Background Open since October 2009, the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui replaced an older Hyatt Regency – the first Hyatt in Asia – which opened in 1969 only a few hundred metres away from this location, closing at the end of 2005. Other Hyatts in Hong Kong include the Grand Hyatt in Central.
What’s it like? The Hyatt Regency is in one of the tallest buildings in the area, taking up levels three to 24 of the 68-storey tower, with private apartments from 25 upwards. (The lobby is on the seventh floor.) The hotel is a modern, design-led property with clear lines, neutral colours and dark wood, but it is the staff that makes it worth recommending. Within a day, they were greeting me by name – which, considering I was out from early morning until evening, was pretty impressive – and whenever I needed information they supplied it speedily. The little touches showed how well it was run – no matter what time I went to the fitness centre, each running machine had fresh towels and water, and when I was standing in a corridor trying to connect my iTouch to the internet, a member of staff asked if they could help and had it sorted in a minute.
Where is it? In Tsim Sha Tsui, almost directly above the MTR station and with easy access to it. Despite this, the hotel can be frustratingly difficult to locate, partly because its lobby sits above the six-storey K11 shopping mall. Although it has direct access both to this, the street (Hanoi Road) and the underground car park, even after four nights in the hotel I had trouble finding it. On one occasion, even my taxi driver gave up, dropping me at the nearby Peninsula after first driving into the Sheraton.
Room facilities The 381 rooms start on floor nine (the lower floors are administration offices), with the Club floors being 22, 23 and 24. All have views of Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong Island or Kowloon, though the higher up you go, the more these open out. Each room has a large LCD TV, high-speed wired and wifi internet access (costing HK$150/£12 for 24 hours) and an iPod docking station.
The categories are King and Twin (28 sqm), Deluxe King and Twin (31 sqm) and Harbour View King and Twin (also 31 sqm). These tiers are then repeated for the 60 Club rooms, which feature Acca Kappa toiletries. Guests in these have access to the Regency Club lounge (open 6.30am-12am) on floors 23 and 24. This provides a free breakfast, all-day soft drinks, alcoholic beverages in the evening, tea and coffee, refreshments including fresh fruit, use of the meeting room for one hour per day, and free wired and wired internet access.
Restaurants and bars For all-day dining, the on-site restaurant, Café, has numerous food court-style open kitchens that could easily keep you from straying outside the hotel for a week or so. Other options include Hugo’s, a classic fine-dining European-style eatery that is something of an institution, having originally opened in the 1969 Hyatt. Many dishes are prepared at your table on silver-plated Christofle trolleys from the 1960s, and there are also rotating hors d’oeuvres trolleys, a beef wagon and a cheese/dessert trolley. Features include antique mirrors, Ming vases, guns, shield plates and a huge suit of armour in the entrance. (For a full review, see asia.businesstraveller.com/asia-pacific/news.) There is also a Chinese restaurant that combines modern art deco design with the feeling of a 1920s tea house, and the Chin Chin lounge bar, also taken from the original property and offering 80 single malt whiskies, an outdoor terrace and live nightly music.
Business and meeting facilities There is 530 sqm of event space on the lobby level, including a pillarless ballroom that seats up to 300 delegates for a banquet, and five meeting rooms.
Leisure facilities There is a swimming pool on the eighth floor and a 24-hour gym on level ten.
Verdict The sense of relief at finally reaching the lobby after wandering around the shopping centre below was helped by the warmth of the staff and the well thought-out physical and design elements of the hotel. Very convenient for public transport as well.
Tom Otley
Fact file
How many rooms? There are 381 rooms (from 28 sqm), 60 of which offer guests access to the Regency Club.
Room highlights The amount of space and the views – even if you do not opt for a Club room, try to book a room on one of the higher floors to take advantage of these.
Price Internet rates for a midweek stay in July started from HK$1,931/£153 for a King room.
Contact Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; tel +852 2311 1234; hongkong.tsimshatsui.hyatt.com
