“This is your captain speaking. Thanks for waiting so patiently and once again I’m so sorry for the delay. I’m so sorry to have to say this now… after all this time. I’m sorry folks, but this flight is not going anywhere tonight. It’s going to be delayed by around twenty hours and will leave tomorrow afternoon. Oh and you’re going to have to collect your luggage.”
I had two identical flights, two days in a row. I went through a smooth check in the Executive club check at Heathrow, both days. On both days, I wore the same printed trousers and cashmere sweater outfit both days. On both of these days, I had the same people sitting next to me each time and on both of these days I had the same desire to Instagram my bubbly on the flight.
Why? I hear you ask. Why did I fly from Heathrow two days in a row? Because after a Saturday consisting of an hours journey to Heathrow, a 3 hour delay pre-flight, an hour sitting on the flight and a couple of shows on Netflix, my flight which was due to take me to Hong Kong, was cancelled and rescheduled for the next day. It was past midnight and I had arrived at Heathrow at 4pm. To say I was exhausted and frustrated is a bit of an understatement!
So on Sunday, the day of my rescheduled flight I re-lived Saturday all over again – except this time I actually departed. With all the same familiar faces as the night before, I boarded to my flight to Hong Kong, and second time lucky, we left on time.
13 hours of flying, an hours drive, and a full boxset of The Night Of later, I arrived at the East Hotel, Hong Kong, a luxury hotel in Taikoo Shing, on Hong Kong Island.
Following the smoothest paperless check-in, I was shown to my Harbour Corner room with the most phenomenal views over Hong Kong harbour. The modern design and tall floor to ceiling glass windows let in the maximum amount of light into the room and exuded luxury. It also means that from every part of the room you can see out to the harbour. It’s airy, bright and immediately I found some peace!
Given that I was visiting Hong Kong for business and had lost a day due to the flight issues, I had quite a lot of work to get stuck into. The desk was sleek and well-designed, with hidden draws, leather furnishings, and practical international plug sockets. The staff at East Hotel had left me a beautiful notebook, fresh fruit and incredibly addictive chocolates – I thought this was a really nice touch to welcome guests after a long journey! It made the perfect base for me to work from.
There’s a large flat screen TV which usually hides behind a photograph of the harbour, plenty of lamps and lighting options, electric blackout blinds, a Nespresso machine and plenty of other handy gadgets. Best of all is the free smartphone which you can take whilst you’re out and about in Hong Kong. Use it to tether from or to make phone calls including free international calls, which was a big bonus!
So with all the above in place I was ready to get stuck into my work.
But first… time for a quick shower!
Check out the reflection of the view – it’s so beautiful.
The bathroom is kitted with Elemis products, a powerful shower and a huge vanity mirror. There’s a huge wardrobe, big fluffy robes, a powerful hairdryer and plenty of room for dressing. What more do you need?! In theory you can shower with a full view of the Harbour… in reality that means you could probably be seen too (so you may want to use the blinds!)
I spent the remainder on the day catching up with emails, finishing some work and preparing for client meetings. After a dinner at the local Thai spot I was ready to crash.
Whilst the high ceilings and smart lighting in the room give a really modern look to the room it’s the furnishings that make it a home from home. This huge bed turned out to be the best I’ve ever stayed in on a business trip. It was incredibly comfortable, soft and felt like sleeping in a cloud. I usually struggle to get fully rested with a new bed but a combination of the snug bedding, jet lag, peace, quiet and blackout blinds provided me with a super comfortable night’s sleep. And boy it was sleep I so desperately needed after losing my weekend to the airport!
Until next time, when I’ll take you around the rest of East Hotel and what more it has to offer! In the meantime, you can follow me on Instagram and let me know what you think! Which hotel would you recommend for it’s views?
East Hotel Hong Kong can be found at 29 Tai Koo Shing Rd, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. It’s a stones throw from Taikoo Shing station – I loved it and can’t wait to share more with you.
Website link here.