Cordis Hong Kong is in the heart of Mong Kok, one of the busiest areas in Kowloon.
Photo / Supplied
Cordis Hong Kong is in the heart of Mong Kok, one of the busiest areas in Kowloon.
Photo / Supplied
Maureen Marriner stays at the Cordis Hotel in Hong Kong and finds a swimming pool to accommodate a small sports team.
Location: It is a half-hour drive from Hong Kong International Airport airport. It’s only a couple of minutes if you are coming from the cruise terminal on the edge of the Tsim Sha Tsui peninsula. The hotel is in the heart of Mong Kok, one of the busiest areas in Kowloon.
First impression: Spacious, lots of glass, powerful artworks.
Style: Big (42 floors and 665 rooms) but not brash, with food options to suit all tastes.
The Cordis Hong Kong's spacious lobby with lots of glass and powerful artwork.
Photo / Supplied
Perfect for: Any visitors to Hong Kong who want to be in the middle of the buzz. It is only 1km from Victoria Harbour and close to bus and rail links.
Check-in experience: We had come in with a couple of dozen other cruise ship passengers and we arrived before the usual check-in time so it was a bit like herding cats for a while but then we were smoothly dealt with and dispersed. Touches like the huge central chandelier in the lobby were recognisable from the Auckland Cordis, as is the hotel’s signature scent, which is called Sparkling Mint.
The room: We chose a Club Deluxe room on the 36th floor. I had booked during uncertain Covid times and wanted the comfort of familiarity. The Signature bed is a joy, there’s a glass desk, an armchair and ample storage and vertiginous views.
A Spa Suite bedroom at Cordis Hong Kong. Photo / Supplied
The bathroom: Large marble room with bath and separate rain shower. Also a glass wall through to the bedroom and a view out to other skyscrapers. An electric blind provides privacy but other controls allow you to choose your volume level if you want to watch television.
Facilities: The gym is well equipped and if you don’t want to break a sweat the Chuan Spa is nearby for treatments, massages and facials. You can also join a tai chi class. On the 40th floor is the warm, open-roofed 20m swimming pool with padded loungers and two covered cabanas either side of the even-warmer spa pool, which could seat a small sports team. During our visits to the pool there were at least two attendants on duty.
The rooftop swimming pool at Cordis Honk Kong. Photo / Supplied
Food and drink: Club room means you have access to the multi-room Club Lounge, also on the 36th floor. At any time you can go in and make tea or coffee or get a soft drink from the fridge and, to go with, there is a choice of cookies, puff-pastry palmiers, and jars of sweets.
From 10am to 9pm the Lounge has attentive and efficient staff who slot in afternoon treats - sweet and savoury - then pre-dinner drinks and canapes - think three hot finger-food dishes, smoked salmon, soup, warm rolls, salads, panna cotta, red bean cake. And for an after-dinner glass of something, there are large swing chairs so you can sway gently as you enjoy the sparkling view.
Club level also means breakfast is included and is served in The Place, a lobby-level buffet restaurant with a never-ending supply of fresh food for all palates. Healthy eating took a holiday when I discovered the thick and fluffy French toast with homemade fruit jam, thick cream and icing sugar. Twice.
The Club Lounge on the 36th floor of Cordis Hong Kong. Photo / Supplied
Noise: Unsurprisingly, nothing from outside and I was unaware if we had neighbours.
In the neighbourhood: All of Kowloon and its two million people. A bridge from the hotel goes into Langham Place, a frenetic mall where the upper age seems to be mid-20s. The shopping options on the street are superb and run from the eye-wateringly expensive couture brands to the fabulously fake.
Just over a block from the hotel is Ladies Market, which seems to run 11am to 11pm for clothing, homewares and luggage and where haggling rules. Half of Hong Kong seems to wear trainers and Mong Kok even has its Sneaker St. Also close to the hotel is the colourful Fa Yuen market favoured by locals, with lower prices and little haggling.
A taxi ride takes you to the Star Ferry terminal, where you can chug across the Fragrant Habour to Hong Kong Island with its large shopping centres, Victoria Peak (try to pick a clear day) and historic sites.
Sustainability: Accredited with the EarthCheck Platinum certification, said to guarantee the highest standards of environmental management. The hotel says its food is fresh. locally sourced, seasonal and sustainable.
Family-friendly facilities: Accommodation in the Family Quad is a two-bedroom unit with one king bed and two twins plus your own kitchen.
