MANILA, Philippines – Rising in the bustling industrial area of Kowloon East in Hong Kong is the first international brand hotel – Pentahotel Hong Kong, which only opened last August.
Philstar.com’s Pacquiao-Rios coverage team had the privilege to stay there for three nights before departing for the fight in nearby Macau.
True to its brand, which has branches in Europe and China, Pentahotel Hong Kong also offers the same cozy and neighborhood lifestyle to free-spirited and independent-minded travellers. Its interior design gives you a distinct feel of Europe and New York blending well with Hong Kong’s arts and pop culture.
The 32-storey building is an eight-minute walk from the Diamond Hill MTR station, which is the counterpart of Philippines’ MRT. They also offer shuttle services (scheduled) to downtown and some of its popular destinations.
Inspired by New York loft-style apartments, every room is compact but efficiently designed with comfortable beds and fluffy pillows and equipped with a 37-inch LED TV (with cable channels) mounted on the wall.
There’s also a smartphone docking station located beside the bed which comes in handy for tech-savvy people. Another feature is an easy-to-use safety deposit box located below an open space closet area beside the bed nearest to the door.
The bathroom is also compactly designed with a toilet bowl adjacent to an enclosed shower area where you have a choice between a hand held shower or rain shower head. The toiletries are pretty complete with a hair dryer tucked below the sink. The only thing noticeably missing in the bathroom is a toilet sprayer, which can be replaced by the hand held shower as the cord can extend outside the shower area.
The rooms also have a mini refrigerator which keeps cold drinks (not free of course) next to a built-in desk but a couple of mineral drinking water is provided as complimentary for hotel guests.
What sets Pentahotel Hong Kong apart from other hotels is its Pentalounge, which seamlessly combines a lobby, reception area, bar and café into a single venue.
The cozy atmosphere in the receiving area is lit up by a nicely set-up fire place and a pool table in the side. A gaming room equipped with Wii and foosball plus an internet room with iMacs and a music station provide you free entertainment which makes the Pentalounge a real gathering place for hotel guests.
The check-in process is quite high-tech requiring you to register via iPad and folio signatures. A big plus is its hotel-wide free wifi.
Right beside the receiving area and front desk is the hotel’s restaurant. The rooms are bundled with daily complimentary buffet breakfast which consists of rice, dimsum, noodles, bacon, hash brown, fried eggs and omelette (cooked to order), fruits, salads, cereals, soup, mushrooms, bread, jams and pastries plus coffee, tea and juices for drinks.
Pentahotel also houses a fitness gym and an outdoor pool. It also offers large rooms for group seminars and conventions complete with breaktime area that has a popcorn booth and refreshment bar.
If you’re looking for a cozy hotel where comfort and entertainment is at premium, Pentahotel is the right place for you when traveling to Hong Kong.
For inquiries, visit agoda.com/pentahotel and www.pentahotel.com.