We’re all keen for an escape from Hong Kong right now, but happily the city’s hotels have adjusted to the times and are putting on some great offers and experiences to make up for the lack of travel. In short, the staycation scene is buzzing! The W Hong Kong in Tsim Sha Tsui has a couple of great hotel staycation packages that are geared for young professionals who want to escape, unwind and reboot, and have fun in the process! Expat Living contributor Laila Boundy packed her bag and checked in.
Staycation option 1: The W Wanderlust Package
Clearly, a staycation is not the same as a vacation. However, if you’re itching to leave Hong Kong, the W Wanderlust staycation package is perhaps the best thing for you. With five themed rooms, it’s possible to transport yourself to some of Asia’s most popular destinations – Taipei, Osaka, Shanghai, Bali and Bangkok – all of which are home to a corresponding W hotel.
Each room has décor that rekindles that travelling feeling and mentally transports you to the destination – topped off with a couple of themed cocktails at the hotel’s lively Woobar. We opted for the Bangkok them, and were treated to a couple of delicious citrus-orientated cocktails; they were fresh and packed a suitably boozy punch! This package also includes HK$1,500 in dining credits, which can be enjoyed at the hotel’s four different restaurants, and HK$500 in spa credits, which can be used at the renowned spa.
Staycation option 2: The Daydream Package
The alternative staycation option is the hotel’s Daydream package, which is equally as good a deal. The package also includes HK$500 in spa credits, two signature cocktails, and a very late 6pm checkout so you can really enjoy what the hotel has to offer.
With the signature cocktails, we had the opportunity to pop down to Woobar once again. In this package, the free drinks come with the chef’s tapas selection platter. It will be especially appealing to seafood lovers, as it includes everything from lobster, prawns and mussels to sea snails! Top tip: When it comes to Woobar visits, I recommend the all-you-can-consume French wine and cheese nights on offer every Friday from 6.30 to 9pm!
Wellness with a capital W
For a full and proper staycation “reboot”, a bit of wellness is often necessary to offset any over-exuberance at the bar the night before. Given that both staycation packages give you the option to get money off treatments, a trip to the spa becomes that bit more tempting.
While it’s not cheap, the W Hotel’s Bliss Spa is well known – and for good reason. This urban oasis offers more than 100 treatments, luxury heat and water facilities and cutting-edge technologies to provide 360-degree total wellbeing solutions. In case you want to work off any indulgence even further, the Fit gym has a great range of equipment and glorious views over Hong Kong Island that can be enjoyed while working up a sweat.
Breakfast of champions
Let’s be honest, one of the major excitements of any hotel stay is the breakfast! At hotels like the W, these give you the chance to eat practically every possible combination of food items to kick-start your day – and in whatever quantity you wish.
Thankfully, both staycation packages include breakfast for two. And it didn’t disappoint! There’s a great balance of Western and Asian options, for everything that you might possibly fancy. My fiancé and I typically have a very different approach to breakfast and this was no different. I opted for the lovely coconut chia seed pudding, followed by a fruit salad – yes, a healthy combination. My fiancé, on the other hand, went for an eclectic mix during our stay, which involved everything from all the traditional English breakfast trimmings, to eggs benedict, pastries of every variety and even noodles. So, he almost definitely offset any work that he had done in the gym!
Swimming in the sky
At this time of year, I always want to be outside by the pool, for some respite from the heat and humidity. The W is well known for its swimming pool – and no wonder. It’s perched on the 76th floor with panoramic views over Kowloon and Hong Kong island. In fact, this is the highest outdoor swimming pool in HK!
The beautiful backdrop is accompanied by a stunning mural and, more importantly, a great pool bar for necessary refreshments. Called Wet Deck, the bar wasn’t particularly busy during our weekday stay – good news considering the COVID restrictions on capacity around swimming pools. Here’s a top tip: the pool gets the sun for almost the entire day, but in the afternoon you will slowly (and conveniently!) need to reposition yourself by the pool bar to soak up the remaining rays.
Delicious dining
The dining credits from each staycation package can be enjoyed at any of the four restaurants; these include Woobar, Wet Deck, Kitchen and Cantonese restaurant Sing Yin. As you can probably tell from the breakfast choices, my fiancé is fairly adventurous when it comes to food and he convinced me to try out Sing Yin. The restaurant is the hotel’s flagship and offers classic Cantonese food in a modern way in a stylish setting that includes intimate booths and private rooms.
We opted for the elaborately titled Chef Johnny Chan’s Exquisite Delights Set Menu; it included a range of beautifully presented dishes with everything from the more conventional char siu pork and wagyu beef to the more adventurous jellyfish, fish maw and sea cucumber. All of this I left to my fiancé – and he seemed to enjoy it! Less adventurous eaters will love the Pan-Asian classics and Western dishes in the other restaurant menus.
Final word
The seemingly never-ending pandemic has left many of us with few travel options. Instead, we’re plugging away at work and trying to enjoy our weekends in Hong Kong as much as possible. For those wanting to escape the monotony of COVID restrictions, I’d highly recommend a stay at the W Hotel. As you can see, the hotel has a lot to offer and caters to all tastes and interests.
Whether you’re after a healthy reboot or a weekend of indulgence, you’ll find a range of great options to help you switch off. The staycation packages also allow you to maximise your value for money; that way you can enjoy more of the hotel’s facilities at a better price. So what are you waiting for!?
W Hotel is at 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon Station, Kowloon, Hong Kong. For booking and reservations, call 3717 2222 or visit the website.
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