While I’ve been to Hong Kong a bunch of times and have tried out many different hotels (including the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong, Conrad Hong Kong, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Sha Tin, InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong, InterContinental Hong Kong, Marriott SkyCity Hong Kong), I hadn’t yet stayed at the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui.
While the Grand Hyatt is probably objectively better, it’s also exponentially more expensive. The Hyatt Regency paid rate was quite reasonable for my dates, at ~$200USD per night. It’s a Category 4 Gold Passport property, making a free night redemption 15,000 points per night. That’s actually a pretty good deal since rates at this hotel can often be $350+ per night, but given the good rate I got, it didn’t seem worthwhile.
Even Points + Cash would have cost 7,500 Gold Passport points plus $100 per night, so wasn’t as good of a deal to me as the paid rate.
Hyatt Gold Passport redemption rate at Hyatt Regency Hong Kong
Anyway, upon landing we took a taxi to the hotel. In Hong Kong, generally if I’m traveling with someone I’ll take a taxi, while if I’m traveling alone I’ll take the Airport Express. That’s because two tickets on the Airport Express are roughly the same cost as a taxi, and they don’t require a transfer at Kowloon station.
The Hyatt Regency is housed inside The Masterpiece building. The first 24 floors of the of the building are the Hyatt Regency, while the floors above that are residences.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong exterior
Since the Hyatt Regency is literally just off a side street in Kowloon, there’s an underground driveway for those arriving by car. Upon arrival we were welcomed by the bellmen and escorted to the third floor lobby.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong driveway
If you’re arriving by foot, there’s a side entrance to the hotel on the street level, where there’s also a mini-lobby.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong street level entrance
There’s one set of elevators that takes you between the two entrances and the third floor lobby, and then a separate elevator that takes you between the third floor lobby and the guest rooms.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong street level lobby
The Hyatt Regency’s lobby was simultaneously grand and bland, and there was no queue at check-in.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong lobby
The associate that checked me in was courteous, and as soon as he saw I was a Diamond member he explained that I could check-in at the Regency Club, though I preferred just getting checked in as quickly as possible and then going to my room. He was extremely thorough, and in addition to giving me a sheet with the Regency Club information, he went over every bullet point with me, as if it was an SAT prep course.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club information
I was assigned room 2311, a Club Harbour View King Room.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong elevators
Once off the elevator I turned right, and my room was the first one past the Regency Club. Can’t beat being right next to the Regency Club!
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong hallway
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong room entrance
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong floorplan
The room was a good size for a standard room in Hong Kong. There was an entryway with the bathroom to the left, and then the hallway led into the rest of the room.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Club Harbour King Room entrance
The room featured a comfortable king size bed, a chair with ottoman by the window, a desk, and a flat screen TV.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Club Harbour King Room
The room had a sliding door between the bathroom and the rest of the room, which made it feel a bit bigger.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Club Harbour King Room
There were a couple of conveniently located plugs near the desk, as well as a rolling chair and lamp.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Club Harbour King Room TV & desk
Also on the desk was what is hands down one of the coolest features about this hotel. All guests staying at the hotel receive a complimentary smartphone for the duration of their stay. This can be used as a wireless hotspot with unlimited mobile 3G internet access. Furthermore, you can make complimentary phone calls to the US, UK, Australia, Singapore, and China.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong free smartphone use
Given that I don’t typically use data while abroad and instead just use Wi-Fi, this is awesome. It allows me to stay connected while sightseeing. I can’t emphasize enough how awesome this is, and how I’d specifically stay at this hotel in the future for this feature alone. I can’t believe more hotels don’t offer this.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong free smartphone use
Anyway, back to the room. On the console below the TV was a Nespresso machine — pretty impressive for a Hyatt Regency, if you ask me. I’m not sure if they just have those in club rooms, or all rooms.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Club Harbour King Room TV
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Club Harbour King Room Nespresso coffee machine
Then by the window was a chair with an ottoman.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Club Harbour King Room chair with ottoman
We arrived at the hotel right around sunset, and the views were just stunning. Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities in the world, though it has been a while since I’ve visited. Within two seconds of looking out the window I fell in love with my favorite city again.
While hotels closer to the harbour will in theory have better views, I actually really like the view from the Hyatt Regency, since it’s further back in Kowloon. It really gives you perspective on how grand the Hong Kong skyline is, given that you see both Kowloon and Hong Kong Island from here.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Club Harbour King Room view at night
Just for comparison, if you don’t have a harbour view room you’ll look out over the back of Kowloon — not nearly as good of a view.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong city view
The bathroom was on the large size for a standard room, with a walk-in shower and tub in an enclosed area, and then a sink and toilet.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Club Harbour King Room bathroom
The water pressure in the shower was excellent, and there were both a rainforest showerhead as well as a handheld one.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Club Harbour King Room shower
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Club Harbour King Room bathtub
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Club Harbour King Room toilet
The toiletries were Portico branded, which I thought Hyatt had finally gotten rid of. Fortunately they seemed to be a different line than what Hyatt used to offer when Portico was the brand standard, as they weren’t nearly as offensive.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Club Harbour King Room toiletries
All-in-all it was a lovely room with an even better view. Wifi was fast, and I loved the wireless hotspot for when I was outside the hotel.
As I mentioned above, the Regency Club is on the 23rd floor, and was located immediately next to my room. It’s a large lounge, though did fill up quite a bit during breakfast and happy hour.
There’s a reception desk at the entrance, along with some couches.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club reception
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club seating
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club view
Then there’s the main room of the club lounge, which features tables and counter-top seating.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club
Then in the back there’s another room with more seating.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club
Complimentary evening drinks were available from 5:30PM till 7:30PM. While the lounge was physically a nice space, I thought the food spread was rather underwhelming for a property in Asia (which usually have among the best spreads, in my experience).
The drink selection was decent, with self serve wine, beer, booze, and soft drinks.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club evening happy hour
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club evening happy hour
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club evening happy hour
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club evening happy hour
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club evening happy hour
But the food spread itself was lame. There were veggies, salad, salmon, crackers, and a couple of types of bread.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club evening happy hour
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club evening happy hour
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club evening happy hour
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club evening happy hour
Then there was a dessert spread with some cake, eclairs, etc.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club evening happy hour
And then they had a menu, which consisted of just two things — spring rolls and vegetable buns, and you could order as many of those as you wanted.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club evening happy hour
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club evening happy hour
Unlike some other club lounges in Asia, this spread certainly wasn’t a dinner substitute.
As far as breakfast goes, it was available from 6:30AM till 10AM on weekdays, and for an hour longer on weekends. Again, the spread wasn’t especially good, with mostly continental options.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club breakfast
There were several types of bread, pastries, croissants, muffins, cereal, muesli, yogurt, etc.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club breakfast
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club breakfast
Then they had salad, sandwiches, and a few hot options.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club breakfast
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club breakfast
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club breakfast
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club breakfast
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club breakfast
In addition to the buffet, there was also a small menu you could order from, which changed daily.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Regency Club breakfast
While I wasn’t very impressed by the spread in the club lounge, the service was fantastic. The attendants were always eager to please, especially Annie. She had remembered my drink preference by the second morning, which I always appreciate. They were also extremely attentive with clearing plates and offering items off the menu.
The hotel also has a decent fitness center on the 10th floor. It’s not especially big and the equipment isn’t the most modern, but it did the trick.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong gym
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong gym
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong gym
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong gym
Then one floor below is the entrance to the pool, which is shared with the residences in the building. I didn’t use it (I know I’m weird, but unless I’m in Bali or Florida I prefer indoor pools), but it looked decent enough.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong pool
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong pool
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong pool
Should you stay on Hong Kong Island or in Kowloon?
One question I’m often asked is whether I prefer staying on Hong Kong Island or in Kowloon. For those of you not familiar with Hong Kong geography, Hong Kong Island and Kowloon are separated by Victoria Harbour, so it’s a quick 10 minute ferry or subway ride to get between the two.
The Hyatt Regency is in Kowloon, while the Grand Hyatt is on Hong Kong Island.
Which location do I prefer? To be honest, I don’t really have a strong opinion one way or another. There are pros and cons to each.
Pros to Hong Kong Island:
- It’s much cleaner, and there’s more high end shopping
- It’s closer to Stanley Market and Victoria Peak
- A lot of Hong Kong’s top restaurants are on the Island
Pros to Kowloon:
- It has a much more “local” feel, as it’s where most locals live (while Central/Hong Kong Island would be more the equivalent of the financial district)
- It has views of Hong Kong Island, which really are the best views there are
- It’s closer to the Ladies Market and airport
- It’s generally more pedestrian friendly — while Hong Kong Island is pretty centralized, it’s surprisingly pedestrian unfriendly
So there really are pros and cons to both, and since it’s just 10 minutes to get between the two, I don’t really have a preference as to which “side” I stay on.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong bottom line
I was extremely impressed by the Hyatt Regency. The rooms were fresh, the service was great, and the club lounge was physically a nice space. The fact that they had smartphones with unlimited 3G and international calling was possibly my favorite feature, though.
The food spread in the club lounge was disappointing, though given what I paid it’s tough to argue with the value of staying here.
I’d definitely return.
If you’ve stayed at the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui, what was your experience?
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