Elegance redefined

I could get used to living in the lap of luxury.

Staring at the sea from my hotel room, surrounded by orchids, snacking on bonbons: This is actually always how I hoped I’d live in my twilight years...in Shangri-la.

Turns out I’m getting to live this dream today.

Before leaving Hong Kong we made a stop into heaven on earth, The Kowloon Shangri-La, so we could get a taste of how the other half lives and I could check item number three off my bucket list.

For the road-weary traveller this place is a true oasis. Surrounded by rows of luxury vehicles ready and waiting under a canopy of chandeliers, the front entrance is a sight all its own.

We entered the front lobby (pictured below) and were greeted by a lovely lady decked out in a gorgeous ornate outfit and whisked toward the front desk where, after merely giving our names, we were ushered up to our spacious room for a private check-in and room orientation by Frances, one of the guest service associates who showed us how to operate the remote-controlled drapes, asked if we needed help navigating the city and told us which button we should push to summon the on-call-at-all-hours-of-the-day butler.

I’ve always dreamed of having a butler, but faced with the possibility of hailing one at any time of the day I just couldn’t think of what I could have possibly asked him or her to do.

We left to explore the bird, flower and ladies’ markets of nearby Mong Kok and returned to find a bouquet of orchids and three trays of chocolates and cookies ready to be devoured before bed. What more do you need?

Of course, luxury doesn’t come cheap, but this place really is unlike any place I’ve stayed before. Craig stepped out of the room for a moment and the bellboy greeted him by name – and there are nearly 700 rooms in this hotel.

In addition to the fabulous service, the Kowloon Shangri-La has a stunning view of Victoria Harbour (pictured above) – I spent half of my time in the room just staring out the window watching the boats go by during the day and would return after dinner to admire the lights of the city at night.

Oh, and the breakfast – waffles, omelettes, noodles, dumplings, pastries – a veritable smorgasbord of culinary delights to satiate every craving.

I may have spoiled myself for the rest of the trip having stayed somewhere so luxurious not even a month into my adventure, but, hey, every once in a while you need to treat yourself.