Transit from HKG to the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong was easy like Wednesday morning, taking about a 20 minute drive during a beautiful sunrise. I looked down at my iPhone which read 5:25am and wondered if our room would be ready. HA. Funny joke, Lesley. By now, I realized the typical check-in time is anywhere from 2 to 3pm. So we had about 8 hours and counting. I guess the pool terrace would do in the interim.

The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong is situated atop Elements Shopping Mall (where escalators conveniently link the MTR Kowloon Station stop with Elements) and occupies the top 16 floors of the International Commerce Center. Only a 5 minute drive from Tsim Sha Tsui ferry station, you can’t ask for better Hong Kong real-estate. Arriving with wrinkled clothes and probably too many bags, I was helped out of the cab and into the lobby by the kind bellman. I hadn’t arrived just yet as check-in was 103 floor up! One thing was for certain – I was about to capture some amazing Hong Kong views.

The Room + Club Access

I made my way to check-in, knowing I’d most likely have a good 8 hours to kill until I could shower that international travel off of myself. It’s a good thing the Ritz-Carlton has service and timing down to an art. At 5:30am, I was quickly showed to my beautiful deluxe room (out of their 312 total rooms) complete with expansive views of Victoria Harbour below. Swooooooon. I was so awake yet so ready to jump in the plush bed, pull the shades down and bask in this luxury. PAH-LEASE. Didn’t I remember the #1 rule of international travel? Don’t go to sleep upon arrival. It’ll screw with your internal clock more than that international flight already did! City exploration awaited…

What I loved most about this particular room wasn’t its location 107 floors off the ground or that the bathtub had a TV(!). My travel companion and I were included in the Club Level. If you aren’t familiar with its benefits, allow me to introduce them…

• 24 hour access to the lounge, situated 1,525 ft above sea level. Do you know what this meant? It meant wine at midnight. It meant pancakes at 8am. It meant afternoon tea when I felt like it. It meant HEAVEN, basically.
• Views on views on views. With floor-to-ceiling windows of Victoria Harbour, it was impossible to leave our complimentary breakfast every morning, but somehow we managed.
• Club Concierge. Ask them anything. They are all-knowing!
• Guest Recognition by name. Feel important.
• Complimentary drop-off service in Kowloon. This was my favorite perk of all. Do you know how fun driving around in the hotel’s Tesla is? FUN.

OZONE Bar

Welcome to the highest bar in the world. Care for a drink?

Uhm, yes please! I’ll also have the tandoori chicken lollipops, thanks. Many people of course come from all over the city to experience these unbeatable views up in the clouds. We, however, were staying inside the hotel, an easy elevator ride down to floor 107. To end our evening on top of the world?! C’est la vie(w).

The Amenities

Past the Club Lounge, OZONE bar, and the six different eateries on site, possibly my favorite amenity out of them all lived on the 118th floor in an expansive wellness area filled with treadmills, weights, an infinity pool with ceiling mounted LED screen, and views I couldn’t walk away from. How to stay fit while traveling, you ask? Easy. Find a gym that’s hard to leave!

Many thanks to Fiona, Camille and everyone on property for making our stay unforgettable. The Road Les Traveled was welcomed on property as a guest, but our opinions remain our own.