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During my trip to Hong Kong I spent two nights in the Holiday Inn Golden Mile. This is one of the Intercontinental Hotel Group hotels in Kowloon. I stayed in an Executive Club Room which included lounge access. This review will cover the room, lounge and other facilities of the hotel.

Location

The Holiday Inn is located, as the name implies, on the so called Golden Mile of Hong Kong; a high end shopping area at the end of Nathan Road in the tip of Kowloon – also known as Tsim Tsa Tsui.

The location is excellent. The hotel is surrounded by shopping malls and restaurants, and is within walking distance of various attractions. The Avenue of Stars and the starting point of the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island are about 10 minutes away by foot. There is also an entrance to Tsim Tsa Tsui MTR station right across from the hotel, so you can be almost anywhere in Hong Kong quickly and efficiently.

If you are arriving from Hong Kong International Airport, you can take a regular bus which stops nearby on Nathan Road. You can also take the Airport Express to Kowloon station. From the station, you then use the free shuttle bus number K3 which runs every 15 minutes. The Holiday Inn is the first stop.

Holiday Inn Golden Mile Hong Kong

The hotel is undergoing an extensive renovation. The lobby was already finished and looks very modern. Next to the reguler check-in desks there was a priority area with sit-down check-in for IHG Rewards elite members (Gold and higher). Very useful as it was often busy at the regular desks. I was immediately assisted, but upon seeing my reservation, the agent invited me to head to the Executive Lounge to check in. This was located on the floor below ground level.

In the lounge, they had all the forms ready and I was checked in within a couple of minutes. Despite the early time, I got a room straight away on the top (18th) floor. Next to a keycard I also received a welcome letter detailing all Executive Club benefits. This included 50% discount on laundry and 15:00h late check-out which was offered pro-actively.

Executive Club room

All Executive Club rooms have been renovated and are located on the top three floors of the hotel. The room was indeed fresh and modern and, for Hong Kong, of good size. I had a king bed which featured a very firm mattress. Next to that, there was a couch with an ottoman and a separate desk with an office chair.

The bathroom was fitted with a nice walk-in shower and single sink. There is a window between the bathroom and bedroom with electrical curtains.

The amenities were Holiday Inn branded. Next to the standard soaps there were different amenities available such as a toothbrush and shaving kit. The bottles of water were replenished daily.

The safe was in the nightstand next to the bed and was large enough to hold a laptop easily. Opposite the bed was a stand with the minibar, kettle, etc.

As many hotels in Hong Kong offer, a smartphone was available for guests. Not only does the phone contain maps, guides and recommendations, but you can also use it to make free local phone calls and to 10 international countries. You can also take the phone outside to use internet. Very handy, but in Hong Kong buying a local data sim card is also an easy and pretty cheap option.

Wifi in the room was free and stable. Also using a VPN the speed was fast. The airconditioning in the room functioned properly.

Executive Lounge

The Executive Lounge is located on the bottom floor. Despite the fact that there is no day light, the lounge atmosphere was very nice with modern furnishing. And best of all, it was never really busy during my stay, which is often a draw back of club lounges.

There are various seating areas, a business center, meeting room and separate reception for Club room guests.

Throughout the day, soft drinks, beer and coffee were available.

From 07:00h till 10:30h, breakfast was served. There were both Western and Chinese offerings. Also, a chef was available for made-to-order egg dishes.

‘Cocktail hour’ is between 18:00h and 20:00h. As well aso a selection of wines, this includes small bites such as quiche, spring rolls, fried snacks, cheese selection, salad and cold amuse bouches as well as some desserts. Mostly tasty but nothing special and it doesn’t really serve as a dinner substitute. Besides, having dinner in the lounge would be a shame in a city like Hong Kong!

The Executive Club was an ideal place to work during the day or relax after a tiring day exploring the city. The wifi worked great and with a bite and drink it was a nice place to spend some time. The staff in the lounge were also very friendly and proactive. It was no problem to stay in the lounge after check-out to wait for my flight.

Facilities

The hotel has various restaurants. Loong Yuen serves Cantonese cuisine while Osteria Ristoranta provides an Italian menu.

In Bistro on the Mile, breakfast is served for regular rooms. The selection is quite extensive; Western, Chinese but also Indian. There were more hot dishes available, as well as a made-to-order noodle bar. For IHG Rewards members there is even a separate seating area. After breakfast, the Bistro offers international themed buffets the rest of the day.

Then there is Hari’s at the Golden Mile bar with live music during the evening.  IHG Elite members can also use your drink voucher here.

On the 19th floor there is an outdoor pool and a gym including sauna and steam room.

Other room types

The marketing manager gave me a tour of the rest of the hotel. The Premier rooms have also been renovated and are comparable with the Executive Club rooms. They are lacking a desk though and do not come with lounge access.

Families can also opt for a three-bed room.

Do keep in mind that the standard, ‘Superior’ and ‘Deluxe’, rooms (which you usually book on a Reward Night) have not been renovated yet. From what I’ve read these rooms are past their prime.

Disclaimer: The hotel provided a reduced rate for my stay. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

This is a translation of the original article published on InsideFlyer.nl