Regent Hong Kong: a tranquil haven with a prime waterfront spot

Hong Kong is a city of two halves: Hong Kong Island is the business hub, where many of the tourist sights are located, while Kowloon is part of the mainland, which is considered more traditional and authentic. There you can find cheaper food and shopping options.

Regent Hong Kong in Tsim Sha Tsui occupies a prime spot overlooking Victoria Harbour in Kowloon, with a recent and extensive two-year makeover making it a contender for one of the most fashionable hotels in Hong Kong.

Why stay here?

After a relaxing flight via Helsinki on Finnair in a swish business-class seat that transforms into a super-comfortable bed, I was excited to check in.

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Formerly known as the Intercontinental Hong Kong, Regent Hong Kong has been lovingly rebranded and revamped by furniture designer and architect Chi Wing Lo. When you step inside the main lobby you’re greeted by a colourful LED wall showing specially commissioned video art and glass walls crafted using a local glass-making technique. It’s clear that its take on luxury is much more playful and cutting edge than other five-star offerings in the city.

The main draw of Regent Hong Kong is its waterfront location and it makes the most of its harbour views. There’s a stylish lounge area that has high floor-to-ceiling walls looking out to the always bustling promenade, while the focal point of its harbour rooms are the windows, styled to look like picture frames, so you can take in Hong Kong’s beautiful skyline. A long daybed rests below the window so you can while away the hours watching as day turns into night and the city’s skyscrapers start to beam the Symphony of Lights, a colourful light show each night at 8pm.

Rooms are decorated in a neutral palette with beige carpets, tactile patterned walls, and yellow chairs. Ceilings feature a huge gold circular cut-out in lieu of a chandelier that gives the rooms a space age feel. The bathroom, featuring Perricone MD toiletries, is just as stylish with bronze taps and brown leather dressing tables. To enhance the feeling of natural light inside, LED panels that glow with a marbled pattern can be found in the hallway, bathroom and toilet. The bathroom also has a Japanese-style bath with a seat so you can sit down properly instead of lying down while soaking in the tub. Bliss.

Eating and drinking

You’ll never go hungry at Regent Hong Kong. The hotel caters to a wide range of tastes with six restaurants and bars, including the Hong Kong branch of the famous celebrity hotspot Nobu, which serves up Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine.

Breakfast is a decadent affair served up at Harbourside. With its super high ceilings, giant lamp shades and walls of plants, it’s a bright and airy place to dig into a huge buffet while watching people walking along the promenade. Along with the usual array of eggs, cereal and delectable Danishes, it also offers Asian breakfast options like congee, crispy youtiao and custard baos. There’s a noodle-making station, a section with cold cuts and fresh fruit as well as cooked dishes like ginger braised chicken. You can eat your way around the world in one morning sampling curry samosas and Korean-style fish cakes.

Guests at the hotel also get access to Regent Club, a soothing space on the second floor where they can enjoy afternoon tea with a spread of delicious cakes, egg tarts and pastries, and exquisite finger sandwiches that are slightly more adventurous than the normal fare like smoked salmon with avocado wasabi and salmon roe.

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to dinner. We dined at Lai Ching Heen, a two-Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant, one night. There, we sampled a tasting menu with each beautifully presented dish more delicious than the last. Stuffed crabmeat was served up in its shell, the flesh turned into a beautifully creamy concoction with onion and milk. Wok-fried prawns with homemade XO sauce were plump and juicy. Tender wagyu beef was served up with mushrooms. Dessert was a Hong Kong classic – mango pudding, accompanied with lychee sorbet and a crispy sesame dumpling filled with pineapple and custard cream. The whole meal was exquisite and one of the best I had during a long trip around Asia.

Things to do

Regent Hong Kong is next to K11 MUSEA, a shopping mall full of expensive brands like Loewe and Alexander McQueen, and K11 Art Mall, which has cheaper options including chainstore Owndays, where you can pick up cheap prescription glasses in 30 minutes. A few MTR stations away is Mong Kok, which is the place to go for bargain shopping in Hong Kong – try out your haggling skills at the Ladies' Market. Remember: never accept the first price.

The hotel is also a short walk to the Tsim Sha Tsui ferry station where you can catch the iconic Star Ferry for a quick 10-minute trip to Central on Hong Kong Island. From there, you have your pick of the other major Hong Kong islands to visit for a day trip. I headed to Cheung Chau, a beautiful dumbbell-shaped island an hour from Central on the ferry, famous for its fresh fruit mochi, giant fish-ball skewers dipped in curry sauce and stunning hiking trails.

The verdict

Regent Hong Kong is like the coolest art gallery, sexiest nightclub and most elegant private members establishment all rolled into one playfully luxurious space. It’s the closest you’ll get to the harbour without renting out your own junk boat and the best option if you want a serene haven to cocoon yourself in while experiencing Hong Kong’s exuberant pace of life.

Ann was a guest of Regent Hong Kong, hongkong.regenthotels.com; Finnair flies from London Heathrow to Hong Kong via Helsinki; finnair.com