Hotel ICON is located in the East Tsim Sha Tsui area of Kowloon. The award-winning hotel is partnered with the Hong Kong Polytechnic Uni and serves as an extension of the School of Hotel & Tourism Management. This is evident in the impeccable service. The young (good looking) and super enthusiastic staff really made our stay by going the extra mile. *We were the annoying couple in the lobby with a map that might as well have been made to scale.*
But let’s be honest it wasn’t the service but the interiors and heated rooftop pool that enticed me to book in the first place and they did not disappoint.
The hotels interior is super simple in comparison to other Asian hotels I have stayed in. The club lounge, which was designed by Conran & Partners in London is styled to resemble a private members club and is the perfect setting to enjoy afternoon tea. The best view however is from the open air pool on the 9th floor. It looked even better at night when the harbour is lit up. This same view can be seen from the gym (not that I would know).
Other than the pool my favourite feature was the gigantic plant wall in the lobby. Created by the french botanist, Patrick Blanc, the amazing vertical garden has 8,500 plants.
The stylish, unfussy rooms have great views of the harbour and had a complimentary minibar (which is replenished daily), Nespresso, free Wi-Fi and a super handy smartphone with free international calls.
Since we were staying in a club room we also had a few lovely extras which included: complimentary afternoon tea and evening cocktails and canapés. Guests who stay on the club floor for a minimum of two nights are eligible for a free Tesla car-ride to the airport.
For those who want to esacpe the madness of Hong Kong there is the Angsana Spa, the sister brand of Banyan Tree Spa. All spa treatments come with a complimentary 30-minute "Calm Time" of refreshments and relaxation. To be honest even a trip to the changing rooms at the ICON hotel feels like a 5* spa experience.