MY STAY
Arrival & room
A green Rolls-Royce Phantom made arriving at The Peninsula Hong Kong memorable, although that ride was something to arrange, not a standard airport transfer. The quiet room and help with ordinary plans mattered more once I had stepped inside. The Star Ferry was close enough for an easy outing.
Harbor exposure
Room exposure was a bigger decision than the grand lobby suggested. A Kowloon-facing Grand Deluxe could be comfortable, but it was not the same purchase as waking to Victoria Harbour. I did not let photographs of the best suites stand in for a description of my window.
Breakfast, tea & pool
At breakfast, a fresh paratha was an unexpected pleasure in Hong Kong. Afternoon tea under the high lobby ceiling needed its own booking; Gaddi's for lunch and Felix for an evening offered other reasons to stay in. I liked the idea of a massage followed by tea more than trying to build an entire resort day around the modest indoor pool.
Would I return?
The harbor and a few carefully chosen meals would bring me back after the green Rolls-Royce has been forgotten. The famous car and lobby made a first impression, but the right room view and time for a couple of meals made it feel like my own stay.