Hong Kong

[bluscuro]

Gentlemen,

I would appreciate the opinions of other members as to the best hotel for three to four days in Hong Kong. I would prefer to stay on the Island side of the harbour .

Any must do/see/dine experiences that are uniquely Hong Kong ?

I am considering the Grand Hyatt and the Mandarin Oriental ....any others to throw in ?

With thanks,
bluscuro

[HappyStroller]

Oh, dear, the W.C.s in the toilets of the hotels in Hong Kong.

Those imaginative interior designers of the hotels in Hong Kong who knew how to incorporate the great Chinese torture routine in their art of designing toilets. The W.C.s are crammed within narrow confined spaces so that I cannot keep mjy knees wide open; without my knees wide open, my A H feels constricted. The result is to find an laternative outlet - perhaps the big bathtub? Another great design is to have toilet bowls of such low heights, so low so that certain parts of the lower anatomy may dip into the holy waters of the W.C. A solution - stoop on top of the lid?

But maybe, maybe the anatomy of everyone else is different from mine, so there's hope for the rest of mankind (and womankind).

As for me, perhaps I should stay across the border in Shenzhen and hop over during the day.

[whyescalar]

The Island Shagri-la is excellent, nice bar, however it does seem to close early. It's hilltop perch makes for lovely views, and the rooftop restaurant is a great place to bring clients for lunch (the food is good, too).

The "Landmark" Mandarin , right down the hill, has had a proper refurb, and tis hustly-bustly down on Queen's Rd. It always seems a bit clausterphobic in the public areas.

The Grand Hyatt is in Suzy Wong, which promises nocturnal expeditions, but the hotel seems a bit removed from everywhere else.

Safe trip.

[Cufflink79]

Sorry to gear off topic here, but are there any good tailors in Hong Kong?

I know about Ascot Chang shirtmakers but that is about it.

I remember as a kid in the 1980s various businessmen talking about the custom suits they would have made while in Hong Kong on a business trip.

However, I don't think they can compare to a Savile Row suit.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

[luk-cha]

i think the ultimate place to stay is the Peninsular Hotel

thing to do are about the same as most place the light show at Victoria Harbour at 8pm is quite nice. a ride on the star ferry too is the best and cheapist way to relax

i would avoid coming in October at is the high season and everythng will be well over priced for eating out to the hotels.

you have all the night markets in kowloon where you can get very cheap junk to take back as gifts.

if you are looking for nightlife i think Aqua is possible the best bar in town and it has great food too and the views are the best in HK

and i guest the last place you should go to is the peak on HK island

as for tailors the better one are situated in the 4/ 5 star hotels my advice would be to stay clear of the $100 suits in TST

[DLQ]

Good Advice from Luk Cha that I can only agree with. Aqua is a bit trendy (and dark) for my taste but fantastic if thats yout thing. The Peninsular must be the best suggestion of a place to stay but if you be American you m ay enjoy the excess of the Four Seasons on the Island.
For eating and drinking....well where can I start or finish? Better to explore and enjoy; Lang Kwai Fong and SoHo are always good bets on the island as is Knutsford Terrace in TST (Not long moved from a flat at Knutsfort tce) But it really depends on your style and wants eh?
Try the tiny local eateries and you may be pleasantly surprised or one of my local spots was behind Lang Kwai Fong was squashed outside in eating Malaysian/Thai from a choice of restaurants.....stroll round, they will come pull you in.
Enjoy yourself and maybe see you there.

[DLQ]

i
as for tailors the better one are situated in the 4/ 5 star hotels my advice would be to stay clear of the $100 suits in TST

Ignore these words at your peril!

Many suits made in Penisular at 'Lookwell' tailor with no complaints but I still used to buy the designer stuff on the island or Harbour City etc.

[Concordia]

As for tailors, the "big three" in the Colony are W. W. Chan, Ah-Man Hing Cheong, and Baromon. Baromon is sort of Oxxford/Brooks Brothers in its look (and clientele--- Tung Chee-Wha is a client). A-Man is sort of middle of the road in styling. Decent quality, less money than Baromon. Lots of house special fabrics which really aren't too special. Chan is the one I'd go to if I were paying a visit. Good quality, very good at fitting, decent selection of cloth. Be aware, however, that if you ask for square shoulders, you will end up looking like a mobster.

[Concordia]

I can't say if they are particularly Hong Kong, but the restaurants in the Peninsula are first rate, or were 10 years ago. Gaddi's is very fine French, and the top-story club (Felix?) has some of the best urinals I've ever seen.

Across the street on the harbor was one of the finest seafood meals I've ever eaten. Used to be called Lai Ching Heen, is now on the ground floor of the Intercontinental.

[luk-cha]

the so called big three are really only famous because of their internet fora rep.

Aman is perhaps the best of the three you mentioned barroman's stuff i have seen has been quite poor, and with Chan i think there is enough info on the net about them!

others i have heard good things about are Jimmy Chen in the peninsular and the their work i have seen in progress also has been quite good too. the taliors that dont need to travel are generally better.

Felix was good but in recent times if has lost the plot! drinks and service are poor and the have started to have a minimum charge go there.

in HK the best food is where the locals eat, i know this is what everyone says but it is true to form in HK. the more dirty horrid looking the restaurant the fresher and more tasty the food is! esp the " da paai dong"

the best bar i have been to is in wan chai for the great of good i can not remember the name of it (good night ) but one place in TST i would recomend in Fatt's on preatt Ave is has the best selection of beers in HK and also the best Burger ever! and the also have a place which is equally as good in LKF

[JBD]

I just got back from Hong Kong and I used 2 tailors to compare for my next trip. I used Sam's (very famous due to some celebrities) and Jim's Tailor in Admirality (Island). I would recommend Jim's over Sam's hands down. Sam's is living off of its reputation, but I found they like everything to fit skin tights so I required a fair amount of rework. Jim's one the other hand, listened to me and everything was done perfectly. My only wish is that he had a larger selection of shirt cloth.