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 Salisbury Road, Kowloon
Hong Kong special administrative
region of P.R. of China
Tel: (852) 23666251
Fax: (852) 27224170
http://hongkong.peninsula.com/
by Manos Angelakis
 The Peninsula, Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui is one of the of the world’s legendary grand dame hotels. Completely renovated and refurbished in the late ‘90s, it has kept the elegance of a bygone era and the tradition of service excellence, and combined them with the most up-to-date technological innovations. In the Far East, it has been always considered one of the most prestigious addresses.
The world-famous lobby, massive columns with gold leafed capitals and potted palm trees where breakfast and afternoon tea is served, still shines in 1930s splendor; the suites overlook some of Hong Kong’s most spectacular views. The ambiance is still serene; no matter how crowded the hotel.
On arrival, the floor butler presented us with gold embossed, personalized stationary and bilingual business cards as well as a selection of full-sized designer bath soaps. We had a personal fax in the suite and there were multiline multi-port telephones all over plus internet access. The bathroom had full size bottles of shampoo, conditioner etc., not the miniature travel sizes offered in other hotels plus a “serene environment” enclosure where a guest can dial-up any number of  environments -- sunset color light, birds chirping, ocean lapping on an imaginary shore, mist etc. Gaddi’s, “the best French restaurant East of the Suez Canal” according to most travelers, was unsurpassed, as usual. This time, we also tried the hotel’s Spring Moon Chinese Restaurant and we thought it superb.
In December 2006, the Peninsula Hong Kong welcomed its latest fleet of 14 Rolls-Royce Extended Wheelbase Phantoms, all finished in signature Peninsula Green. The Peninsula has been using Rolls-Royce vehicles for almost 40 years beginning with the hotel's first order for seven Silver Shadows in 1970. That purchase made history for being the largest ever single order for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, and over the years, the Peninsula has set new records with each successive order, a trend that continues to this day
The shopping arcades, in the galleries overlooking the lobby, are still brimming with authentic luxury merchandise and real  antiques. One problem is still prevalent in Hong Kong, too many knockoffs and outright fakes fill stores in the shopping district and, unless you know your merchandise, it is very easy to be taken.
The Peninsula, is still our favorite Hong Kong hotel. The Kowloon location is extremely convenient, near the Star Ferry to Central, yet is somehow insulated from the din of the city. And we think that the addition of the pool and sundeck, the refurbished spa and the modern helipad on the newer tower’s roof make a superb hotel even better, if that’s possible.
A LuxuryWeb Gold Award is given to the Peninsula, Hong Kong.
© February 2006. All rights reserved.
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