A grand return to the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong

Returning to the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong after years away conjures up a heady mix of nostalgia for the past and excitement for the future. Tama Miyake Lung checks in

As someone who has spent their fair share of time at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong – first on visits to the legendary Club JJ’s during the much-loved nightclub’s heyday, then as a resident of the neighbouring Convention Plaza Apartments, and later as a frequent guest of its restaurants, spa and event spaces – returning for a three-night stay after several years away from the city feels a bit like coming home.

We arrive at the hotel’s grand – because there really isn’t a better word to describe it – lobby with its three-storey-high ceilings and massive floral arrangement flanked by two curvilinear staircases late on a rainy evening and are immediately comforted by an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. While the Grand Hyatt has undergone a series of updates since it opened in 1989, much of it seems to remain stuck in a time when black marble and shiny gold fixtures were the epitome of style.

But, as we later discover for the first time in all our visits, the lobby was in fact inspired by the glamour and exuberance of the Art Deco era with its spaciousness, columns and even indoor water features meant to remind guests of a luxury cruise liner in the swinging 1930s. It makes a lot more sense now, even if it still feels a bit outdated for this century.

After a breezy check-in, we head for our room and begin to see the results of the hotel’s most recent multimillion-dollar renovation completed in 2018. The four-year-long project by Melbourne-based BAR Studio to refresh all 542 guestrooms and suites also included the corridors, which feature a sophisticated blend of richly- hued textures and subtle nods to our Asian location. The East-meets-West theme continues in the room, where black lacquered Ming Dynasty-style chairs and a Chinese landscape painting sit alongside a minimalist grey leather sofa and tasteful black-and-white print
of a roaring waterfall. The most unique aspect of the renovation, however, is the blending of space between the bedroom and bathroom with a large bathtub dividing the two rooms rather than a wall as one would expect. While it feels a bit disconcerting, the open-play layout means that no matter where you are in the room, your eye is drawn to the wall of windows offering incredible views west to IFC or across the harbour to Kowloon.

BAR Studio also renovated the two Presidential Suites and five Ambassador Suites occupying the top three floors of the hotel, with designs inspired by the different personalities of high-profile guests who have stayed in the past. Options include Classic Traditional, Contemporary Eclectic, Aristocratic Adventurer or Bohemian Chic, all with access to a private two-storey lounge that serves complimentary breakfast, evening cocktails and canapés as well as free-flowing champagne all day long.

Our standard room includes breakfast at the ground- floor Grand Café , a fixture of the hotel since its opening that has been completely updated with a bold, modern design and a plethora of stations from which to sample cuisines from every corner of the world. Enticing as the buffet is, we can’t resist ordering the Hong Kong Tray Set from the à la carte menu. The steaming bowl of congee – with garoupa in our case – and assortment of dim sum is just what we needed after our long journey.

Later the same day, after borrowing an umbrella and traipsing through the rain across Hong Kong Island, we decide to check out the newest of the Grand Hyatt’s 12 F&B outlets. LIPS Cocktails & Theatre is an immersive entertainment venue that is described as part cocktail bar, part urban theatre and part late-night soirée. Open since April in what was once a private room on the second floor of the Grand Hyatt Steakhouse, the nightlife venue is the brainchild of former L’Oréal executive and F&B consultant Benoit Lavaud and his wife Nicole, who specialises in luxury event and destination wedding planning. Each night sees a roster of stand-up comedians, magicians, singers, live bands and DJs taking the stage while guests sip on “performance-inspired interactive cocktails” and small bites like foie gras lollipops and a grilled brie and black truffle sandwich.

We arrive at LIPS as a duo is belting out pop tunes and taking requests from the audience before serenading one of the guests for their birthday. The setting is cosy and intimate, with lounge-style velvet chairs mixed with plush velvet sofas, small round tables and a low-slung mirrored ceiling. We order a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, which are perhaps designed more for Instagram than our palates. But the real show is on stage, where the singers are soon followed by a magician who kicks things off by inviting a volunteer to assist an act involving an apple and 30 needles. LIPS is certainly a fun night out if you’re looking to be entertained and not engrossed in conversation. We eventually make our leave with a smile at the unexpected amusement of it all.

While we wish we could visit all of the hotel’s bars and restaurants – especially One Harbour Road for
dim sum and Peking duck, Kaetsu for sushi and tempura, and the Grand Hyatt Steakhouse for a USDA Prime rib eye and full-bodied Bordeaux– we’re more than happy to accept an offer to try Grissini’s new seasonal weekend brunch. As with the rest of the hotel, the Italian eatery has undergone a makeover and now boasts a more family-friendly casual chic ambience. Nevertheless, the food remains as refined as ever from the freshly baked breadsticks to the traditional Italian antipasti
and crowd-favourite main dishes.

The new weekend brunch menu, designed by chef de cuisine Valerio Mandile, includes a variety of drink packages, from which we choose the Italian Bubble with prosecco, Aperol Spritz, Bellini, Mimosa and more, and a choice of main along with a selection of antipasti and desserts to share. Everything from the poached Gillardeau oyster with oyster leaf and the deep-fried calamari to the Atlantic lobster spaghetti with Piennolo tomatoes is bursting with colour, texture and flavour. Our favourite is the spaghetti, a perfectly sized portion of homemade pasta in a rich lobster bisque topped with a seared lobster tail. The service, we should add, is impeccable, as it has been throughout our stay.

We decide to walk off our meal by exploring the rest of the hotel to see what’s changed and what
hasn’t since our last visit. Thankfully, our favourite spot – the 11th floor housing the 50-metre outdoor heated swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness centre, two tennis courts, a golf simulator, jogging track and playground – is just as we remember it. The oasis-like pool and its al fresco bar and grill are one of Hong Kong’s hidden gems, as is the Plateau Spa just a few steps away.

We didn’t indulge this visit, but have enjoyed many a treatment and even an overnight stay at the spa, which is unique in its self-contained resort concept with 10 guestrooms and suites in addition to 13 treatment rooms with en-suite bathrooms. The Zen-like sanctuary will always be one of our favourite places to escape, unwind and regain a sense of balance.

So while it’s comforting to know the essence of the Grand Hyatt remains the same as it marks its 35th anniversary this year, we’re also happy to discover the strides it’s making to reduce its impact on the environment. After creating a Green Committee with participation from all departments in 2022, the hotel achieved the EarthCheck Benchmark Bronze Accreditation last year in recognition of its efforts to
cut carbon emissions, water use, and plastic and food waste. So far it has reduced energy consumption by 12.7% compared to 2019, eliminated and replaced 414,000 single-use plastic items, and last year donated the equivalent of 16,495 meals to the Foodlink Foundation. It also swapped out all of its plastic key cards for ones made with responsibly sourced wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

The hotel’s ESG efforts extend to collaborations with various charities to promote climate-friendly farming, drive awareness of local environmental issues, and support the well-being of Hong Kong children and ethnic minorities, all recently introduced initiatives that the staff we spoke to seem genuinely excited about.

It was the American novelist Thomas Wolfe who coined the adage “you can’t go home again”, and maybe he’s right. But maybe you can go to a place that feels like home and find it’s even better than you remember.

Also see: HKBAC attracts high-profile travellers with JetLink Service