The Excelsior, Hong Kong

Owned by the Mandarin Oriental Group, The Excelsior, Hong Kong is a luxury tower hotel that attracts a predominantly business-focused clientele. The lobby is grand but not over-the-top, with lots of marble walls and siding and an open stairway that leads up to a mezzanine area with plenty of seating. Art Deco-style stained-glass windows and a cascading light fixture, both with amber-colored glass, add a bit of personality to the space, though overall the vibe is more business-like than opulent. 

This property is located in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay area, overlooking Victoria Harbour. It's a busy area with lots of shops and restaurants and the hotel itself is around a five-minute or so walk from both Victoria Park and the Causeway Bay metro stop. Both 18-minute walk to Wan Chai Ferry Pier and Hong Kong Stadium take around 20 minutes to reach on foot, while Expo Promenade and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre take around five minutes to get to by car. Other nearby attractions include the Jade Market, Tai Tam Country Park, and The Peak, all of which can be reached in around 15 minutes by car or taxi, while  getting to Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach, Big Wave Bay Beach, and Hong Kong Disneyland take closer to half an hour to get to by car. It's about a 45-minute drive to Lantau Island and Tian Tan Buddha. Hong Kong International Airport is a 40-minute drive away.

The Excelsior, Hong Kong offers a range fo room types, from entry-level Superior Rooms up to the sprawling Excelsior Suite, with a separate living space with a dining area and a kitchen plus a bedroom with a four-poster bed. The views and bed configurations are what set these units apart from one another, and many rooms have excellent views out over the Victoria Harbour or the Hong Kong city skyline. Decor is consistent throughout categories, with off-white walls, smokey-gray accent walls and matching bench cushions, and small colorful touches here in the form of muted turquoise throw cushions and abstract wall art in autumnal hues that matches the similarly hued patterned carpets. Recessed lighting and big windows with pull-down blackout shades keep the lighting in rooms feeling soft and natural. Standard amenities include free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, minibars, and kettles for making coffee and tea. Closets are stocked with terrycloth bathrobes, slippers, and gargantuan safes. Bathrooms feature marble walls and floors and a big vanity area complete with hairdryers and magnifying mirrors. But bathrooms are smallish, even in most of the suites, and come with shower/tub combos and simple toiletries. 

The Excelsior is primarily a business hotel, with free hotel-wide Wi-Fi, seven meeting and event spaces, and an Executive Lounge (free for guests in Executive units and suites) that offers perks such as breakfast, snacks, cocktails, and express check-in and check-out. There's no pool, but there is a well-equipped fitness center with free weights, cardio machines, and all sorts of gym-quality weight-training equipment. Non-guests can also join the gym for a fee, so it may get crowded. While exercise is the main focus here, there's also a therapy area for treatments such as massages and facials, plus sauna and steam rooms that guests are free to use. 

Dining is on point, with all sorts of cuisine types available -- along with 24-hour room service. The Michelen-star Yee Tung Heen is the best bet for fine dining, with Cantonese cuisine at both lunch and dinner. Though the interiors, with heavy use of earthy reds and browns, appear staid when compared to the sleek ToTT's and Roof Terrace, with its sparkling floors and countertops and gorgeous Art Deco-inspired stained-glass bar feature in hues of periwinkle, purple, and maroon. There's also a semi-casual Italian restaurant, Cammino, along with a huge buffet spot, Cafe on the 1st, with a huge spread available for all three meals (they also offer afternoon tea). However, note that breakfast isn't generally included, so those who prefer to eat lighter in the morning are better off grabbing a pastry or grab-and-go item at the coffee bar, EXpresso. Finally, there's also a British-style gastropub with flat-screen TVs for sports-viewing that's open from lunchtime until well into the evening.