The Ritz Carlton Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong, whose legendary name signifies, « Port of Perfumes » and which was once a practically deserted rock, is now an important international center for finance and commerce and the richest city in China. Its strategic location on the east bank of the River of Pearls, on China’s south coast, and its dramatic history have made the city one of the most cosmopolitan and dynamic in the world.

Ceded to the British in 1842 by the Qing dynasty, this tiny patch of land, where seven million people are packed into today, has become major player in the world of international commerce.

In the early 20^th century, although the influx of people, primarily Chinese, created a demographic explosion in the city, this massive immigration contributed to Hong Kong’s industrial dynamism. As an important manufacturing site, a city of services and an access to the world’s largest markets, Hong Kong continues to grow and renew itself.

Returned to China in 1997, it has retained its English and Cantonese street names, as well as a relative degree of autonomy. Although the city gleams with a thousand neon lights at night, it has a number of different facets. From the island of Hong Kong to Kowloon, the territory it faces and the New Territories, side by side with its luxurious skyscrapers (7,600 in all!) and brightly lit avenues, we find Taoist temples, fortified villages and elegant Victorian buildings, creating a cosmopolitan city and a symbol of Asian success.

The tallest in the world

Located in Hong Kong’s tallest skyscraper, culminating at 490 meters, the Ritz Carlton Hotel opened its doors in 2011. Ideally situated in a chic Kowloon enclave, this luxury hotel, which takes up the 102^nd to the 118^th floor of the International Commerce Center, offers guests a unique and panoramic view of the Bay of Hong Kong and Port Victoria. Access to the hotel is a matter of less than a minute since the skyscraper’s elevators designed by the Kohn Pedersen architectural firm travel at a speed of nine meters a second.

The decoration of the 312 rooms and suites, of which the largest (50 square meters) is on the 102^nd floor, was entrusted to the celebrated interior designers of Singapore’s LTW firm. The chic and contemporary style is totally pure with dark wood panels in harmony with gray and taupe silks. Each room is equipped with the latest in technology. They all possess immense bay windows offering guests an uninterrupted view of the “Port of Perfumes”, and to further heighten the experience, each room has its own telescope.

The view is omnipresent and an important feature of this luxury hotel. Whether you’re being pampered in one of the spa’s 9 treatment rooms on the 116^th floor, or in the fully equipped fitness center, or swimming a few laps in the infinity pool, the panoramic view of the city, 490 meters below, can be enjoyed through huge bay windows.

The ultra modern and chic panoramic Ozone restaurant perched on the 118^th floor has the particularity of being the highest in the world. An Asian version of tapas is available as well as an excellent wine list which can be enjoyed on the world’s tallest outdoor terrace high above the city.

Since the printing of this description, The Ritz-Carlton has been dethroned by, the largest and tallest hotel in the world located at an altitude of more than 500 meters in Saudi Arabla’s Abraj Al-Bait complex adjacent to Mecca.