Hong Kong, The hotel, the car park, the front entrance, cafes, arcades, and a tailor

I've seen in many times when we visited Hong Kong, but never quite made it to stay at the Peninsula Hotel, not until I decided to put it on my bucket list, and, having just turned 65, we decided to spend my birthday there.

 Of course, arriving in a green Rolls Royce helps to enhance the experience. and is, if you are going to stay at the Penisula, a mandatory extra.

It is rather difficult to imagine what the hotel would have been like in 1928 when it was built.  Without the central tower behind the old hotel building, the tall buildings around it, and all the buildings between the hotel and the waterfront, it would be easy to say it had a prime position.

It’s not far from the Star Ferry terminal, the main transport from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island.  Since then, there is the MTR and the underground tunnel for vehicles, but back then it was the ferry or nothing.

Outside, the centerpiece to the driveway is a fountain.  Around the edges are the cars, the Tesla’s, the Mercedes, the Audi’s and a Rolls Royce or two.  There was even a Lamborghini.  I could see myself doing a tour of the island by Lamborghini.

Or not.  The traffic would be very unkind to such a machine.

Inside the front door, the main part of the ground floor foyer stretches from one side of the building to the other, save for arcades of shops at the ends.  High priced goods can be bought here by the rich and famous.

What is interesting is that they have a very smartly dressed porter at the front door to open it for you.  It seemed very appropriate for a hotel steeped in old world charm.

Either side of the entrance walkway that leads to reception and the concierge desk, and two magnificent staircases.  It is all marble floor, marble columns with sculptures at the top and ornate ceilings. 

And the endless cacophony of sounds you would expect in such a large space.  Either side of the central walkway is the cafe, elegantly set tables, each with its own flower.

People coming and going, people meeting other people, people arriving, people departing.  Hotel staff bustling from place to place and serving staff moving among the guests dining in the Foyer cafe.

The staircase leads to the mezzanine floor where there are more shops, and then up to the first floor where the veranda cafe and the Spring Moon restaurant is located.  The Spring Moon is where we will be having dinner tonight.



So much for the quick hotel orientation.

I had decided that if there was time, and we could find a tailor, I’d get some trousers made that would fit me.  Previously this had been done at Fletcher Jones, a place where clothes were tailor-made for individuals, but it has now gone.

A search on the internet for tailors near the hotel leads to one which is not very far away.  We will go and see what is possible.

To get to the tailor we have to go up Nathan road to Carnarvon road, on paper, several blocks.  One thing I’d forgotten about the last time we were in Hong Kong was the touts on every corner, and in between, offering tailoring or copy watches and handbags.  They are persistent and in your face every twenty yards.  They are not even Chinese, nor do they have a very good command of English.
I’m not sure where we’d finish up if we ever took up one of their offers.

At the street where the tailor is located, there are more tailor shops and we have to endure more touts before getting to the arcade.  Then, as we headed towards the door to the tailor, another tailor tried to guide us into his shop next door.  You have to have your wits about you.

Once inside our chose tailor, we could almost breathe a sigh of relief.  The question now is whether we had chosen well.  Those in the shop, two men, and a woman are not Chinese, but Indian I think.  There was a brief discussion about the material, with two bolts of material retrieved.  Italian.  They were two of about a thousand that lined the side and back wall.  Whether that would be the material I eventually ended up with was debatable, and would have to be taken on trust.

The owner spent his time sitting at the back while I was measured, and a quote made up.  These two pairs of trousers were not going to be cheap, in fact, there are very expensive.  But, they were made to measure, the first trousers I have bought since my last pairs from Fletcher Jones, a company that no longer exists.

When could I have a fitting?  I only had three days in Hong Kong.

Come back at five.

I paid the money, and left, fully expecting to find the shop gone along with all trace of my money when I returned.

Or I might just get lucky.  We shall see.

Chateau Tongariro, New Zealand

This chateau was built in 1929 and was originally intended as a hostel for hikers.

It is now near the  Whakapapa skifield on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu and within  the boundary of the Tongariro National Park



We had afternoon tea in the lounge several times, and it is very pleasant in winter with the log fires burning.



The interior is still as ornate as it had been in the 1930's.  The chairs are very comfortable, and the atmosphere pleasant.

Mount Ngauruhoe can be seen through the window of the lounge.  This was used in filming Lord of the Rings.

Tongariro National Park, and, of course, Chateau Tongariro

Chateau Tongariro is an elegant place to stay at any time of the year, but for us people who live in a more temperate climate, the idea of staying on a chalet in winter has a certain appeal to it
The day we visited it was 6 degrees Celsius outside, but lot higher inside.

Passing through the front door you are greeted by the sounds of Shirley Bassey pounding out Goldfinger, a James Bond theme, in a way kind of fitting for the scenery, the snow, and the implied idea that action will be happening.

A car chase, sleds being pulled by Huskies across the snow-covered tundra, gunshots, and not the least of which, glamour.

Pity today is not that day.



It's not snowing, it's raining.

There's no snow on the tundra, and the Chateau is surrounded by low lying cloud making it impossible to see the snow covered mountains, that certain look and appeal of being in Russia, you know, those snow-peaked mountains that the Beatles sang about in 'Back to the USSR'.

We came earlier in the week when the skies were blue, there were no clouds, and the snow covered mountains were clear to see.

For a building built in 1928, it is both showing its age and holding it's old world charm.



Right down to the 1920's style big band music that had replaced the more risque James Bond themes, in amongst a few other 1940's movie musical themes such as 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow', by Judy Garland.

But, like our previous visits, we are here for the High Tea.

For the British in that period between the world wars, high tea was an occasion, especially in the colonies like Singapore and Hong Kong.

Of course, originally High Tea was a treat for the upper class, used as a mini meal between lunch and dinner which was, for them, quite often at 8pm.  So, traditionally, it was set between 3:30 and 5:00 pm.  Moving out of the 1800's it became a treat also for the middle classes, but post WW2, it came into its own where everyone was able to partake in it.

Depending on where you go, each establishment has its own variety of teas, and their own variation on cakes, pastries, scones, and sandwiches.

Me, I'm kind of boring, and prefer the Earl Grey, though I've been known to try something more exotic from time to time.  Today, it is Earl Grey.

I love the cucumber and smoked salmon sandwiches.  Good thing no one else does.

Scones come with jam and cream.  In England, they come with clotted cream.  Sometimes I just eat the cream with a small spoon.

As for the cakes or pastries, maybe not today.

Hong Kong, the Peninsula Hotel, and then High Tea

There is no doubt that the Peninsular Hotel in Hong Kong is one of the worlds most famous hotels, and luxurious.

It was on my bucket list, after spending a few days at Raffles, in Singapore, a hotel equally famous for its old world charm.

The Peninsular has been around since 1928 and thankfully had only changed for the better.

We took the signature Rolls Royce transfer from the airport, an experience everyone should try, and where your hotel stay begins.



We are staying in the old building, overlooking the Space Museum.  I'm sure, in 1928, there would have been a clear view of Hong Kong Island, still visible through the foreshore buildings.



The view from our room.  When we arrived it was at the end of a typhoon (level 3), which meant it was more rain than wind.  You can see the rain in the distance.



Old hotels lend themselves to explorers, like us, and we went down to the shopping mall in the basement, as well as on the ground floor, and through the Lobby Cafe, where as illustrated below, the ornate tiling and pillars, and decorated roof are impressive.



As well as staircases to the mezzanine floor, where there are shops and restaurants, including the signature breakfast room.



Also, a signature dish is the famed Afternoon Tea which people come from everywhere to have, even line up and wait.  As guests of the hotel, we were able to book a time and bypass the queue.



By the way, it was amazing, particularly the tea, special blends by the hotel which can also be bought at the hotel shop in the basement.

They also have special chocolates, and they are to die for.