I have to schedule transit/minimize movement when I’m with her to ensure that she is in a comfortable surrounding with plenty of food/drink. But today was different – it was almost dinner time and she wasn’t complaining (a truly rare situation). To much my surprise – she actually purchased some dimsum at Jade Garden shortly after check-in and started to eat at the Lounge. Prior to the trip, she also started to review numerous trip reports in regards to the Pier/Wing and its downward spiral in their food offering/quality – thus she prepared her self for the worst and packed her own food (GOOD FOR YOU SWEETIE – YOU ARE FINALLY LEARNING! Now if you can remember which credit card to use at Grocery/Travel then we will be 100%!)
While my wife is eating, I had a quick walk around the Wing
Champagne
The Bar - there is a dedicated server behind whom will make you a drink
The seating area
Snacks
Tea
Snacks
After charging our phones and our belly for champagne – we got a ring starting that our private Cabanas were ready!
In comparison to other private shower facilities (e.g. Terminal 5 Concorde Room, Lufthansa First Class Terminal and others) – The Private Cabana in the Wing is extremely spacious and almost has a zen like feel to the outlay/design. If you fancy a shower you have a choice of three shower heads (1. Hand Held, 2. Rainfall Shower, 3. Waterfall style) as well as a huge bathtub. We told one of the agents that we were celebrating our honeymoon and they allowed us to bring a fresh bottle of champagne and glass into the cabana for us to enjoy!
Additionally, you have a day bed for your use as well as Jurlique bath products at your disposal. The nice feature about the Cabana is that the wardrobe allows for individuals to press your clothes (at your request). The clothes are returned to you in around 20 minutes and it’s a wonderful feature in which a lot of lounges should have!
After three hours of naps/baths/showers and just bumming around in the cabana, my wife’s hunger finally got to her and we decided to lounge hop to the Pier.
In comparison to the Wing, The First Class Pier is located a level below departure near Gate 63.
We were promptly greeted when we left the escalator and the agents welcomed us after reviewing the boarding pass. After check-in area, you will see a large wooden table that splits the lounge.
The “Pantry” area has light snacks and drinks and at the end of the wooden table was the entrance to the bar.
Snacks and Drinks at the Pantry
Snacks and Drinks at the Pantry
Snacks and Drinks at the Pantry
Snacks and Drinks at the Pantry
The bar area was quite empty (since we entered at 9PM) but otherwise it was quite relaxing and had a low-key feel.
To the right of the wooden table – the “Library” was present. The “Library” was a large seating area with plush chairs and had plenty of seating areas for that time.
Down the hallway is the “Retreat” which provides first come first serve massage services. My friend whom is a 1 MIL CX flyer states that “workers often hide their timetable and/or often say they are fully booked so that they won’t have to take on additional massage services” – this seemed little bit off for a First Class Lounge. However, when my wife and I tried to book the massage service, the lady’s first response (in like 2 seconds) was that the it was full. However, after having a quick look at the schedule (written on a sheet of paper) and noticing an empty slot at 11PM, the Manager agreed to take us. As a visitor you can book:
After booking the massage, we headed the Dining Room. The Dining Room had around 12-13 tables occupied and the servers did a good job for spacing out groups as well as taking orders/requests.
The Dining Room
Main Menu
Drinks Menu
The server brought us the menu and water. After having a quick look, the server took our order. We managed to order
The Dan Dan Mien shortly arrived but the serving size was similar to the Business Class Lounge noodle bar but it was quite tasty. The burger was nicely cooked and my wife enjoyed it very much.
The Chili Sesame Prawns and Fried Tofu was nicely presented but was small.
Overall: Having a quick conversation with my friend as well as experiencing both the Wing and the Pier, the quality and the service went down tremendously in comparison to just 2-3 years ago… Its quite disappointing for Cathay’s Flagship Lounge in its Hub City to allow its food/services to go down hill (but it is what it is)…. Maybe next time I will go try the AMEX Centurion Lounge!
After a quick massage and relaxing till about 01:00 AM, my wife and I headed over to our gate.
After shopping and packing up, we had to check out at around 4PM from W Hong Kong. Due to the amount of luggage, instead of going down to -1 Floor for the City Check In, we decided to call an uber to the airport. The minivan was sufficient for all our luggage and we were on our way to the airport. Since we left at 4PM on a Sunday, the traffic was very light/minimal at best and we arrived at the airport at around 4:30PM.
Compare to Incheon Airport with no priority security and weak (massive understatement) lounges, Hong Kong has often been rated very highly amongst frequently travelled individuals. For First Class travellers and OneWorld Emerald status holders have access to a dedicated First Class Check In at Hong Kong Airport. Cathay Pacific’s First Class Check-In is located on the left side of the terminal and consists of multiple two sided kiosks. Unlike traditional First Class Check-In Areas (e.g. British Airways LHR T5/Qatar DOH Check In Area) – it’s a more of a face to face check-in. As I walked to the First Class Check-In, an agent quickly came and grabbed my filled luggage trolly. The check-in was extremely quick and efficient
First Class Check-In Counter
Ready to Go!!
My one major complaint is that HKG lacks premium security/immigration queues, however unlike ICN – the lines were extremely quick and I finished security in 5 minutes. Since my South Korean passport allows for e-gate access, I cleared immigration in less than 30 seconds and I was ready to “lounge hop”. The concept of lounge hopping was extremely new to my wife – the sheer thought of “hopping” between lounge was unheard of and rather stupid in her opinion.
We headed straight to the Wing First Class Lounge. The Wing is one of two Flagship lounges in Hong Kong and its conveniently located just after security near Gate 1 – 4. Compare to the Pier (which is located a level below departures), the Wing is an open ceiling lounge that overlooks the terminal concourse. In many people’s opinion, the Pier’s reputation far exceeds that of the Wing – however, I tend to disagree. The Wing has good amount of view/light (due to the open ceiling) and the seating area is much more spacious in comparison to the Pier. However, the Private Cabana is one element that truly sets the Wing apart from other lounges in Hong Kong. Once I entered the Wing, I immediately went to reserve the Private Cabana and was told that there was 3 groups before me – which is fine, I’m in HKG for another 8 hours! Since it was almost 5 PM, we headed straight for the “The Haven” – which is a dining room which offers a la carte and buffet dining.
There has been numerous articles in regards to Sodexo’s current offering in HKG Lounges – I’ve been a frequent traveller to HKG since 2013 and I’ve seen the ups and downs. The pictures will speak for it self, but its quite sad (actually borderline depressing) to see the quality of the food offering in the Wing.
The a la carte menu at the Wing
Buffet Area
Buffet Area
Buffet Area
Buffet Area
Buffet Area
Buffet Area
After a quick look around the buffet area in which I saw couple small flies – we declined to sit down and headed to the Champagne Bar area for some bubbly. My wife gets extremely agitated – actually let me rephrase – hostile when she gets hungry. I have to schedule transit/minimize movement when I’m with her to ensure that she is in a comfortable surrounding with plenty of food/drink. But today was different – it was almost dinner time and she wasn’t complaining (a truly rare situation). To much my surprise – she actually purchased some dimsum at Jade Garden shortly after check-in and started to eat at the Lounge. Prior to the trip, she also started to review numerous trip reports in regards to the Pier/Wing and its downward spiral in their food offering/quality – thus she prepared her self for the worst and packed her own food (GOOD FOR YOU SWEETIE – YOU ARE FINALLY LEARNING! Now if you can remember which credit card to use at Grocery/Travel then we will be 100%!)
While my wife is eating, I had a quick walk around the Wing
Champagne
The Bar - there is a dedicated server behind whom will make you a drink
The seating area
Snacks
Tea
Snacks
After charging our phones and our belly for champagne – we got a ring starting that our private Cabanas were ready!
In comparison to other private shower facilities (e.g. Terminal 5 Concorde Room, Lufthansa First Class Terminal and others) – The Private Cabana in the Wing is extremely spacious and almost has a zen like feel to the outlay/design. If you fancy a shower you have a choice of three shower heads (1. Hand Held, 2. Rainfall Shower, 3. Waterfall style) as well as a huge bathtub. We told one of the agents that we were celebrating our honeymoon and they allowed us to bring a fresh bottle of champagne and glass into the cabana for us to enjoy!
Additionally, you have a day bed for your use as well as Jurlique bath products at your disposal. The nice feature about the Cabana is that the wardrobe allows for individuals to press your clothes (at your request). The clothes are returned to you in around 20 minutes and it’s a wonderful feature in which a lot of lounges should have!
After three hours of naps/baths/showers and just bumming around in the cabana, my wife’s hunger finally got to her and we decided to lounge hop to the Pier.
In comparison to the Wing, The First Class Pier is located a level below departure near Gate 63.
We were promptly greeted when we left the escalator and the agents welcomed us after reviewing the boarding pass. After check-in area, you will see a large wooden table that splits the lounge.
The “Pantry” area has light snacks and drinks and at the end of the wooden table was the entrance to the bar.
Snacks and Drinks at the Pantry
Snacks and Drinks at the Pantry
Snacks and Drinks at the Pantry
Snacks and Drinks at the Pantry
The bar area was quite empty (since we entered at 9PM) but otherwise it was quite relaxing and had a low-key feel.
To the right of the wooden table – the “Library” was present. The “Library” was a large seating area with plush chairs and had plenty of seating areas for that time.
Down the hallway is the “Retreat” which provides first come first serve massage services. My friend whom is a 1 MIL CX flyer states that “workers often hide their timetable and/or often say they are fully booked so that they won’t have to take on additional massage services” – this seemed little bit off for a First Class Lounge. However, when my wife and I tried to book the massage service, the lady’s first response (in like 2 seconds) was that the it was full. However, after having a quick look at the schedule (written on a sheet of paper) and noticing an empty slot at 11PM, the Manager agreed to take us. As a visitor you can book:
- Signature Gentlemen Tonic Foot Massage
- Reinvigorating neck, shoulder, scalp massage
- Signature Gentlemen Tonic Eye Revitalizer
After booking the massage, we headed the Dining Room. The Dining Room had around 12-13 tables occupied and the servers did a good job for spacing out groups as well as taking orders/requests.
The Dining Room
Main Menu
Drinks Menu
The server brought us the menu and water. After having a quick look, the server took our order. We managed to order
- Chili Sesame Prawns and Fried Tofu
- Spinach and Ricotta Cheese Ravioli
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Dan Dan Mien
- Wagyu Beef Cheese Burger
The Dan Dan Mien shortly arrived but the serving size was similar to the Business Class Lounge noodle bar but it was quite tasty. The burger was nicely cooked and my wife enjoyed it very much.
The Chili Sesame Prawns and Fried Tofu was nicely presented but was small.
Overall: Having a quick conversation with my friend as well as experiencing both the Wing and the Pier, the quality and the service went down tremendously in comparison to just 2-3 years ago… Its quite disappointing for Cathay’s Flagship Lounge in its Hub City to allow its food/services to go down hill (but it is what it is)…. Maybe next time I will go try the AMEX Centurion Lounge!
After a quick massage and relaxing till about 01:00 AM, my wife and I headed over to our gate.
Jul 3, 2019, 3:00 pm
#45
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New York City
Programs: UA: 1K, Hyatt: Explorist and Marriott: LF Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,268
Hong Kong - Dubai
Flight Number: CX 745
Flight Route: HKG - DXB
Departure Time: 01:25 AM HKT
Take Off: 01:40 AM HKT
Landing: 05:46 AM GST
Gate Arrival: 06:06 AM GST
Aircraft: Airbus 330-300
Seat: 20K and 21K
We quickly boarded and were extremely tired but excited for Dubai! The A330-300 and especially the business seats felt like home. Last year, I was fortunate to fly to HYD via HKG twice a month and the A330 graciousfully took my to HYD. The Seat 20A is quite unique since this was located on the smaller business section and due to the bulk head seat (the front of the seat was a closet storage area) and it provided a larger foot stool.
The seat: Bottle of water and blankets were present
My foot stool
Marvelous India!
Once seated I switched into my pj and was presented with towel, menu and amenity kit. The nice bit about being OneWorld Emerald Member was that the FA greeted me by my name and was pleasant. The one thing to note is that CX FA are quite pleasant and always addressed me by my name and went out of the way for myself... and not my WIFE (which caused her to be little bit pissed).
Towel Size
Priority Immigration Pass at DXB
Amenity Kit
Amenity Kit: Jurlique amenity kit
Dining Menu
Dining Menu
Dining Menu
Dining Menu
Television
Headset
The Control
Since this was a 1AM flight, I took sleeping pills and asked the FA to wake me up for breakfast. After having a look at the breakfast menu, I asked if I could have the Chinese Dish (Steam Halibut) for which the FA was more than happy to provide. They woke me up 90 minutes prior to landing and provided my breakfast.
Breakfast - Chinese + hummus which was pleasant. The Fish was flavorful and the chili sauce went very well
My wife had a croissant, fruit and coffee but it took them 30 minutes to provide my wife with breakfast. As any married male would know.... unhappy wife = stressed out husband. For CX to not provide a business class passenger with basic bread/fruit/coffee for 30 minutes was unheard off as well as annoying. They went over and beyond for me but not providing the same level of service to my wife was a little bit disappointing.
Overall: The flight itself was quite normal. As a red-eye flight, sleep was the most important factor for me. The seat was wide and comfy enough and the cabin was very cool - thus I slept very comfortably. The service for me at least was attentive as well as friendly. For people whom will fly the A330 I will highly recommend Seat 20K due to wider foot seat as well as the seat being in a quieter business class cabin - you will better service.
Flight Number: CX 745
Flight Route: HKG - DXB
Departure Time: 01:25 AM HKT
Take Off: 01:40 AM HKT
Landing: 05:46 AM GST
Gate Arrival: 06:06 AM GST
Aircraft: Airbus 330-300
Seat: 20K and 21K
We quickly boarded and were extremely tired but excited for Dubai! The A330-300 and especially the business seats felt like home. Last year, I was fortunate to fly to HYD via HKG twice a month and the A330 graciousfully took my to HYD. The Seat 20A is quite unique since this was located on the smaller business section and due to the bulk head seat (the front of the seat was a closet storage area) and it provided a larger foot stool.
The seat: Bottle of water and blankets were present
My foot stool
Marvelous India!
Once seated I switched into my pj and was presented with towel, menu and amenity kit. The nice bit about being OneWorld Emerald Member was that the FA greeted me by my name and was pleasant. The one thing to note is that CX FA are quite pleasant and always addressed me by my name and went out of the way for myself... and not my WIFE (which caused her to be little bit pissed).
Towel Size
Priority Immigration Pass at DXB
Amenity Kit
Amenity Kit: Jurlique amenity kit
Dining Menu
Dining Menu
Dining Menu
Dining Menu
Television
Headset
The Control
Since this was a 1AM flight, I took sleeping pills and asked the FA to wake me up for breakfast. After having a look at the breakfast menu, I asked if I could have the Chinese Dish (Steam Halibut) for which the FA was more than happy to provide. They woke me up 90 minutes prior to landing and provided my breakfast.
Breakfast - Chinese + hummus which was pleasant. The Fish was flavorful and the chili sauce went very well
My wife had a croissant, fruit and coffee but it took them 30 minutes to provide my wife with breakfast. As any married male would know.... unhappy wife = stressed out husband. For CX to not provide a business class passenger with basic bread/fruit/coffee for 30 minutes was unheard off as well as annoying. They went over and beyond for me but not providing the same level of service to my wife was a little bit disappointing.
Overall: The flight itself was quite normal. As a red-eye flight, sleep was the most important factor for me. The seat was wide and comfy enough and the cabin was very cool - thus I slept very comfortably. The service for me at least was attentive as well as friendly. For people whom will fly the A330 I will highly recommend Seat 20K due to wider foot seat as well as the seat being in a quieter business class cabin - you will better service.