Web Resources

Page 1 | 2 | 3

PENINSULA HONG KONG
My friend Natalie and I arrived right on time and once we cleared Hong Kong customs, we found one of the Peninsula Hotel's famous bellmen waiting for us with a name card. The Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong opened in 1928 and has the largest fleet (14) of Rolls Royce Phantom's but he escorted us to a phat Mercedes, waiting with a driver. Don't feel too bad because they drove us around a couple of times in the Rolls. Only one word can describe both experiences: outrageous. Each time we hopped in and buckled the seatbelt (it's the law and they're strict), the white-gloved driver offered us a mini bottle of Fiji water. What a way to begin a drive! The ferry terminal is on the Hong Kong Island side and the Peninsula Hotel, which is arguably one of the world's most famous and prestigious hotels in the world, is on the Kowloon side. The driver said it would take 30 minutes but traffic was light going under the tunnel so it took just fifteen.

MY ROOM
When Natalie and I pulled up to the 30-storey, 300-room hotel, an army of porters attacked the car, grabbed our bags and escorted us to the front desk; actually they whisked us up to our room where they did the check-in. The ornate lobby was crowded with tourists waiting in line to take part in afternoon English-style high tea, served daily from 2pm to 7pm. Cost: HK$238 ($30USD) for one person, HK$338 ($43USD) for two. We all know that service at hotels in Asia can't compare to the rest of the world and the Peninsula just takes this exemplary service to another level; the bellman even remembered my name. The service is unreal. I practically spit out my teeth when I learned that somehow we'd got upgraded from a standard room to a grand deluxe harbor view room suite that had three rooms (one bedroom) that overlooked Victoria Harbour. In addition, there were remote control blinds in all the rooms including the marble bathroom with a high-tech Jacuzzi. There was a separate entrance for the butler/maid but for the little things, we were never disturbed. Instead, they dropped off the newspaper, any laundry/polished shoes off in the "valet" (a cubby hole). The room's lights and temperature could be controlled from the phone. On top of all this, there was complimentary wireless Internet access, free local calls, use of the fitness center and swimming pool, two bottles of Fiji water left by the bed each night and an antique telescope to stargaze ... or peep into other hotel rooms! I felt like a kid in the candy store. The worst part: The room was so nice it almost made me not want to go out and explore!



PENINSULA SPA
One of my favorite things to do on a trip is to get a massage and the Peninsula's spa, which opened in 2006, is over the top. You begin in the male or female relaxation room that sports noise canceling headsets and a view of the harbor. Either before, after or both, guests are encouraged to use the state of the art shower that has three distinctive functions: a cool mist highlighted with blue lights, a tropical shower complimented with red lights beaming up from the floor and a body shower that has six nozzles. All are incredible and relaxing.

LENNY
Like many spas in Asia I was asked to put on the dreaded, mandatory, disposable underwear. For the first time, I was happy to wear them because I was assigned to a male therapist. I'm not usually a fan of male therapists because I tend to leave the massage more tense than when I walked in. But this turned out to be one of the few exceptions. My therapist Dennis reminded me of Lenny from the book Of Mice and Men. He was big, strong and sweet with a calming demeanor. He was so strong that at times, I felt like I was possibly being strangled and I didn't know if I should scream in ecstasy or scream for my life. Kidding! But I seriously felt numb for a minute or two at the end and couldn't move my limbs. But as the feeling slowly came back to my body, I felt better than ever. He lifted me up on the mechanical, heated table, pressed the remote control and opened the curtains so I could gaze at the world's most beautiful skyline while sipping tea. Afterwards, I went into the mosaic-tiled steam room to wash off the organic oils. In the middle was a 15-inch crystal. Dressed only in my tighty-whities and the steam as thick as London Fog, I felt like Superman (but more like Boy Wonder) as I circled around the crystal, pretending it was Kryptonite and I wasn't affected. Rack rates begin at HK$4,000 ($512USD) but cheaper rooms can be found online. The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR, Tel: 852-2920-2888.

NATHAN ROAD
The Peninsula Hong Kong is on Kowloon in Tsim Sha Tsui. Walking out the front door of the hotel, Nathan Road is the first street on your left. It's the shopping Mecca of Kowloon and is packed with people, shops and restaurants. It's over two miles long and I'll bet anyone that you can't walk down the street in the middle of the day without being approached by an Indian salesman, asking if you want a "tailored suit" or a "copy watch". Seriously. I was asked 30 times so I ended up walking down the street, pretending to talk on my cell phone, but that still didn't deter them from approaching me. But they were all very friendly. Sometimes, before they could even say anything, I would say, "That's okay, I don't need one." They would laugh and say, "But I didn't ask you!"

1 | 2 | LAST PAGE >>



*PLEASE tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!

Copyright 2008 JohnnyJet, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.