Posted on Thu, 7 Apr 2011
The Highest Hotel On Planet Earth!
Warning: Read no more if you suffer from vertigo!
If you’re aiming for the high life, then get into the lift and blast off to the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, freshly opened in shopaholic Kowloon and holding the title of being the highest hotel in planet earth! How high is that? Well, the hotel’s lobby is on the 103rd floor of the International Commerce Centre (ICC). This is literally taking holiday accommodation to such new heights that the oxygen is thin.
The hotel guarantees “spectacular views of Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong skyline” in all its 312 rooms (not difficult surely at that height), but if you need to take things up a notch or two, head up to Ozone, a restaurant and bar at the 118th floor.
Bag a seat outside the world’s highest al fresco terrace for a nibble of contemporary Asian tapas, and drinks, plus a view to die for. Then make a booking for a spa treatment in the The Ritz-Carlton Spa by ESPA on the 116th floor where all treatment rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of the city 16,000 dizzying feet below. (Oooh – that’s a long way down! Time to close eyes and be kneaded into relaxation!) If you’d rather a bit of a workout, then head to the indoor infinity pool overlooking Victoria Harbour on the 118th floor, with a 92ft x 23ft LED screen on the ceiling that can displays images and videos.
Apart from the novelty of height – though that’s clearly the main event – the hotel has five other F&B outlets: Tin Lung Heen, a fine Cantonese restaurant, Tosca, which offers Southern Italian Cuisine, The Lounge & Bar which features ‘crystal fire pits’ ( I wonder what that is!), a patisserie located on the 9th floor and a fascinating, chocolate-themed lounge The Chocolate Library on the 103rd floor.
Height aside, the hotel’s location is pretty convenient. Being in the ICC, you get direct connections to Hong Kong International Airport in 20 minutes and Central in five minutes.
And as we all know, newly opened establishments always launch with a deal! Take advantage of The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong’s Grand Opening Package at HKG$4,888 which gives you a night’s stay in the deluxe room, brekkie and welcome cocktails for two, comp internet access and HKG$888 credit for restaurants and spa. Toss in HK$1000 for an upgrade to Club Deluxe Room or HK$2000 for upgrade to a Junior Suite. No vertigo please!
