I didn’t realize it at the time that I booked this hotel, but this is the exact same property I stayed at on my first trip to Hong Kong way back in 2002. What are the chances of that happening, especially considering how many hotels there are in the city? It’s not like I’m tied to the Hyatt rewards program or anything – I have no hotel affiliations at this time, so I just choose whatever looks good. I guess I’m naturally drawn to Hyatt. Go figure.
Long story short, the Hyatt Regency is a really good (though a bit pricey) hotel in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon Island.
A full review of my 4 night stay at the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui (Hong Kong)
I arrived at the hotel at 11:30pm via an airport taxi, and the place was bustling with activity. Apparently there was a wedding reception in the grand ballroom that evening, and a lot of the guests were staying the night in the hotel.
First impressions
There was a long line to check in (and it was very slow on top of that), but luckily one the staff members was kind enough to pull me aside to quickly check me in. He was very kind, and was bending over backwards to ensure I had everything I needed for a great stay. It was a great first impression, that’s for sure.
Exterior of the Hyatt Recency Tsim Sha Tsui
Hallway on the 20th floor
Room 2021 – my home for the next 4 freakin’ nights
The room
I vividly remember the room from my stay here in 2002 (it was very nice), and obviously they’ve been renovated since then. I’m happy to report that it was just as nice, though it had less of a Chinese / Asian style than I remember.
I wish I would have took pics back then so I could show you the comparison in this review. The decor seemed more upscale and mature to me this time – and that’s a good thing, considering I consider myself to be slightly more upscale and mature as well. (ha!)
Walking into the room for the first time…
After traveling for 24 hours, that bed was a very welcome sight!
My first impression was pretty good – this room was very stylish.
I really appreciated the large desk
View of the bed from another angle – it was past 1am when I was taking these pics and I couldn’t wait to put the camera down and go to sleep!
Desk and large flat screen TV. Even at such a late hour, this was really easy to appreciate – it was a lot nicer than the room I had at the Hyatt Times Square in New York!
The sliding “door” to the bathroom was a nice touch. Scroll down to see pics of the bathroom…
Lots of really nice detail everywhere
The bathroom
easily one of the nicest hotel bathrooms I’ve experienced in a while.
Another view of the vanity (because it looks so nice).
The toilet
The shower was insane (in a good way).
The tub – which was a really nice place to relax after a long day walking around Hong Kong, by the way.
Slightly wider view showing the entire space. This is a very large bathroom!
The view
The best thing (by far) about this room was the view. It was amazing! I literally spent hours during my stay here just watching everything from my window. The city of Hong Kong is downright beautiful, and having such a grand view of it was the icing on the cake.
Amazing views of the Hong Kong Skyline and Victoria Harbour at night. Believe it or not, this was even better than the view I had from my room at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers here in Hong Kong (a hotel right on the water) about a year later.
The views of the Hong Kong skyline were just as impressive during the day. Even the view I had from my room at the Grand Hyatt Taipei wasn’t as good as this!
Good morning Hong Kong!
Sitting by the large window soaking up the view was a great way to pass the time.
Restaurants and dining
Dining options in this Hyatt were quite good. I had breakfast in the main restaurant all three mornings, and the buffet was phenomenal. Not quite as good as the buffet in the Incheon Grand Hyatt in Seoul, but it was very extensive with many custom made-to-order options as well.
I didn’t try this restaurant for lunch or dinner, but I have no reason to believe that it wouldn’t be just as good.
Main dining room of the hotel restaurant
I started out with a made to order omelette…
…and then followed it up with some rice and dumplings. Perfect!
Room service
I ordered room service for two of my three nights here, and both times I was presented with a high-quality meal in less than 25 minutes. Unfortunately, I only enjoyed one of them. The first night I ordered some sort of crusted beef dish, but it ended up being much too spicy for my tastes. I’m a weakling when it comes to hot food, and I had a lot of difficulty eating it.
It was perfectly fine otherwise – it was of very high quality so I ate as much as I could. The second night made up for it – it was a non-spicy prawn dish that very delicious. Overall, I quite enjoyed in-room dining experience, but it’s just too bad that it’s so darn expensive! But hey, I was on vacation…
Room service on my third night: spicy crusted beef.
Room service on my fourth night: prawns with asparagus with a side of rice and soup.
Final thoughts
When it comes right down to it, the Hyatt Regency in Tsim Sha Tsui is a fantastic place to call home for a few days. It’s location is perfect, the staff is helpful and friendly, and the dining options are great. If it weren’t for my curiosity to try other hotels, I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again on my next trip to Hong Kong.
