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You are here: Home / Travel / Hong Kong / Hotel Icon, Hong Kong

Hotel Icon, Hong Kong

by Jeanne Horak on December 1, 2013 6 Comments in Hong Kong, Hotels

HotelIconView1 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

Let’s face it: intercontinental travel ain’t what it used to be. The sheen of glamour that used to adhere to travel has systematically been stripped away by increasingly intrusive security measures and regulations.  More than once as I have passed through airport security, forced to display my eclectic choice of cosmetics to the world in their little plastic bag and shuffling through the metal detector shoeless, coatless, beltless and holding up my jeans with one hand, the thought “never again” has crossed my mind.  But as you walk into the airy double-volume lobby of  Hong Kong’s Hotel ICON flooded with natural light, the pervasive scent of flowers, and smiling staff, the rigours of the journey fade away like mist before the morning sun.  Suddenly thoughts of “never again” are replaced with thoughts of  “I’m never going home”. 

The Hotel ICON, a 5-star luxury design hotel, opened in 2011 in the Tsim Sha Tsui district of Hong Kong’s Kowloon peninsula. Although the hotel is Asian in its level of customer focus and philosophy, it has successfully blended both Asian and Western influences to create a sleek minimalist look with a restaurant and lounge designed by Sir Terence Conran, interiors by William Lim, and a suite by Vivienne Tam.  But is is a luxury hotel with a difference.  Apart from being a five-star hotel, it is also a teaching and research hotel built for the Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University School of Hotel and Tourism Management and wholly owned by the university.  As such, it is able to focus fully on customer service excellence rather than keeping shareholders happy.  Throughout the hotel there are over 100 well-chosen pieces of art curated by Freeman Lau to reflect Hong Kong’s vibrant spirit, some purely decorative (like the colourful backlit representation of the Hong Kong skyline in the elevators) and others functional (like the truly awe-inspiring sculptural wooden sofas in the lobby, designed by William Lim).  It is also a hotel with major green credentials, nicely represented by the two massive vertical gardens of living plants in the lobby and The Green restaurant.  But from the moment you arrive, it is their total focus on customer service that makes the biggest impression – as if somebody actually sat down and thought “hang on, never mind what’s easy for us – what do our guests really want?”.  For a start, check-in is totally paperless, so no loitering at the front desk filling in endless forms. If you are in a club room, you are whisked directly up to the Club Lounge on the 28th floor where you can enjoy a glass of champagne and some canapés until you sign in as a guest on an iPad brought to you by staff. It’s tempting to stay there all afternoon, but eventually I reluctantly allowed staff to lead me to my room.

 

HotelIconReception © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconArt2 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconArt3 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconLiftobbyArt © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconLobbySofa © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

hotelIconSofa © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HOTEL ICON – THE ROOMS

What are my three favourite words in the world when I’m travelling? “We’ve upgraded you.”  And so they had, from a standard Icon room to a Club 36 City and Harbour room.  These are by no means the largest or fanciest rooms in the hotel (there are still Club 38 rooms and suites), but they remain super-impressive with a roomy 36 square metres and some super cute design elements.  The look is sleek and masculine with dark colours and wood panelling, and I loved the curved wall and sliding door that screened the bathroom from the rest of the room.   Here’s a short video clip to show you what you can pack into 36 square metres:

 

 

The bathroom has both a bath and a quirky elliptical shower cubicle – but most impressive of all was flatscreen TV mounted on the wall at the foot of the bath.  The hotel wins bonus points for the generous toiletries kit which contained shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and bath/shower gel (all by Eau Fabuleuse by Leonard); shaving kit; dental kit with toothbrush, toothpaste and  mouthwash; shower cap; cotton pads and bud; and a comb in a natty leather case, all in a branded Icon toiletries bag. There were also fluffy robes and slippers, as well as supersized fluffy bath sheets (I never understand hotels that do not supply bath sheets!)  I also loved the circular in-mirror light both on the makeup mirror and the main bathroom mirror as hotel bathroom lighting is often dire enough to make make-up application a struggle. I loathe those wall-mounted hotel hairdryers that always burn your hand while failing to dry your hair and my heart sank when I saw one here.  But the good news is that there was a second proper hairdryer in the wardrobe, which was a great touch.

 

HotelIconBathroom2 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconBathroom3  © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconBathTV © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconBathroomAmenities © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

Back in the bedroom, the bed is a king-size with fantastically tactile cotton percale linen and along the opposite wall you will find a desk area with all the outlets, connections and plugs you could need to get your work done.  This is pretty standard for a hotel of this calibre – but what was more unusual was the gorgeous wooden box containing a comprehensive collection of stationery – marker pens, stapler, scissors, sticky tape – everything your heart could desire. Club rooms also contain a wireless printer – if you need to print a document, you simply e-mail it to a unique address and moments later it pops out of the printer in your room.  Don’t you hate it when you travel and find that the in-room safe is too small to fit your laptop?  No such worries here – the extra-roomy safe in the wardrobe drawer opens upwards and is large enough to fit a laptop comfortably.

 

HotelIconBedroom1 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconBedroom2 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconStationery © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HoteliconPrinter © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

 

Feeling peckish?  You’ve come to the right place. There is a Nespresso machine in the room as well as a kettle and a good selection of  Taylor’s of Harrogate teas.  Right by the coffee and tea station was a jar of Iced Gems and dried haw strips to snack on; and every evening when I got back to my room there was a fresh treat – one day it was macarons decorated with marshmallow flowers; another day it was choc-dipped strawberries.  But best of all, the Hotel ICON offers a free mini bar.  Yes, you read correctly.  Free.  Mini. Bar. You won’t get rip roaring drunk as it’s stocked with soft drinks, fruit juice, bottled water and one lone beer – but it’s free and it’s replenished daily.  For midnight snackers it also contains  Pringles, mini Snickers and Twix bars and healthy cereal bars. And once you have poured yourself a drink, step on over to the main attraction – the floor to ceiling windows through which you can lose yourself in the breathtaking view over the city and Victoria Harbour. Sink into the World’s Most Comfortable chair (the iconic Karuselli leather armchair designed in the 1960s by Finnish designer Yrjö Kukkapuro) and watch as the sun sets and the panorama before you becomes a sea of twinkling neon. Glamorous is an understatement.

 

HotelIconMacarons © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconChocStrawberries © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

 

HotelIconBedroom3 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HongKongNightView © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

And if you are feeling flush, you can always upgrade to the Club 65 of Club 85 Suites (65 and 85 square metres respectively) but for the ultimate in exclusivity I’d recommend the Vivienne Tam suite, personally designed by Tam, herself a graduate of the Polytechnic University.  This 79 square metre suite is inspired by Tam’s own New York apartment with a similar minimalist and airy aesthetic, as well as similar furniture, plentiful wood finishes and a marble bathroom with floor to ceiling windows. The centerpiece of the sparse living room is a curvaceous red statement sofa by the Bouroullec brothers and a beautiful Japanese cherry wood table apparently carved from a single tree trunk.  Tam has also accessorised the suite  with an eclectic collection of Chinese artwork, most notably a Tam-designed Opera Girl portrtait made entirely of Swarovski crystals.  But the real star is the view which floods in from the two glass walls of the living area.

 

HotelIconVivienneTamOperaGirl © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconVivienneTamSuite © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HOTEL ICON – DINING

For most hotel guests, the day at Hotel ICON starts at The Market on the 2nd floor, so that’s where I started on our first morning. The restaurant is designed to evoke the classic wet markets of Hong Kong so there are marble slabs laden with cold meats, cheeses and  smoked salmon alongside more classic options like fruit, cereals, excellent fresh juices and yoghurt as well as more unusual breakfast options like felafel and pita bread.  But the real excitement takes place in the hot section:  start off with a bowl of rice congee; go all full English with hash browns, crispy bacon and fried eggs; or do as I did and feast on excellent steamed dim sum with XO Sauce (probably the foodstuff I loved most on this trip!).  If you are inclined to breakfast in Japanese style, excellent miso soup was also on order as well shoyu tamago (Japanese soy sauce boiled eggs).  And if you still have room left, check out the beautiful sweet pastries and intriguing custards served in eggshell-shaped bowls.

 

HoteliconMarketSmokedSalmon © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconTheMarketBreakfastJuice © J Horak-Dryiff 2013

 

HotelIconBreakfastTheMarket © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconMarketBreakfastChefs © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconSalmon © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconAsianBreakfast © J HorK-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconEggs © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

If you are a Club room guest, you can also choose to have breakfast at Above & Beyond on the 28th floor.  This is part of the same space where we had come to sip champagne during check-in the day before, comprising a bar, a lounge styled like a chic members club/library and a dining area. Although there is still a small buffet selection of cold meats, cereals, fruits and such, the menu here is a la carte rather than the buffet style of The Market.  Let me assure you that there are few better ways to start your day in Hong Kong than seated at a table by a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Victoria Harbour and sipping on an excellent cappuccino! My sweet-toothed friend chose the  beautiful fluffy pancakes with fresh berries, while I could not resist the lure of the eggs Benedict, given an unusual twist by the addition of fried black pudding.  Above & Beyond also serves daily complimentary afternoon tea to Club room guests with an extensive array of sweet and savoury snacks; and at cocktail hour, Club gusts can return to enjoy complimentary cocktails and champagne together with excellent savoury canapés.  Above & Beyond is also home to an elegant restaurant serving traditional Cantonese dishes, and our wonderful lunch there will be covered in a separate post.

 

HotelIconAboveBeyondRoom © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconAboveBeyondBar © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

 

HotelIconAbove&BeyonfPancakes © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconAbove&BeyondEggsBenedict © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconClubLounge © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconClubLounge3 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconClubLOunge2 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconAfternoonTea © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconChampagne © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

If you are in the mood for something lighter and less formal, there is also The Green just off the main lobby.  This light, airy space below a massive vertical garden serves as a coffee shop by day and a bar by night and is open from 07h00 until midnight daily.

 

HotelIconTheGreen © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconGreenWall © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconTheGreenTables © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HOTEL ICON – LEISURE

I am not always the biggest fan of going to gym, but having seen photos of the Hotel ICON’s gym, I made sure I packed my trainers this time! Situated on the 9th floor rooftop and overlooking the city on one side and the outdoor pool on the other, it is without a doubt the best hotel gym I have ever set foot in.  The blue mosaic tiles reflect the blue of the pool, sky and harbour; and the airy juice bar at the entrance is a perfect place to relax post-workout. Inside the gym, the cardio and weight equipment was state-of-the art – I fell deeply in love with the newest Concept II indoor rower that I have ever had the pleasure of rowing on.  Running on the treadmill was also a lot less painful with a view over the pool and Hong KOn skyline to distract you, as well as a touch-screen in front of you allowing you to check e-mails and surf the net. If all gyms were more like this, I’d go all the time! I also love the fact that, mindful of the fact that many of their guests may be jet-lagged, the gym is open 24 hours, so if you can’t sleep at 03h00, there’s always a treadmill to distract you.

 

HotelIconGym1 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconTreadmills © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconConcept2 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconGymTreadmill © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

Something else that I packed as soon as I had checked out the Hotel Icon’s website was my bikini.  The hotel’s temperature-controlled outdoor pool is on the 9th floor adjacent to the gym and boasts fluffy towels, comfy pool loungers, and a killer view over Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong island. Coming back to the hotel after a day of Hong Kong’s sticky humidity and being able to take a dip in the pool was like a little piece of heaven. I even made sure that I managed to fit in an hour’s lounging on the sun loungers, and I’d highly recommend this to anybody staying at the hotel.  The pool itself is great for swimming laps, or just to dip into and cool off.

 

HotelIconPool2 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconNewPool © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HoteliIconPool1 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

There are few things that I love more than a spa treatment and often the hotels I stay in have wonderful spas – but by the time I get back to the hotel from sightseeing, they are often closed for the day.  Not so at the Hotel Icon… The Angsana Spa by Banyan Tree, also on the 9th floor adjacent to the gym and pool, stays open until midnight each night, meaning you can enjoy a full day’s sightseeing or business, have dinner, and then still fit in a spa treatment before bed.  The spa is run by Angsana which is well known for their luxury spas throughout the world and all therapists are trained at and accredited by the Banyan Tree Spa Academy in Thailand.  The spa comprises three singles and one VIP double treatment room which houses not only two treatment beds but also a private jacuzzi with a view over the city.  I chose to have a post-dinner 90-minute anti-ageing facial and I have to say that it was one of the most relaxing treatments I have ever had – I definitely dozed off!  Apart from that, their innovative combination of warm and cold therapies left my skin feeling absolutely glowing with health – all wrinkles banished and straight to bed for me!

 

HotelIconSpa © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

Probably my favourite aspect of the Hotel Icon’s commitment to customer service is the concept of the Timeless Lounge.  You know that annoying gap between when you arrive at the hotel and when your room is ready for check-in? Or the even worse gap after you’ve checked out and before you leave for the airport, when you feel like come sort of refugee, repacking your suitcase in the hotel lobby and trying to get changed in the lobby restrooms? Forget all that at Hotel Icon, as they have introduced the forward-thinking concept of the Timeless Lounge, a private lounge on the 9th floor available to guests before or after check-in/check-out.   The lounge is quiet, stylish and features comfortable armchairs ideal for napping, complimentary Nespresso coffee, Taylors of Harrogate teas, fridges stocked with soft drinks, magazines, newspapers and free wifi.  Access to the timeless lounge also includes access to the gym, spa and pool, meaning you can do as I did and spend your final hours in Hong Kong swimming at dusk, showering in the roomy health club showers and arriving at the plane as fresh as a daisy, not frazzled and sweaty.    And if that does not endear you to the Hotel Icon forever, nothing will.

 

HotelIconTimelessLounge © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconPoolNight1 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconNightPool2 © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

HotelIconMoonrise © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

GETTING THERE

We flew to Hong Kong very comfortably on Cathay Pacific which flies five times daily to Hong Kong from London Heathrow – prices to fly to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific start at £589.  To book your flights, visit www.cathaypacific.co.uk.

 

STAYING THERE

Club 36 rooms like the one I stayed in start at a (very reasonable for a 5-star hotel) £183 per night, or £170 for an Icon room that does not include all the facilities I mentioned above.  For more information and booking, visit www.hotel-icon.com.

Hotel ICON
17 Science Museum Road
Tsim Sha Tsui East
Kowloon
Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 3400 1000
Fax:(852) 3400 1001
Email:[email protected]
Reservations:[email protected]

 

GOOD TO KNOW

For more information on visiting Hong Kong and things to do in Hong Kong, visit the Hong Kong Tourist Board website.

 

DISCLOSURE:  I travelled to Hong Kong and stayed at the Hotel Icon as a guest of the Hong Kong Tourist board but received no further remuneration to write this post and all opinions are my own. 

For other bloggers’ opinions on the Hotel Icon, see Cherie City’s review;  Noah May’s piece in the Arbuturian and Jayne’s review.

 

CathayPacific © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

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  1. Firefly - Jonker says

    December 2, 2013 at 10:05 am

    What an absolute pleasure this trip must have been. The fact that you got this invite from Hong Kong says books about what they think of your blog. I barely get anything out of town.

    Reply
  2. Sally - My Custard Pie says

    December 2, 2013 at 10:25 am

    Loving the stationery box! And the hanging gardens, and that eggs benedict with black pudding, and the view…..

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      December 2, 2013 at 4:19 pm

      Isn’t that stationery bow the best?? Even the empty box is desirable! I wish I could hvae hanging gardens like that at home but I imagine the maintenance would be quite something. All eggs benedict should henceforth be made with black pudding 😉 You would *so* love this hotel!

      Reply
  3. Andrew says

    December 2, 2013 at 4:37 pm

    Champagne and canapes on arrival!!! That must be the best way to start a luxury stay, at least in my book…. look at this place! fantastic, I’m surprised you ever left the hotel.

    Reply
  4. Urvashi Roe says

    December 2, 2013 at 8:25 pm

    Wow! I want to live here! Love those macarons! And that stationery set. Brilliant.

    Reply
  5. Clare says

    February 22, 2015 at 7:14 pm

    THANK YOU for such an interesting, comprehensive review of your stay at the Hotel Icon Hong Kong in Dec 2013! I have booked to stay there in March. I’ve only just read your article but am now even more excited than ever about my upcoming trip because of your enthusiastic, detailed comments!! :-). Can’t wait.

    Reply
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(The beautiful street art is London Hearts by @akajimmyc)
📸: @girl_travelsworld
Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a p Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a picture of a Moorish palace, a castle or a cathedral? And that you can get to it from central London in under an hour?

This is Crossness Pumping Station @crossnesset , a Grade I listed heritage site and one of London's last remaining magnificent Victorian sewage (!) pumping stations in Abbey Wood near Rainham. 

Did you know that...

💩 You can visit the building on monthly open days - the next one is Sun 20 Feb. Book at www.crossness.org.uk

💩  It was only in 1856, after 3 major cholera outbreaks in 30 years and the Big Stink when the stench of London's sewage finally reached Parliament, that construction of an intercepting sewer system for the city was approved.  The system (parts of which are still in use today) was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, Chief Engineer of London's Board of Metropolitan Works at the time.

💩  At Crossness, all London's sewage from south of the river was was raised by 9-12 metres to large reservoirs so that gravity would cause it to flow further east and into the Thames estuary. (Yes, until the 1880s, raw sewage was simply pumped into the Thames!)

💩 The incoming liquid was raised by the four enormous steam driven pumps, built to Joseph Bazalgette's design. The pumps were named Victoria, Prince Consort, Albert Edward, and Alexandra. They are thought to be the largest remaining rotative beam engines in the world, with 52-ton flywheels and 47-ton beams. 

💩 The pumping station was decommissioned and abandoned in the 1950s but declared a listed building in 1970.  Although all 4 beam engines remain in place, they were so damaged that today (thanks to the efforts of the Crossness Engines Trust) only Prince Consort has been restored to working condition and can be seen in action on open days.

💩 The exuberant and colourful wrought ironwork inside is the amazing work of architect Charles Henry Driver. My favourite detail is the fact that the pillars in the central atrium are topped with stylised figs and senna pods... two of nature's greatest natural laxatives 🤣
*NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta ch *NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts

Ever noticed how you are affected by colours? 🌈

Maybe some colours make you agitated and some make you relaxed. Or maybe you find yourself inexplicably attracted to a particular colour (oh, hi teal and aqua!💙). On the basis that all colours have a wavelength, and that those outside the visible spectrum can affect us, it makes sense that the colours we see can affect our mood or even our physiology. Did you know for instance that exposure to red light can increase your blood pressure and heart rate? Are there any colours that you find yourself particularly attracted to or affected by?

The pretty colours of these roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts will be the first things that attract you to this dish - but it is the delicious combination of flavours and textures that will keep you coming back for more!

The recipe (and more about how colour affects us mentally and physically) is now live on my blog - click the live link in my profile and remember to like and bookmark this post to see more Cooksister in your Instagram feed ❤️
Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something.

Perspective is the one thing that the Covid-19 pandemic has given us plenty of. It has certainly made us re-evaluate what is truly important, and also what we did and didn't enjoy about our lives  before the pandemic and its associated lockdowns. It made me appreciate how much happiness my house, my job, my friends, my own company and my running bring to my life (and how fortunate I am to have all these things). But it also brought home how much I enjoy and miss travel, the theatre, and the luxury of reataurant visits at the drop of a hat. I don't think words can describe my joy at sipping the first coffee purchased from a coffee shop in summer 2020 as lockdown eased. It's the little things...

One of the things I have enjoyed and will not miss as the world creeps back to normality is the absence of crowds in what is usually a crowded city. On the occasions that I have been in central London since the start of the pandemic, streets have been blissfully empty and it has felt as if I were discovering my city anew. This glorious perspective (hah!) of St Paul's Cathedral normally requires a long wait while a queue of tourists and "influencers" ahead of you pose for photos - but on this glorious day last Spring it was almost deserted. I will miss that...

Is there anything you will miss as Covid-19 restrictions start to be lifted?
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts

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