“Welcome back at the Peninsula.” The “angels” of the Peninsula in Hong Kong are in white jackets and fine black-and-white striped trousers, greeting me with smiles and rescuing me from the chaos of arrivals at Hong Kong airport.
They don’t know it; they always say “welcome back,” but for me, it is truly a return. To the “best hotel east of Suez,” as it was once called. Today, it has everything that a five-star luxury hotel should offer, plus the charm and history that have now become an added bonus.
The Rolls-Royce glides silently through the tall, shabby buildings of the 1960s colony, cutting through the soft, sticky humidity of the rainy season. Victoria Peak is shrouded in clouds, and the road is enveloped in smog. From the cushioned and luxurious atmosphere of the limousine, it feels as if one is passing through an aquarium in a submarine. Upon arrival, a welcoming committee materializes (activated by the driver with his cellphone), composed of a doorman, bellhop, receptionist, and public relations officer.
We enter; the music has already begun.
The orchestra from the musicians’ balcony fills the hall with delightful notes free of any electronic hints. Pure live instrumental music from about ten musicians entertaining patrons during cocktail hour. Our procession weaves through a bewildered group of Americans in shorts and t-shirts, skips the reception, and advances impassively toward the suite assigned to us.
It goes without saying that it is larger than my home in Florence; in fact, the bathroom is the size of my studio. But it’s not just a matter of space. Luxury is also about harmony, taste, and high-quality materials that are pleasing to the touch. It’s not a suite to show off, but to enjoy, where one can relax and feel at ease. Then there’s a climate-controlled and dehumidified closet, which frankly, I have never encountered before. I wonder how happy my “tired” and sweaty Lacoste shirts will be.
Hong Kong, gateway to the East.
Skyscrapers, cutting-edge technologies, and unimaginable luxuries coexist with ancient villages, dingy noodle shops, and charming royal clubs. Rolls-Royces and junks ferry this people of the future into the firmament of the third millennium. The buildings we see today date back to the last century. The former protectorate is essentially a synthesis of three distinct areas in terms of history and appearance: Victoria Island, the historic center of the colony; Kowloon Peninsula, where the city has expanded; and the New Territories, with vacation resorts and ecological parks. There is little left of the British: Government House, Douglas Castle, and the elegant Flagstaff House, now a museum, are the most representative remnants. The more nostalgic do not overlook the Royal Yacht Club, the Royal Golf Club, or the Royal Jockey Club.
But it is precisely the contrast between East and West, between past and future, that makes Hong Kong captivating.
This is also why the gateway to the East has not changed after 1997; China needs a model to preserve and modernize at the same time, and it cannot afford to miss the train of Hong Kong. Too perfect, too rich, too useful… too beautiful. From the airplane, from the sea, from the shores of the bay, from the window of our hotel room. There aren’t many places to visit, but the visit itself is the experience. Driving up to the Peak, strolling through the Tiger Balm Garden, dining at the floating restaurants in Aberdeen, enjoying a drink above the 30th floor, indulging in shopping, or simply savoring the East on the streets, with the luxuries and privileges we hold dear. This and more can be done in one of the few remaining remnants of Europe in the Far East.
This is Hong Kong, this is what has been, and this is what will be. For a long time to come.
“The Pen,” as the Peninsula was referred to in the early 1930s, was built in 1928 and quickly gained a reputation as an excellent hotel, prompting many to start calling it by the diminutive. Between the two World Wars, Hong Kong was experiencing a period of great growth, but very few considered the location suitable at the time of its construction. The Pen, in fact, stands at the southernmost tip of the Kowloon Peninsula (hence the name), which is part of the mainland territories of the former British protectorate. At the time, everything that mattered in Hong Kong was on Victoria Island, and investors were not yet betting on the so-called New Territories. However, the Kadoorie brothers, Lawrence and Horace, members of a wealthy family originally from Baghdad, did not think so, and with remarkable foresight, they chose that very stretch of China to build the hotel, which they inaugurated on December 11, 1928. Back then, the railway passed right in front of the Peninsula, and travelers arrived at the nearby station after ten days of train travel from London via Paris, Berlin, Moscow, and Beijing. Americans were also among the arrivals, often taking advantage of the China Clipper, Pan American flights operated with seaplanes from San Francisco to Manila, via Macau and Hong Kong. For everyone, The Pen represented an oasis of luxury and comfort that was rarely expected in the Far East of that time.
Between 1948 and 1960, the Italian-Swiss Leo Gaddi served as the director of the Peninsula, leaving an indelible mark on the hotel’s style and opening the restaurant of the same name, Gaddi’s, which is still known as the best in Hong Kong. The hotel then went through alternating fortunes until 1994, when the new tower at the back was inaugurated and the historic building was reintroduced to the public after a long and elaborate makeover.
Today, the Peninsula in Hong Kong can be considered one of the best hotels in the world.
Here, luxury and refinement are skillfully combined with the most modern technology, but also where attention to the guest is total dedication, from the Rolls-Royce waiting at the airport to the reception staff at the door ready to welcome you. Its 300 rooms (132 in the new tower) are a rare blend of elegance and functionality. Small and large technological luxuries pamper the fortunate guests. The decor is classic European with Eastern influences, featuring lacquered woods and mother-of-pearl inlays. The bathrooms are made of white Carrara marble. Even the “modest” rooms measure over 40 square meters (the most spacious in Hong Kong), but it is in the numerous suites that the Peninsula truly excels, with the junior suites at 85 square meters, the famous Marco Polo Suite at 206 square meters, and the Peninsula Suite at 370 square meters. The latter was designed in collaboration with experts from the CIA and MI5 to provide not only comfort but also the highest level of security for the most exposed VIPs.
And the big names are not lacking, from the princes of Brunei to the royal family of Nepal, to musicians like Bryan Adams and Elton John, to businessmen like Bill Gates and Yves Piaget. And so on. The vast majority of them have preferred the legendary Marco Polo Suite, located in the historic wing of the hotel. The valet service is available 24 hours a day, and the Rolls-Royce with a driver perpetually on standby makes this suite a must for regulars at the Peninsula.
And finally, the restaurants.
The Chesa (Swiss), Spring Moon (Cantonese), The Verandah (all-day dining), the famous Gaddi’s, renowned as one of the best in the East, and then the phantasmagorical Felix. The latter, created by French architect and designer Philippe Starck, is a genuine leap into the future. In a cushioned high-tech atmosphere, the spaces are painted with colorful lights that animate the steel, aluminum, and crystal— the materials of Felix. All around is a breathtaking view of the bay, with sunset colors, lights, and yachts. Truly a creation by Starck, who designed every detail, from the elevator to the salt shaker, even depicting relatives and friends on the backs of the chairs.
But Felix is not just a restaurant; it also features a wine bar, an American bar, and even a small nightclub, The Crazy Box. The chef offers a happy blend of international and Eastern cuisine, still regarded as among the best… “east of Suez.”
Leaving all of this behind is not easy, but no worries. At the exit, the usual Rolls-Royce waits with its engine running, and at the airport, a valet will take care of our check-in. Goodbye, The Pen awaits our return!
