Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong

The original Mandarin Oriental is back. Though it’s always been one of the best hotels in Hong Kong, if not all of Asia, this relic of the Swinging Sixties was beginning to show its age. Now, after a thorough rethink of its interiors (and not just a cosmetic one — we’re talking walls knocked down, floors ripped up, the works) it’s got the looks to once again match its reputation.

These new guest rooms are the opposite of dated. Though they’re perhaps more conservatively styled than those in some of the other newer Mandarins, they come off more serious, more grand, not at all stuffy. They’re bigger than before as well, with bathrooms you could happily live in, and the gadgetry is state-of-the-art, from the flat screens in the bedrooms and bathrooms to the ultra-high-tech lighting systems.

A phrase like “city or harbor views” is almost always a clever way of saying “good or bad views”; here it’s not quite so simple, as you could do a lot worse for city views than Chater Road and Statue Square. Still, anyone can have a harbor view from the rooftop M Bar, serving cocktails and Cantonese tapas with the best view in the house. That's just one of ten options for drinks and dining, including an incredible choice between three Michelin-starred establishments: Man Wah for gorgeous regional plates, Pierre for chef Gagnaire's lofty take on contemporary haute cuisine, and the classic Mandarin Grill + Bar for gastro-grill epicureanism set in Sir Terence Conran's inspired interiors.

So it looks brand new, which is a good thing, but underneath it all it’s still the same old Mandarin Oriental — also a good thing, as this has always meant fine living, faultless service and the sort of bars and restaurants where the city’s social scene congregates. And for the aftermath, there are two floors of bespoke spa treatments, a counter-current indoor pool with underwater sound, and an absurdly well-appointed fitness center that never closes. Pretty much all you’d want from a big city hotel.