Day 3 Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel and Towers
Upon leaving the Westin Chosun, I took the KAL bus directly from the hotel to the faraway and massive Incheon Airport. I had opted for mobile check-in and used my APEC Business Card to get through the crew line in under a minute, as the regular lines were moving quite slowly despite what I had read on most of the TripAdvisor posts that they were quick, but it was a weekend at 8:00am with plenty of holiday travelers. The only downside is that the APEC line is at the far end of the huge Incheon Terminal, near the Asiana section at Area L. Give yourself extra time at this airport and getting out to it! There were five agents standing by to check my APEC card, then six inside to scan my bags, and a separate departing immigration team, all just for me! For those who have Nexus or Global Entry in the US or Canada, the APEC Business Card http://travel.apec.org/intro.html may be an additional option for you and it can be added to your account through the GOES website and the manage your account area. It works for fast customs entrance and often for security lines at airports primarily throughout Asia but in other countries as well. The cost is $70.00 US for three years, but it did require me to go through another interview (I chose downtown Vancouver Canada) even though I have had Nexus for over 5 years and had just recently renewed that. In Seoul at least, it proved well worth the $70.00 fee. I hopped on the train to the Satellite terminal and headed right for the Cathay Pacific joint Business and First Lounge. There was only one other person in the lounge, which was quite large with well stocked food, again both Western and local options. The view of a taxing A380 was wonderful, but the only downside was the Duty Free pick up area right outside which was very noisy. The ceiling is open air to the lounge so the noise definitely carried.
My flight from Seoul to Hong Kong was on Cathay Pacific, on one of their newly refurbished A330-300 planes. The new pods were a great treat on the relatively short 3 hour 25 minute flight and the service was wonderful with various food options for lunch from chicken or sea bass to a local cuisine option and the wine was once again flowing with a great port to go along with dessert.
Once in Hong Kong, I had to look in at Cathay Pacific’s Arrivals Lounge, which is nothing special unless you are in definite need of a shower. It is slightly out of the way after customs and immigration between Terminals 1 and 2, but considering many airlines do not offer this service at all it may be a welcome benefit to some travelers. I opted for an Uber to get me right to my hotel, the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel and Towers since my time in Hong Kong was very limited. The SPG app had already told me I was being treated to an upgrade to an Executive Suite. The room was large but slightly dated as is the hotel. Nothing terrible, just a bit of an older feel in some areas in regards to style. The location of the hotel is unbelievable though. The next door neighbors are the famous Peninsula Hotel, and the Sheraton is right on the main shopping street Nathan Road. Also, rooms with views are amazing, but sadly my suite faced between the alley and the busy Nathan Road. I took a quick shower, checked in at the Platinum Lounge on the 11th floor which was nothing special, just a collection of former rooms put together to make a lounge but with a spectacular view from one side. It reminded me quite a bit of many Sheraton Lounges you see at airport hotels in North America. There were two attendants, some basic food, and wine and beer served. The service was great, but I had read many of the online reviews that complained that this lounge was far inferior to the Sheraton’s Towers Lounge, the larger and much more impressive Lounge on floor 17 which only comes with having a Towers Room. The Towers Lounge is really the top floor of the hotel (excluding the pool/gym and the SkyBar which split floors 18 and 19). At any rate, the Platinum Lounge suited my needs just perfectly since I was in and out in ten minutes.
I only had two hours before I needed to get to bed so that I would make my morning flight so I had a quick look at the rooftop SkyBar with its stunning views and did a quick walk around the local Kowloon area. The Symphony of Lights show, with music set to lighting on buildings on the opposite side of Victoria Harbour, was right across the street and something very exciting to see. After that I walked around the Avenue of Stars along the water, walked to the ferry terminal, and then walked down Nathan Road, which was packed with shoppers. It was raining lightly which gave me the excuse to head to my room and get to bed early. The turn down service was good, two robes were laid out for my use along with slippers. two orange chocolates on the pillows as well. (I am beginning to think the Asian division of Starwood has this down perfectly with slippers and robes ready each night, holding with cultural traditions). The personalized welcome greeting on the television with the channel guide sitting on the bed with the controller was a good touch but I was so tired I switched it off right away.
In the morning I went to the rooftop gym for a quick workout, and then checked out the men’s change room which had a small sauna. The gym had plenty of cardio equipment with spectacular views over Victoria Harbour, but the weight section was a little tiny. The separate stretching/aerobics room was nice as well. I ran upstairs into the pouring rain to take a quick look at the amazing rooftop pool and bar area. If the weather had been better and I had the chance to stay longer I definitely would have spent some time up there. I got ready and skipped the Club Lounge since it does not serve breakfast in the morning just coffee and tea. The breakfast was served in the lobby restaurant but since I was out so early I skipped this service. The check out was fast and efficient, slightly impersonal but in keeping with a large hotel. Overall my stay was very short but the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel and Towers was a good hotel in an excellent location. If you need all the bells and whistles book a Tower Room for the extra experience and attention. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from inside the hotel, but right outside you will find all of the shopping, food and tourist destinations you could possibly need on a trip to Hong Kong. Time and weather permitting, take advantage of the rooftop pool and book early to get good seats at the SkyBar for evening cocktails.
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| Cathay Pacific Lounge Seoul |
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| Lounge Bar |
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| Lounge Food Offerings |
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| Traditional Food Offerings |
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| Cathay Pacific A330-300 New Business Pods |
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| Rear View of Business Pods |
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| Legroom to Spare |
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| Menu and Champagne |
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| Wine List |
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| Appetizers |
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| Cheese Plate, Fruit and Port |
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| Cathay Pacific A330-300 Economy Cabin |
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| Sheraton Hong Kong Suite Living Room |
Great update. Any way you can post a map showing your stops from point to point? That would be a very interesting addition.
ReplyDeleteI am adding a Google Map to each post but I will have to work on showing a map with the trip's progress. Thanks!
ReplyDelete