THE KOWLOON SHANGRI-LA, Hong Kong
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Main lobby seen from the mezzanine |
I have always stayed at the Shangri-la Hotel on the Kowloon side when in Hong Kong. It is not the very grandest of Hong Kong’s many grand hotels, but it is nevertheless extremely comfortable, managed with elegance and excellent value for money.
The elevator carpets --one for each day of the week-- are changed daily, appearing promptly at one minute after midnight.
A funny little memory remains engraved from my first visit to Hong Kong in 1997. I had never been to a tailor (there are many thousands of them in this exotic metropolis, and virtually every hotel boasts its resident tailor) and had found my way into the Shangri-la’s shop mainly out of curiosity.
A rather grand old woman who looked much like the late English actress, Gladys Cooper, was giving clipped, precise instructions when I arrived.
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Gladys Cooper (Google archives) |
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Johnny |
It was the last year of British colonial rule, and I gathered the lady had lived there for a long time. She clearly had a lengthy experience with Johnny (Hong Kong tailors all appear to take Anglo Saxon noms de plume, presumably bearing no resemblance to their Asian birth names).
She was accompanied by her twenty-ish granddaughter whom I guessed to be on the point of marriage. The English dowager had ordered at least a half-dozen outfits for the young woman who sat shyly in a corner, never voicing an opinion.
“Johnny” showed no emotion as the order became increasingly important.
As far as I could make out, there was no mention of price until the very last moment. As “Gladys Cooper” was exiting the little shop, she glanced briefly in my direction with just a hint of impatience, as though I might have had the good taste not to be there.
She then turned with supreme self assurance to the tailor and said, “Now I don’t want you getting any foolish ideas about asking for a lot of money, because that is entirely out of the question!”
Did I detect just a flicker of irony in Johnny’s response? “Certainly not, Madame, I quite understand.”
-o-
Brenda was with me on my last visit in 2008, and it coincided with Typhoon Nuri. As hurricanes go, it was minor (although it cost the city several hundred thousand dollars, not including what looked like a million battered and abandoned umbrellas). Watching the effects of gale winds on the Harbor from our hotel room was a nice change from the otherwise blisteringly hot August sun.
Hong
Kong is
said to have the highest number of Rolls
Royces in the world. Quite a few of them
are much in view at the entrances of the top hotels. As seen here at the ex-Regent (now
the Intercontinental), widely considered at one time to be the Island’s best. Although I have always lodged at the Shangri-la, I
did spend one night in 1997 at the Regent.
Spectacular view of Hong Kong Harbor from the Regent Hotel dining room
Your input is welcomed: hotel-musings@hotmail.fr
Next Friday: Danny, the night concièrge at the Gritti in Venice
Hong Kong pictorial sidebar
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Hong Kong Island seen from Victoria Peak |
When I
arrived the first time it was still officially British (It had been so from
1839 until 1997), and perhaps there were a few more Anglo-Saxons about, but it
always seemed extremely exotic and multi-ethnic to me, particularly on the
Kowloon side where I stay. Officially,
Hong Kong is now 95 percent Chinese, though there is still a
much more international floating population.
* * * * * * *
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The Shangri-la: Brenda during 2008 typhoon |
Brenda was with me on my last visit in 2008, and it coincided with Typhoon Nuri. As hurricanes go, it was minor (although it cost the city several hundred thousand dollars, not including what looked like a million battered and abandoned umbrellas). Watching the effects of gale winds on the Harbor from our hotel room was a nice change from the otherwise blisteringly hot August sun.
* * * * * * * *
In 2003 I
took a local ferryboat to Macao.
It was only an hour’s journey, but was probably the most foreign seeming
place I have ever known. I was completely
at a loss, as I never found a single soul who spoke English. From the arrival port, I caught a taxi and
told the driver in English and then in French:
“TO THE CENTER.” He kind of shrugged, but that was as far as our
communication went. After a few minutes
drive, I said, “STOP”, and he did. It
seemed a pretty picturesque area, as the photos attest. However, I have no idea where I was nor
what might have been its significance.
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Macao 2003 |
A few hours
strolling about sufficed, before I found my way back to the port, and caught a
boat back to Hong
Kong.
* * * * * *
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Bellhop at The Regent |
Spectacular view of Hong Kong Harbor from the Regent Hotel dining room
Flower market and enthusiastic diners at the all-night market
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Brenda w/ bearded guy (photo by anonymous) |
Your input is welcomed: hotel-musings@hotmail.fr
Next Friday: Danny, the night concièrge at the Gritti in Venice
[Photos are mine, unless otherwise credited]
11 comments:
Thanks for my weekly trip.
Dickie
The postings are really interesting!
Have just read, savoured and loved Musings no 8 and 9.
Then like being at a splendid buffet where I had eaten the main dishes, I discovered a delicious little side plate of Paris photos from the early 70's, just yummy.
Keep on musing!
This might be my favorite yet, though it is hard to choose so I just keep treasuring them all and waiting for the new ones. Kasey
They just keep getting better!
most enjoyable account and pictures AND sidebars!
Your Macao photo is of the ruins of St Paul's, an old Jesuit artifact.
Thnx, Sam. Delighted to see that you are tuned in!
Love all the details, I wonder how many hotels change their elevator carpets daily and I wonder how many people would notice? Did you arrange a midnight vigil to watch The Changing of The Carpets?
The little vignette featuring Johnny the tailor could have come straight from an old black and white film.
Hi, Chris. You'd have to be unobservant NOT to notice, as the day of the week is woven into each carpet!
It was our last day in Hong Kong before returning to Sydney next day. The hotel was in Kowloon but the name escapes me. Coming down in the lift (can’t remember the carpet!) I was explaining the sort of handbag I wanted to buy.
Reaching the ground floor a little Chinese man also leaving the lift, approached us and said he knew exactly the place I could get my handbag.
“Follow me”. We did – down an alley, past a few shops, then into a tailor’s shop. Went through the sewing rooms, up a flight of rickety stairs, a little apprehensive by this stage, until we entered a room with bolts of coloured leather everywhere and two men working at a long table. They couldn’t speak English so our “guide” explained what I wanted. A price was agreed – COD.
Our bus was due to pick us up for the airport at 9.00 am next day. At 8.00 am a parcel was delivered to our door, beautifully packaged, and inside the handbag I had wanted, exquisitely made! Only in Hong Kong could this happen.
Loved all your pictures of this beautiful city, Frank.
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