BACKGROUND At present, Marriott International has around 535 open properties in the Asia Pacific region out of which 35 are JW Marriott branded. This is JW Marriott’s flagship property in the region.
WHAT’S IT LIKE The hotel lobby is very grand with high ceilings and expansive windows overlooking stunning views of the city. Decorated in shades of bronze, the warmly lit reception area with marble flooring has an intimate seating arrangement. High quality materials, Chinese artworks and partial carpeting make this quite a palatial space. A large spiral staircase (there are escalators too) leads to The Lounge — the hotel’s informal networking place and bar — that is usually busy with business travellers hosting casual meetings.
WHERE IS IT In one of the many highrises around Pacific Place mall in Hong Kong Island. It connects directly from Admiralty MTR Station via the shopping centre.
ROOM FACILITIES The hotel has 602 rooms and suites that are located from the eighth storey until the 35th storey of the 50-floor building. Accommodation types begin at Deluxe room (31 sqm) and continue as Premier room (31 sqm), Executive room (31 sqm), JW suite (63 sqm) and Dynasty/Admiralty suite (108 sqm). They are further divided as per the views — Mountain or Harbour View — in each category. Rooms and suites upward of Executive have access to the Executive lounge that offers complimentary breakfast, midday snack, afternoon tea, late night snacks, free non-alcoholic beverages and business services. I stayed in the Deluxe room that offered a magnificent mountain view of Hong Kong’s versatile landscape. The vista was unspoilt thanks to two large windows that covered the sprawl of the room. This made my room bright enough in the day. The desk with an ergonomic chair faces this view too — my preferred spot to go through emails in the evening, as I watched the night lights of the region switch on. Beside this is the LCD television (42-inch) cabinet with DVD player (the hotel has a DVD library for guests). The “jack pack” at the desk allowed me to sync my iPod to the television. The marble bathroom with L’Occitane toiletries has a separate shower area and bathtub. An ironing board and free wifi are provided too. A panel next to the bed controls the black-out curtains.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS Breakfast is served at JW Cafe that also offers all-day dining and global cuisines. Flint Grill & Bar is known for its exceptional grills, Bar Q88 for iconic cocktails, Man Ho Chinese Restaurant for Cantonese-style dim sum, Fish Bar for high quality seafood, Dolce 88 for cakes and sweets. The Lounge is famous for its signature noodle bar and Sunday champagne brunch. Pool Lounge on level seven is an interesting venue to relax over cocktails too.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES The pillar-free JW Marriott Ballroom sprawls across 736 sqm and can accommodate 1,100 people in reception style. This can be partitioned into six Salon halls that vary between 56 sqm and 190 sqm. Aberdeen (76 sqm) and Queensway or Victoria (38 sqm) are two more halls. Executive meeting rooms on level 30 — 3002 or 3008 — offer views of the Hong Kong Harbour. There are two conference rooms too.
LEISURE FACILITIES An outdoor swimming pool that was heated during my visit, a 24-hour fitness centre, steam bath, badminton and jogging trails. There are also badminton, tennis and squash courts along with a cineplex in the nearby Pan Pacific shopping mall.
VERDICT Luxury intwined with state-of-the-art business facilities in the heart of the city.
PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in April started from HK$2,465 (`21,265) for a Deluxe room with Mountain View.
CONTACT One Pacific Place, Queensway, Hong Kong; tel +852 2810 8366; marriott.com
Ravi Lalwani
