Hong Kong’s highly anticipated Regent Hotel had its grand opening last month, marking a remarkable evolution since its debut in 1980.
Escape the commotion of the city as you enter the new Regent Hong Kong. The lobby surrounds you in sleek serenity. Black granite covers the floors and walls, 16 translucent screens come embedded with illuminated golden domes and a glowing onyx-brick check-in desk fronts a nearly 50-foot LED installation from local artist Hung Keung. And along the back wall of windows, you’ll glimpse the buildings lining Victoria Harbour and the colorful junk boats passing along its waters.
Hong Kong’s highly anticipated new hotel had its grand opening last month, marking a remarkable evolution since its debut in 1980. Originally named Regent Hong Kong, this iconic property graced a coveted stretch of Victoria Harbour in Kowloon for 21 years before changing into InterContinental Hong Kong. But once the InterContinental’s parent company, IHG, acquired Regent Hotels & Resorts in 2018, it decided to shutter the landmark hotel, put it through extensive renovations and relaunch it as the flagship of the reimagined Regent brand, whose collection includes Carlton Cannes and Regent Phu Quoc.
It takes a lot for a hotel to stand out in Hong Kong, where luxury-defining hospitality heavyweights like Mandarin Oriental and The Peninsula first rose above its skyline. Forbes Travel Guide recently visited the new Regent to see how it stacked up. Here’s what we found:
Step into the tranquil lobby.
The Design
Few remnants of the old Regent remain, like the opulent white Calacatta marble staircase winding from the lobby up to the second-floor ballroom. Some of the art from the original hotel was repurposed into new pieces, like the series of glowing circles at each dark elevator bank.
Regent tapped Hong Kong-born, Milan-based architect and designer Chi Wing Lo to revamp the rest of the interiors. In his first hotel project, Lo gave the 497 accommodations a modern aesthetic that exudes quiet luxury. An oversized wooden door opens to an oak-and-granite-filled sanctuary. The window that almost runs the length of the room (most accommodations face the harbor) will quickly steal your attention. You’ll sink into the windowfront daybed and watch the boats cut through the waters as Hong Kong Island’s buildings light up at night. Lo made it easy to take in the view — aside from the daybed, chairs swivel so you can go from working at the table to admiring the skyline.
You can even take in the cityscape from the freestanding tub, another highlight where the water gushes out of the Nero African granite faucet on the wall. Lo, also a furniture designer, crafted a deep bathtub with a high back and a raised seat to cradle you comfortably as you gaze at the harbor.
He brings an exacting eye to every corner of the room — he designed the dressers to hold unsightly waste baskets in a side compartment, wireless charging pads are built into bedside tables (look for the easy-to-miss etched Wi-Fi symbol) and the vaulted ceilings mimic the rippling waves outside.
While all harbor-facing rooms provide a prized view, the Corner Suite-Harbourview doubles the vistas and features an Instagram-worthy circular tub set against a moon-gate-like window. The top-floor penthouse has expansive alfresco seating areas and an outdoor infinity pool that puts you closer to Hong Kong Island’s towers. Inside, windows wrap around the airy two-story living room, and there’s a private gym and a spacious bathroom bathed in emerald marble.
Make a reservation for Lai Ching Heen.
The Restaurants
Lai Ching Heen should top your must-visit list among the hotel’s six restaurants and bars. A rare holdover from the Regent’s first incarnation, the fine-dining Cantonese restaurant is beloved for its dim sum (pair it with a selection from the lengthy tea menu, like the sparkling golden oolong). Notice the jade touches, from elegant place settings to a corridor with exquisite carved light-stone walls.
Another dining destination is The Steak House. You’ll want to hold back a bit from the delectable starters like the king crab cake or the salad bar, which is teeming with various salads, vegetables, charcuterie and cheese. Otherwise, you risk being full before the main event, the luscious wagyu M9+ from Australia’s Mayura Station, which feeds its spoiled cows chocolate to give the meat a touch of sweetness.
Sit down for a meal at The Steak House.
The Hong Kong hotel also offers China’s only Nobu restaurant and Qura Bar, an eclectic space that mixes art deco accents, vintage furniture, murals depicting the hotel’s InterContinental era and brass monkey light fixtures (in addition, it has a cigar room).
It’s worth upgrading to access the Regent Club, a quiet second-floor lounge that’s great for working or just enjoying a cocktail under the starry lights while looking out at the water. It’s also a dining spot in its own right. The well-curated spread can include everything from soufflé pancakes and dim sum in the morning to foie gras terrine and addictive barbecue pork puffs in the evening to mango coconut cake and plum wine jelly with yuzu foam for dessert. It also serves afternoon tea.
Soak up the vistas from the Corner Suite-Harbourview.
The Pool
When the weather warms up, seek a reprieve at the third-floor Pool Terrace. Take a swim in the sizeable mosaic-bottomed pool, which feels a tad more tropical, with palm trees and greenery climbing up the adjacent mall’s facade. Or opt for the smaller spa infinity pools, including a hot tub, that overlook the harbor.
If the view isn’t enough to lure you in, the spa pools will be especially enticing once The Regent Hong Kong Spa opens in 2024 — you can visit before or after a treatment.
The Kowloon hotel offers beautiful views.
The Location
Sitting at the tip of the Kowloon peninsula, the luxury hotel connects to K11 Musea, a luxury mall/arts and culture hub. Elsewhere in the neighborhood, join the photo-snapping crowds strolling the harborfront Avenue of Stars — similar to Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, the pathway features local celebrities commemorated with statues and handprints, but it’s worth walking along the water for the scenery alone. Also close by are the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Space Museum and Cultural Centre. The West Kowloon Cultural District, where you’ll find M+, a museum dedicated to contemporary visual culture, will require a six-minute car or 18-minute metro ride.
And if you want to explore Hong Kong Island, the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Terminal is just a 10-minute walk away (the quick ride is a Hong Kong rite of passage).
This post originally appeared on Forbes.com
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