[dropcap size=small]F[/dropcap]requent visitors to the city might remember it as the former Langham Place Hotel, part of the mixed-use Langham Place development built right above the Mongkok MTR station. It’s a great base to explore this part of town, especially if you have foodies or bargain hunters in your squad. The famous Ladies Market is but a stone’s throw away, as are several top tables in Mongkok.
Inside the hotel, little luxuries await. As you check in at the Club Lounge on the 36th floor, take in sweeping views of the surrounding cityscape seen through the bank of full-height windows. At night, the city is awash in the warm incandescence of street lights, the cool glow of LED screens, and the electrifying vibrancy of neon billboards. You don’t get panoramas like this on Hong Kong Island.
All 664 guest rooms were renovated as part of the hotel’s rebranding. While it’s the soft furnishings, carpeting and window dressing that’s largely being updated, the hotel’s approach to hospitality has also undergone a makeover. Out goes stiff formality; in comes a relaxed, but still attentive, attitude.
Dining options are aplenty. At The Place, the hotel’s all-day dining venue, a huge international buffet spread awaits. As one of Mongkok’s most popular dining destinations (#2 on Tripadvisor), it does have a frenzied atmosphere. For more calming environs, there’s an adjacent lounge room fitted with suspended chairs.
Ming Court, the hotel’s Michelin-star modern Cantonese restaurant, is helmed by executive chef Mango Tsang. To experience the breadth of the kitchen’s capabilities, give the seven-course degustation menu a go. The wine pairing also impresses; each dish is perfectly matched in flavour profile, hinting at the extraordinary expertise of the sommelier. End your day at Alibi, a restaurant, bar and lounge all rolled into one buzzy social venue that feels more Soho than Mongkok. Sharing plates such as a seafood platter of freshly shucked oysters, poached king crab legs and tiger prawns tantalises.
When you decide to step out, make sure you take the complimentary Handy smartphone. Each room is equipped with one, and it allows you to make unlimited complimentary calls to Australia, China, Singapore, the UK and the US. It also offers unlimited Internet access on a 3G network, the ability to become a Wi-Fi hotspot, as well as to tether to other devices.
