Renaissance Harbour View, Hong Kong

The Renaissance Harbour View is well liked by business men and women for its direct access to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre as well as for its excellent views over the world famous Victoria Harbour.

Indeed, the hotel is only five minutes from the central business district by taxi or a 20 minute walk on the elevated walkways. The Star Ferry terminal to Kowloon is adjacent to the property and the MTR subway station is nearby for fast access to the airport.

But this is not a small, boutique hotel. The Renaissance Harbour View has 860 rooms of which two-thirds command panoramic views over the harbour. For the best facilities, stay on the five uppermost club floors with a dedicated lounge and complimentary afternoon tea and evening cocktails.

Presidential glory

Here too are the best suites and the refined Presidential suite with naturally the finest harbour views. The decor is modern with a Chinese twist and the marble bathrooms are to the highest international standards.

The hotel has two main restaurants and a coffee lounge downstairs for breakfasts. This is not a vast range of food and beverage outlets for a hotel this size but of course Hong Kong is full of alternative restaurants.

The Dynasty Cantonese restaurant is a large classic Chinese restaurant, although this particular style of cuisine is not generally a great favorite with Western guests. But if you want to try dim sum or Shark's fin soup then this is the place.

The Scala Italian restaurant offers a more intimate setting with 48 covers where manager Willem van Emden runs a classy operation with great style. The food is likely to appeal to the harshest critic and the cellar more than adequate.

Lobby Lounge

For light meals the Lobby Lounge has a buffet lunch and is a favorite meeting place for visiting business men and women and their contacts with a Filipina singing duo in the evenings.

Probably the strangest thing about the Renaissance Harbour View is that it does not feel like a hotel with some 1,500 guests, except at the check-out which can get rather busy and has a queuing system like a Post Office. It could be the service levels which are as high here as anywhere in Hong Kong.

You will never be left waiting for anything, and the response is always fast and efficient. Or simply that in a hotel tower you are not always aware of the other 42 floors.

The hotel has in-room high-speed Internet connections and a small Business Centre which is not generally popular as its $25 an hour Net connection charges must be among the highest in the world.