The place to be in Hong Kong

MANILA, Philippines - I peeked at the bill my wife paid when we checked out of the Hong Kong Peninsula Hotel and I silently screamed, “Ouch!”

My wife has known that I’ve been hankering to stay at the Peninsula Hong Kong for quite a while so for our anniversary, she surprised me with a one-night stay at the legendary landmark hotel of Hong Kong. I frequently visit Hong Kong but could never afford even the cheapest room at the Peninsula which is more expensive than the famed Raffles Singapore.

Was it worth the money staying at Peninsula Hong Kong? I guess that depends on each individual’s standards.

For me, it’s a big “yes” for the room and a “hmmm” for the hotel’s much-raved Chinese restaurant Spring Moon. Peninsula Hong Kong is celebrating its 85th anniversary and is offering several celebratory deals on stays on their newly-renovated rooms, spa packages and gastronomic delights at their food outlets.

My wife booked the cheapest room at the hotel (around P35,000 per night including taxes). I was informed by a friend that some consolidators or hotel-room web vendors were offering Hong Kong Peninsula rooms a bit lower than what my wife paid for. We were assigned a newly-renovated room on the 27th floor.

The bed and pillows in our room were top-of-the-line and very comfy. Kind of staying at the lap of luxury. The flat-screen HDTV was 55 inches with a Blu-ray DVD player to match. There were video tablets on both sides of the bed that contained controls for temperature, lights, etc. The marble his and hers bathroom was spacious and even had a flat-screen TV in the bathtub for viewing while soaking in the tub.

The room had high-tech amenities at every nook and cranny — appearing and disappearing mirrors and power outlets at the touch of a button. The high-tech coffee maker hidden beside the TV had a variety of teas and coffee but took us awhile to figure out how to operate. Service was always with a smile with promptness and courtesy. 
I haven’t dined at Spring Moon, the fine dining Chinese restaurant on the second floor for over a decade and I was excited to return. I’ve had such good gastronomic memories of the restaurant. It has undergone renovation and looks much better but a little darker. Checking the menu, I was floored upon seeing a serving of gourmet Abalone that costs HK$13,000 (about P75,000 including service charge). My wife, knowing how much I love to nibble on appetizers and entrees, ordered a tasting menu that costs about P7,000 per person and featured small portions of cubed Wagyu beef, crispy suckling pig, steamed cod and birds-nest soup. In line with the worldwide clamor to stop the reckless killing of sharks for shark fin soup, the Peninsula Hong Kong has taken it off its menu which used to occupy a good two pages.

The buffet lunch at Verandah on the hotel’s second  floor was better with its wide choice of fruits and desserts. The airy setting and ambiance makes the food more enticing. The biggest draw of the Hong Kong Peninsula is the afternoon tea at the lobby from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Day in, day out, even during stormy weather, you’ll always see a long queue waiting to get seats even if the price for a cover is around HK$1,000 Hong Kong. The three-layered tray of snacks and sweets is more than enough to sate two hearty appetites. It’s much coveted because it’s one of the few places in Hong Kong to be seen and rub elbows with celebrities and the rich and famous.
The highlight of my stay was the trip to the airport on the long wheelbase Rolls Royce Phantom that was especially designed for the Hong Kong Peninsula. I savored every second of the 30-minute ride in a car I only see in movies and TV. As we checked in for our economy seats on the Philippine Airlines flight to Manila, people on queue to check in were wondering why I had a wide dreamy smile on my face. My wife whispered, “Wake up. You’re back on Earth.”