Sometimes in life you have to pinch yourself to check what you’re experiencing is real. I had one such moment last weekend when I had the chance to visit the Presidential Suite of Le Royal Meridien in Shanghai. It just so happened to coincide with my birthday so was a pretty special occasion. Read on for the gory details.
Last week I continued my quest to stay at the worlds most amazing hotels for free with a visit to the W in Hong Kong (for previous escapades see W Seoul, Park Hyatt Shanghai, and Hotel Éclat Taipei). The hotel is located alongside the relatively new Elements shopping mall in Kowloon right above the MTR station.
Last week I took an impromptu but much-needed holiday to South Korea. While I hadn’t expected to return to Korea this year the time and price were right so I decided to go for it and took a midnight flight from Hong Kong to Seoul arriving 5am in driving rain. Not the best start perhaps but from there on in things went decidedly uphill…
Last weekend I took a short trip to Taiwan, a mere 1.5 hours away from Hong Kong but in many respects a world apart from the mainland (depending on who you ask). Arriving Thursday evening in Taipei my first stop was Hotel Éclat, a stone’s throw away from Daan MTR station. As far as posh places I’ve stayed in without paying go (1, 2) this probably tops the list for style and sheer exuberance.
A few random pics from my trip to Shanghai a couple of weeks back:
Left: Jinmao Tower (Grand Hyatt), Right: World Finance Center (Park Hyatt) I think I’m going to start a new category for “posh hotels I’ve stayed in without paying” as this is the second time in 3 months I’ve tasted the 5-star treatment courtesy of others generosity. Frankly I don’t much like hanging around with people who have more money than sense but the experience does deserve documenting for the luscious interior design at the very least. The Park Hyatt Shanghai (as opposed to the Grand Hyatt next door) currently holds the title of the worlds highest hotel, situated near the top of the worlds third highest building – the World Finance Center. Ascending at 16 m/second in the turbo lift you feel your ears popping but this is…
Ok, so you probably don’t read too many blog posts about toilets but stick with me! Last weekend I was lucky enough to stay in the Park Hyatt Shanghai hotel (free on someones reward points again) and while everything was amazing, one thing stood out in particular: the toilet. As long as it’s western style I’m not to fussy about loos but what I found in my bathroom went beyond anything imaginable. First of all the toilet lid automatically raised itself when you entered (see video below), had a heated seat and automatic flush but way beyond this was the remote control which was hung on the wall (see photo above). Yes you heard me right – the toilet had a remote control. For…
For the first weekend I was in South Korea I was lucky enough to be about to stay in the extremely cool “W Seoul” boutique hotel, in Walkerhill, courtesy of a very generous friends enormous accumulation of loyalty points (usual cost from approx. 250,000 KRW per night). Described as the “hippest joint in town“ expectations were high… After a rather tortuous two hour trip from Incheon Airport I finally reached the W and upon entering my first impressions were that I’d set foot on the set of a James Bond film! Instead of a standard hotel entrance the lobby was a combined with a multi-level lounge / bar complete with cool lighting, egg-pod shaped seats, a DJ playing techno music and expensively-dressed people floating around (not to mention…
After 10 days of wandering the streets of Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Beijing I’m back with pleanty of tales to tell and a few new videos in the works as well as lots of photos to share. Home to many a rich banker, Hong Kong is not a cheap city by any standard. A while back I saw a list of supposedly affordable HK hotels but at $1400 HKD per night I’m not sure who’s idea of “cheap” these were. For me budget options would be more in the $200-300 range (without it being a Chunking Mansions dive) of which there are plenty to be found if you don’t mind sleeping in somewhat basic accommodation. Based on the recommendation from a friend I recently stayed…
Shanghai is well known for its dizzying array of skyscrapers with their unique facades and styles but rarely do most people look beyond the exterior shell which can sometimes be just as intriguing on the inside as they are on the outside. Such is the case with the imposing Jinmao Tower which at 421 m high makes it the fifth tallest in the world currently (as well as looking like something out of a batman movie!). Inside the monstrous building the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel occupies floors 53 to 87 and therein contains the hidden gem I was here to find… The hotel is obviously only open to paying guests which, being a man of modest means, I was not. Much against the protestations of my Chinese friend (who…