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Sam Evans

The Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong has opened a family floor; the 45th of the five-star hotel having been transformed into a child-friendly wonderland, with 21 rooms and suites – soon to be 23 after the completion of two three-bedroom suites – and family-focused amenities.
Tell us more about the concept.
The opening represents “a new era of innovative family-friendly luxury”, to quote the hotel, with the facilities intended to transport kids to a fun-filled fantasyland while providing parents with all the convenience needed to enjoy family time in the lap of luxury.
It is aimed at those seeking a magical experience, rather than just a comfy base, during their Hong Kong stay.

What are some of the features that make the family floor special?
Upon arriving at the hotel, which is around 35 minutes’ drive from the airport or a short walk from Admiralty MTR station on Hong Kong Island, family guests take a lift to the 45th floor, to be greeted in an area that has been refurbished with mahogany lacquer panelling to resemble a traditional British railway station waiting room.
The scene would not be out of place in a certain children’s fantasy novel, but there is no Platform 9¾ here; instead a model steam train chugs around a track overhead, setting the tone.

The Hangout, next to the lobby, is designed as a communal area in which to eat, play and … well, hang out.
Complimentary grab-and-go food, from fresh fruit to low-sugar snacks to individually packed pasta dishes, is available from 7am to 10pm daily – because you never know when little tummies will start rumbling. Special snacks come and go depending on the time of day (4pm is when the ice cream cart is deployed).
Next door, The Pantry caters to a variety of parenting needs, with nappies, baby bottles, rockers, prams – you name it – available to use for free upon request. Washing machines, bottle sterilisers and dryers are accessible 24 hours a day with the swipe of a room key card.


Are the rooms equally equipped to keep children happy?
Very much so. They are all themed, with room names such as Safari Adventure and Underwater Treasure. We stayed in Hong Kong Wonders, a suite with a model Hong Kong tram that doubles as a bunk bed and play prop, complete with a slide and “controls” that can be pushed, pulled, turned and pressed to trigger lights and sounds associated with the city’s iconic Ding Dings.
The little one we brought along could not get enough, so much so that she stayed up well past her usual bedtime, driving the tram – and her parents slightly mad.
This a testament to the design, which, complemented by illustrations (of Hong Kong iconography, by local artist Don Mak, in our room’s case) adorning the walls, captures the imagination.

What about the adults? This is a “family” and not just a children’s experience, is it not?
Do not worry, those forking out for the stay are catered for, too. A bottle of champagne, snacks and chocolate – from which was meticulously crafted another tram – met us on arrival and the adult bedroom in our suite had all the luxuries one might expect at a Shangri-La, such as a king-size bed, a lounging area and sweeping harbour views.
There were no plastic bags lining the bathroom bins on our visit, which would have been useful for disposing of soiled nappies and the like, but the Family Experience Team is on hand to help with anything you might need.

The Family Experience Team?
One of the main selling points of the family floor is its team of staff dedicated to ensuring stays on it go smoothly.
Ask and you shall receive – they are the push of a button away – when it comes to all kinds of baby-care equipment, and they will warm up and deliver milk and food from The Hangout to rooms upon request.


Any other highlights?
The children’s workshops included in stays are not to be missed. The dancing, games and arts and crafts allow kids to channel all that excited energy – it has to go somewhere, after all.
How much does all this cost?
A single night’s stay in a two-bedroom suite averages HK$9,180, or about US$1,200, without tax (HK$10,098 with tax), while one-bedroom rooms average HK$4,140 per night (HK$4,554 with tax).
Stays include a breakfast buffet at the Island Shangri-La’s Cafe Too.


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Asia travel

What is Island Shangri-La’s new family floor in Hong Kong like? Themed rooms, dedicated staff team, and lots of fun

The Hong Kong Wonders room, on the new family floor at the five-star Island-Shangri-La, Hong Kong hotel, features a model that doubles as a bunk bed and play prop. Photo: Island Shangri La

The Safari Adventure room at the Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong. Photo: Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong

The 45th-floor lift lobby has been refurbished with mahogany lacquer panelling to resemble a traditional British railway station waiting room. Photo: Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong

Complimentary grab-and-go food is available from 7am to 10pm daily in The Hangout. Photo: Sam Evans

Treats welcoming guests to the Hong Kong Wonders room. Photo: Sam Evans

Art by local artist Don Mak adorns the walls of the Hong Kong Wonders room. Photo: Sam Evans

The adult bedroom has all the luxuries one might expect at a Shangri-La. Photo: Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong

Children can burn off their energy at a dance class on the family floor. Photo: Sam Evans

The Underwater Treasures room at the Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong. Photo: Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong

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A giant poster in the window of a Hong Kong clothing retailer advertises discounts to draw visitors after the Sars outbreak in 2003. 

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Butter chicken at Havemore, a Delhi restaurant founded in 1959 that has won awards for its rendition of the Indian capital’s signature dish. We look at this and other restaurants in the city vying for butter chicken supremacy. Photo: Siddharth Khandelwal.

Butter chicken at Ikk Panjab, a Delhi restaurant that showcases the food of Punjab before it was split between India and Pakistan in 1947. Photo: Siddharth Khandelwal

The butter chicken at In The Punjab is rich and indulgent, containing lots of butter and cream, fresh tomatoes and gravy matured for 24 hours. Photo: Siddharth Khandelwal

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Those who pass by Kake Da Hotel can get a glimpse and whiff of the food simmering in large degchi. Photo: Siddharth Khandelwal

A sign outside Havemore restaurant advertises its award-winning butter chicken. Photo: Siddharth Khandelwal

Spicy Triangle’s butter chicken feels lighter, and is mildly tangy with a smooth gravy. Photo: Siddharth Khandelwal

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photographic mosaic Khmer Reamker, by Vietnamese artist Dinh Q. Lê, in the living room of the Sai Kung home of Katie de Tilly of Hong Kong art gallery 10 Chancery Lane. Photo: Eugene Chan. Styling: Flavia Markovits


In the dining room of the de Tilly family’s hilltop home in Sai Kung, in Hong Kong’s New Territories, the back wall is filled with an untitled painting by American artist Julian Schnabel. The house is full of art wherever one turns. Photo: Eugene Chan. Styling: Flavia Markovits



The hilltop Sai Kung home has a deck that offers stunning views. Photo: Eugene Chan. Styling: Flavia Markovits

De Tilly sits on a large wooden bench on the deck, made by Thai artist Tawatchai Puntusawasdi, that is both art and functional furniture. Photo: Eugene Chan. Styling: Flavia Markovits

The sitting and casual dining area in the Sai Kung home of Katie de Tilly. Photo: Eugene Chan. Styling: Flavia Markovits 

These witty ceramic bras were made in 2004 by Hong Kong artist Irene Lau Kwai-ying. Photo: Eugene Chan. Styling: Flavia Markovits

Every corner has an artistic story – such as in the living room with photographic mosaic Khmer Reamker, by Vietnamese artist Dinh Q. Lê. The “woman” and “person” Chinese characters on either side are by Huang Rui. Photo: Eugene Chan. Styling: Flavia Markovits 

The floor of the main bedroom is made from oak grown in Georges de Tilly’s family’s forests in France. Photo: Eugene Chan. Styling: Flavia Markovits 

The main en suite originally had a black tub but the de Tillys gutted the space and brightened it. Photo: Eugene Chan. Styling: Flavia Markovits 

A piece by Indian artist Atul Dodiya from his Shutter series inspired by Mumbai’s shopfronts. Photo: Eugene Chan. Styling: Flavia Markovits

The 5-star hotels with the best art collections: Dali, Botero and Murakami thrown in for the price of a night’s stay, or African contemporary art if you prefer

Detail from Fernando Botero’s sculpture Woman With Fruit (1996) at The Dolder Grand hotel in Zurich, Switzerland.

The Penthouse Study at Cape Town’s The Silo, which benefits from sitting above the Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa). Five-star hotels around the world use art to stand out from the competition.

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The Benesse House Museum in Naoshima, Japan, is a hotel noted for its art. Photo: Handout

Hotel Éclat Beijing has more than 100 artworks on display, including original sculptures and paintings by Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Fan Xiaoyan, Liu Ruowang, Gao Xiaowu, Shen Jingdong and Chen Wenling. Photo: Handout

Indian artist’s Bharti Kher’s elephant sculpture The Skin Speaks A Language Not Its Own in the lobby of the Rosewood Hong Kong hotel. Photo: Handout

Fernando Botero’s sculpture Woman With Fruit (1996) at The Dolder Grand hotel in Zurich, Switzerland.

The Dolder Grand’s Saltz restaurant was designed as “a reflection of Switzerland; the neon light running along a red wall is meant to evoke the Alps”, ARTnews reports. Photo: Handout

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Parents with young children looking for a luxury city break in Hong Kong have a new hotel option – the 45th floor of the Island Shangri-La
Offering ‘family-friendly luxury’, it features themed rooms, a dedicated ‘Family Experience Team’, free snacks, nappies and prams, and fun workshops


The new family floor at the five-star Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong hotel offers parents and their children ‘family-friendly luxury’ in a fun-filled fantasyland. We stayed for a night.


Luxury Hotels

Hong Kong

What is Island Shangri-La’s new family floor in Hong Kong like? Themed rooms, dedicated staff team, and lots of fun

Parents with young children looking for a luxury city break in Hong Kong have a new hotel option – the 45th floor of the Island Shangri-La Offering ‘family-friendly luxury’, it features themed rooms, a dedicated ‘Family Experience Team’, free snacks, nappies and prams, and fun workshops

Parents with young children looking for a luxury city break in Hong Kong have a new hotel option – the 45th floor of the Island Shangri-La

Offering ‘family-friendly luxury’, it features themed rooms, a dedicated ‘Family Experience Team’, free snacks, nappies and prams, and fun workshops