Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong gives place not only for the highest pool ever built in the world but the highest quality and hospitality you can imagine as well. Spabook is featuring now exclusive, never seen before insider pictures for You, dear valuable reader!
We all want to improve, to do new things, to reach always more. But there are some places where we can feel that we have arrived. Where all that we want is to enjoy and live the moment as fully as possible. As we are different people with a wide range of taste, some of us get this peaceful feeling in the heart of a jungle, at the top of a mountain, on a tropical beach or at the lookout point to a city. Imagine a mix of these spots, created by humans with all the technical and artistic knowledge of nowadays. Imagine a 490 meter tall building, which offers a view to Hong Kong from higher than the legendary Peak Observatory at the natural hillside. Imagine a spa with tropical decor and all the peace you need in your soul. Imagine a pool where moving LED wall and LED ceiling paints the beach around you while you are lying in a sunbed with the tallest city under your feet.
Just look at this picture below with hundreds of skyscrapers of more than 30 floors. They appear like a playground built from plastic bricks.
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Check-in process is as expected for the adults, but we are impressed by the wonderful (and smart) handling of children in Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. There is a check-in desk for the youngest and future generation of guests, too. They can play and also engage to the hotel in a couple of minutes.
The best is yet to come after entering the room! The property is open from turning our suite into a tented safari to introducing our kids to the flavors of Hong Kong in a specially designed cooking class. The hotel provides a welcoming accommodation for families and also memories that will last a lifetime. I never forget when my Dad built a tent for me in my bedroom in our home when I was 6. Ritz-Carlton is offering the same experience and this is simply genius! From the moment of arrival, the staff welcomes kids by encouraging them to explore the sights and sounds of the hotel and its environment while introducing them the four important pillars: Water, Land, Environmental Responsibility and Culture.
In one of the most elegant places of the world, there is a lot more waiting for us before you would think that it is “only” a kindergarten. Dear Gourmet Readers and hopefully future guests, the 103th floor is waiting for you with 6 bars and restaurants to enjoy refined authentic Cantonese cuisine, specializing in traditional Dim Sum in the two star Michelin restaurant of Tin Lung Heen. Tosca is Michelin-Starred restaurant as well, which offers innovative Italian cuisine with Victoria Harbour views. Being the highest bar in the world, the ultra-modern OZONE is positioned on the top floor (118th) of the hotel, offering live music, parties, creative cocktails, tapas and sushi.
The interior design is enchanting. We like the usage of lights and contrasts for example in this corridor between the restaurants.
After taking the elevator from the 103rd to the 118th floor, we arrive at the spa&pool area which is operated by ESPA England. We have already visited another ESPA in Baku, so we noticed that the key elements and quality are representing the same level. A good example is the small pyramid of hand towels. The staff was really great because we were unable to catch a moment when the pyramid would not be complete. They brought new towels to complete them very fast but tactfully.
We like the futuristic design of the shower blocks and the sauna in the changing room. This rounded style is interesting and also very inviting. Every shower has its own foot towel which are placed securely so it is not slippery. And the music! The playlist was absolutely great, we would like to go back to listen to it again.
The black colored mosaics are extremely elegant and also hard to keep them clean but Ritz&ESPA succeed in this as well. The fragrance of the shampoo, shower gel, conditioner and the liquid soap is fantastic. We think that this soap was the best we have ever tried.
In spite of these features, the dressing-room is not the place to spend hours, but the spa area was created right for that. The relax room offers comfortable beds to chill out.
The double bathtub Jacuzzi is also great, but the best are the carpeted window-seats. It is not easy to write about the feeling when you sit around 500 meters above ground in a swimsuit behind a thin glass wall.
The pool area is quite innovative with the moving LED wall and ceiling. It makes the room optically bigger and it gives constantly an extra dimension to the basic live 3D. The staff is also professional, they always care about the surface next to the pool. There is a menu to order drink or food and they serve it on-site while you can relax in your bed or sofa depending on what you have chosen.
Our favorite sofa is this at the corner of the top floor because the view is wide and simply stunning. The Harbour is located to the right and Hong Kong island with the Peak hill is at the left in front of us.
There are also a warm water Jacuzzi and a cold water dipping pool inside. The hot Jacuzzi is outside on the terrace equipped with sunbeds.
Fresh air above us, 30 – 40 storey buildings below us, green plants around us and satisfaction inside us. At this height and at this angle of the sunshine the steam can be seen in the air. Do not expect a huge terrace as the place is limited up there, but big enough to be comfortable for every guest. There is a crane installed at the top of the building in order to keep the windows clean.
It is a nice gesture that complimentary fresh fruit and mineral water are provided with some newspapers and magazines. We like the special bottles, it was a good feeling to hold one in our hands. The same type is provided in Hotel Indigo but Ritz have its own graphic and logo on the bottle while the other place not.
This is a picture taken from the best bed in the room, next to the window. The exact time is shown by a Blancpain wall clock. This legendary Swiss factory produces clocks since 1735. You can even buy one because there is a Blancpain shop as well at the entrance level in the shopping mall.
The sunset is picturesque from the poolside. We strongly suggest you to organize your day in a way to be able to be there around 5:30-6:00 pm when the sun goes down. The mosaics are very beautiful, they glitter in daytime, at the moments of sunset and also in nighttime when the lights are turned on.
The LED wall and the glittering mosaics give high class feeling. You can hardly believe that the small lights in the water are reflections and not built-in lights.
The sun goes down a little bit above the horizon because Hong Kong consists of 263 islands and one of them hides it. These are the perfect moments to think about the program of the next days and to decide on what to do. From high atop The Ritz-Carlton – among the most luxurious five star hotels in Kowloon – we can literally scan the city and Victoria Harbour views and pinpoint our next destination. The vibrant city is a true hybrid of cultures, rooted in Chinese customs and traditions that blend effortlessly with European influences introduced by colonists when the British East India Company made the first successful western foray into China in 1699. There are plenty of enchanting neighborhoods to explore from surfers beach to hiking trails or magnificent museums and theater venues. The convenient transportation system takes us anywhere easily.
The pillows with flecks makes good connection between the lamp and the white sofa. The lightened pool area can be seen from kilometers away if someone knows what he or she can see in the form of a small white line at the top level of the International Commerce Centre (ICC) Building.
There are magical lights built in the wall of the Jacuzzi corner. Dinner time is also a great period to be there when other guests are in one of the restaurants.
The outside wall is lightened with thousands of LED lights and there is always something to see at the facade, for example animation tale, digital clock and different captions.
The view is stunning from every point of the hotel. The rooms offer great view and luxury of course. The materials are exceptional, especially the carpet on the wall.
Hong Kong is the tallest city in the world (with the highest ratio of buildings taller than 30 floors) but the ICC Building dominates the cityscape. The building has 108 floors above ground and 4 below ground. Due to prevalence of the so called tetraphobia in Hong Kong, floors that would have included the number “4” (4, 14, 24, etc.) were omitted. Therefore, it is marked as a 118-storey building.
We shall never forget the thrilling ride to the 103rd floor lobby. As the doors opened our eyes alight on “Horse Galloping Across the Sky” which is a stunning ceiling mural painted by local artist Yuanming He, who declared as follows:
“I am delighted to be partnering with The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. We both share Oriental values and Western philosophy. I hope my paintings will take guests on a meaningful journey in life.”
He combines Western colors and abstract elements with traditional brush-painting techniques to create a feeling of power and movement. The mane and tail are painted with one single stroke, demonstrating the best features of Chinese brush.
If you are there the 360-degree views alone will take your breath away. But that contented sigh comes from knowing this is a place that elevates the spirit with genuine awe. A contemporary and exclusive harbour of East meets West modern décor, highlighted by local artwork.
