Grand Hyatt Hong Kong

The flagship property of the already quite impressive Grand Hyatt brand is located here, in Hong Kong, with the Convention and Exhibition Center at one side and Victoria Harbor at the other. This makes for an ever so slightly out-of-the-way location—but there’s no mistaking this place for a shrinking violet.

In terms of size as well as sheer splendor, the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong is one of the world’s most ostentatious hotels. Many hotel lobbies fancy themselves some sort of catwalk, where guests make a great show of being seen; this is one place where it’s actually true. Some backdrop, too—this wide open Art Deco entrance hall is more showroom than lobby, decorated with granite columns, statues and fountains, and contemporary artworks, including a fresco ceiling hand-painted by an Italian artist.

The rooms are intentionally less commanding, more subdued, in the current Far East style; while to Western audiences, luxury is a function of antiques per square meter, in Asia a more sedate aesthetic prevails. No creature comfort is forfeited, though—the obligatory marble baths and Egyptian cottons are accounted for, and most remarkable is the view; some seventy percent of the rooms overlook the harbor lights.

As expected, it’s a business traveler’s paradise, with ethernet ports as well as web TV, and enough conference facilities that you wonder if you haven’t wandered into the convention center by mistake. You’ll find more bars and restaurants than you could possibly visit, without even stepping outside. Fitness options include a full-size 400-meter track, a 50-meter outdoor pool, tennis courts and a driving range.

How to get there: Wanchai Ferry and the MTR subway are five minutes’ walk away, and the Central, Pacific Place and Causeway Bay districts are five minutes’ drive from the hotel.