The sky's the limit in Hong Kong (From Hampshire Society)

The sky's the limit in Hong Kong

2:04pm Thursday 2nd April 2009

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Hong Kong never fails to amaze.

Only moments before we had been wrapped in the sights and sounds of the old city, a fog of noise, flashing neon, exotic smells and a mass of humanity. Now we were enveloped by the new China: spacious, bright, modern and smelling of, well, potpourri actually.

Hong Kong, or to be accurate, Kowloon, was assaulting the senses on all fronts.

I had been to Hong Kong before. I knew its waterfront, a tangle of impressive skyscrapers flanking wide walkways and fringing ultra-modern museum buildings speckled with statement public art.

That was western Kowloon as presented in the guide books. It’s the one most visitors feel comfortable with. Yes, they stray through the crowded back streets off Nathan Road and climb the steep-stepped alleyways from Hong Kong’s Central District towards the city zoo and its pandas, the park with its green oasis of space, and of course take the tram to The Peak itself with its spectacular views over the harbour. But then they return to their slice of western conformity near the water’s edge to rest, dine and sleep.

Not for us this time. We had been recommended to stay in the heart of old Kowloon, in the district of Mongkok.

The Murrays had flown to China with Virgin Holidays, who had organised not only our flights from Heathrow, but also our hotel – the trendy Langham Place set in the centre of the Mongkok district.

Our flights to and from China had been a breeze, with the superb in-flight entertainment we have come to expect from Virgin as well as exemplary service that started from the moment we entered the amazing Virgin lounge at Heathrow.

Mongkok is actually closer to the boundary between the Kowloon peninsular and the New Territories than it is to the waterfront and the Star Ferries that cross to Hong Kong Island.

Once a run-down area, today it remains one of Kowloon’s most exotic districts; a maze of criss-crossing streets full of shops, markets, restaurants and street-sellers, all beneath a jumble of neon signs advertising everything from saunas (take care, they’re not all family-friendly) to suits, from jade to, well, junk.

The smells, the crush, the noise, make Mongkok one of the most exciting places in the whole Hong Kong region. But until now only the adventurous or those on a strict budget would think to actually stay there.

But we’d been recommended the new five-star Langham Place hotel set in the heart of Mongkok as the best of both worlds. It turned out to be the best advice we could have received.

First Mongkok itself. Set either side of Nathan Road north of Dundas Street, the district is first and foremost home to the local population.

Although tourists flock to the area for its markets and such sights as the Tin Hau Temple and Tung Wah Museum, the locals see this very much as their own territory. The district pulsates with the rhythm and confidence of the resilient yet remarkably hospitable residents.

By day several markets fill the narrow side streets, and all are within easy walking distance of Langham Place. Fish are considered lucky in Chinese homes and Mongkok is home to the Goldfish Market, where not just the orange variety are on sale.

If it’s more fowl that take your fancy then a stroll through the Yuen Po Street Bird Market is a noisy affair.

Serious clothes shoppers make for Fa Yeun Street Market during the day. Its packed stalls offer everything from designer names to original Chinese creations. In the evening the emphasis shifts to Temple Street Night Market, with more designer stalls, but here food is as much on the menu as fancy goods. Stalls and tables at the roadside serve up every imaginable Chinese dish, piping hot, sometimes still pulsating. Even if some of the more exotic Chinese foods are not to your taste, watching as diners explore the seemingly endless pots of steaming dishes is entertainment in itself.

And at the heart of this fusion of Chinese culture and entrepreneurial creativity lies Langham Place, not just a hotel but with its adjoining Langham Place Mall with its 300 shops and restaurants, a whole other experience almost cocooned within Mongkok itself.

The hotel itself is quite tremendous. It’s the smell that hits you first on arrival: a strong scented aroma that changes with the seasons and is considered one of the Langham hotel’s signatures.

The first floor lobby is cool, calm, unhurried. Bliss, no matter how much you have enjoyed the frenetic experience of the streets below.

Linked by a glass walkway above the streets to the shopping mall, the Langham Place lobby, with its deep sofas, contemporary Chinese art and easy chairs, is actually one of the best places to observe some of the comings and goings of China’s new confident youth, at home with a foot in the west as much as the east.

Our room at Langham Place was a quad consisting of a queen double and two singles. With spectacular views over Mongkok and beyond and boasting a superb bathroom with its own panoramic window – just the place to soak in the tub – the family room was equipped with all manner of delights, including large screen plasma TV, DVD player, movies-on-demand, and a host of extras.

The Langham Place has 665 rooms, including services suites with gourmet kitchens and spa-inspired suits, the Chuan Residences.

Club L memberships attached to some rooms and suites gives access to an exclusive lounge atop the hotel that’s both relaxing yet edgy.

With tremendous views over the city, Club L offers a superb complimentary buffet service. Drinks in the lounge after a hard-day’s exploring before heading out for dinner was sheer bliss. Staff were attentive, particularly the personal check-in and the lounge service. Computer access and a TV viewing area were complemented by two large relaxation massage chairs.

To be frank it was hard to tear yourself away and explore.

Langham Place restaurants – The Place, The Backyard and Ming Court – provided a sumptuous breakfast and excelled in fine dining.

A popular highlight was the tremendous sweet counter with its chocolate fountain.

However, the tiger prawn on the bak choi had to be the hotel’s phenomenal rooftop open air pool and lounge area coupled with the superb Chuan Spa offering over 60 holistic treatments. A sensual experience that very, very tired muscles can truly appreciate, believe me.

The views from the rooftop are spectacular, across the harbour to Hong Kong on one side, north towards China itself on the other. At night the glass towers create a stunning image.

But it’s the streets below, teeming with life that give the hotel its ultimate appeal as an oasis of calm amid one of the most frenetic, dynamic, pulsating cities on the planet.

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