Elvis Wong throws open the door to our room and the shrieks that follow would not disappoint the King of Rock and Roll himself.
Lit up like Las Vegas on the night before Christmas, a skyline of skyscrapers is ablaze with neon, reflecting soft columns of colour in the waters of Victoria Harbour below.
‘Wow. Wow. Wow,’ sighs my husband as the children squeal with excitement and I sit speechless on the bed. The view from the Regent Hotel of Hong Kong’s famous horizon is so spectacular that poor Elvis hasn’t a hope of showing us how to work the shower or safe.
We are glued to the panoramic window, spellbound by a cityscape that promises so much.
As does the Regent itself, newly re-opened after extensive renovations that are sure not only to restore this icon to its former glory but to reinvent it for the next generation.
MailOnline’s Fiona Hardcastle checked into Hong Kong’s luxurious Regent Hotel, where bedrooms boast incredible harbour views
The city’s skyscrapers reflect soft columns of colour in the waters of Victoria Harbour (seen above, from the hotel’s lobby)
The Regent underwent extensive renovations in 2022, restoring the iconic hotel to its former glory for the next generation
‘I feel like I’m in Succession,’ says Rose, 17, as we sit down for breakfast the next morning at Harbourside restaurant, our skyscraper scenery now bathed in sunlight while a Beethoven sonata soars in the background.
As if on cue, a helicopter begins its descent over the city’s business hub. Felix, 11, is mesmerised.
I’m about to launch into my Importance of A Good Job lecture when I’m snapped out of sermonising by Evie, 16, who returns from billionaires’ buffet with a plate piled high.
‘Try these, mummy,’ she says knowing that a selection of prawn and crab dim sum will enable everyone to eat in peace. We feast like financiers and then set out to explore.
We kick off in Kowloon, home to the city’s museums, galleries and latest high-end shopping mall, K11 Musea, billed as the place to elevate my shopping experience and located next door.
The hotel impressed Fiona so much that she was speechless upon being shown her room
The sunny harbourside lounge has impressive views right across the city
The hotel’s restaurant, Lai Ching Heen, is like stepping inside a jade jewellery box, says Fiona
The Mid-Levels escalators. They connect Central District’s residents to their office jobs – and have been called the coolest commute on the planet
I should be used to my husband’s habit of ticking off the most obscure landmarks first but, even so, I find myself frustrated to be marched towards the bird, goldfish and flower markets dotted around the less salubrious Prince Edward Road.
‘It’s the real Hong Kong,’ he tells me as I huff and puff about what I’m missing while secretly admiring the contrast of this bygone way of life. Time for a slice of history that will bring us bang up to date and a trip on the legendary Star Ferry to consumer haven Central District.
It’s impossible not to be overawed by its skyscrapers – towering temples of commerce – or the designer shopping malls that link them. Though does any city really need eight Tiffany stores?
But then the only way is up, as every Hong Konger knows. Over tea in the park, my husband catches up with an expat school friend who tells us that it’s perfectly normal for the journey to work to take longer vertically than it does horizontally.
Hence the Mid-Levels escalators. They connect Central’s residents to their office jobs and, at 2,600 feet long and covering a climb of 443 feet, are not only the world’s longest-moving stairway but have been called the coolest commute on the planet.
Back to the Regent and another serving of superlatives with an afternoon tea that would put England’s finest to shame. Tier upon tier of madeleines, scones and exquisite savouries are laid out before us, while the waiter makes space for five little bowls of magic: the traditional Chinese dessert of ginger milk pudding. Spoons are licked clean before I remember we have a seven-course dinner at the hotel’s two-Michelin-star restaurant that night.
To the outdoor pool for a few pre-prandial lengths in the hope of working up an appetite.
Fiona and her family enjoyed Cantonese cuisine at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant
The restaurant’s Executive Chef Lau Yiu-fai (right) and Head Chef Cheng Man-sang (left)
Fiona writes: ‘My menu of golden scallops featuring shrimp, steamed crab claw and sea bass with red dates leaves me in no mood to share’
Fiona’s verdict on Hong Kong and the Regent? ‘Few places capture past and present so magically. And the Regent is where it all aligns’
But distractions come easy and as we bob above the designer shops – we are within splashing distance of Yves Saint Laurent – the mind soon wanders from front crawl to front row and what on earth to wear tonight.
Time to dig out what passes for best clothes and make ourselves worthy of a night at the sumptuous Lai Ching Heen.
Like stepping inside a jade jewellery box, the interior is as polished as you’d expect from a world-class Cantonese restaurant, yet the staff’s warmth instantly puts you at ease.
Soon the Lazy Susan is spinning as the children delight in a novel way to try each other’s food, but my menu of golden scallops featuring shrimp, steamed crab claw and sea bass with red dates leaves me in no mood to share.
Outside the skyscraper, light shows dazzle while an old crimson junk sails majestically by. Few places capture past and present so magically. And the Regent is where it all aligns.
TRAVEL FACTS
Fiona was hosted by Regent Hong Kong where Classic Harbourview Rooms start from £400 ($505) per night subject to 10% service charge (correct at the time of writing). Visit www.hongkong.regenthotels.com.
Rating out of five: *****
PROS: Telepathic service. Staggering views.
CONS: Harbour gazing can cause helicopter envy.
Fiona and her family flew with Cathay Pacific. Visit www.cathaypacific.com.
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