Hong Kong

The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong: Highest Hotel in the World Opens

Want to get high ... legally? No, we're not talking a Salvia trip à la Miley Cyrus, but a literal 118 stories high.

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong yesterday announced the opening of their 16th property in Asia, which boasts the title of "highest hotel in the world." Located at the very top of the International Commerce Centre (ICC) in Hong Kong and occupying floors 102 to 118, the hotel takes the honors away from the current title holder in Dubai.

"The opening of this landmark hotel in Hong Kong is the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication to delivering the very best product, facilities and service in this international gateway city," said Herve Humler, president and chief operations officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.

Arrival
Don't prep for a long elevator ride just yet. The hotel's arrival lobby is actually located on the ninth floor of the building, where guests will pause before being transported to floor 103, which offers panoramic views of Hong Kong and the harbor.

Gallery: The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong

Tags: highest hotel, hong kong, hotels, luxury hotels, luxury travel, ritz carlton, ritz carlton hong kong, the ritz carlton

Continue reading “The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong: Highest Hotel in the World Opens”

Asia's Best Design Hotels

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Architecture & Design

Modern architecture-loving travelers will love the destinations featured by our friends over at Departures . The magazine took a look at Asia's coolest design hotels, which are some of the most impressive properties in Shanghai, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore. These properties are "sleek super towers and seemingly impossible, imagination-defying structures" according to the luxury magazine that is published by American Express publishing.

Today's Asian luxury hotels are influencing Western hotels, while once it was the opposite, according to Edwin Heathcote, architectural critic for the Financial Times. The most significant new hotels each have something that is memorable, the Departures piece explains. In some, it's the restaurant that's the most memorable; in others, it's a soaring sky bar or a penthouse suite. In others it is the structures themselves that are redefining skylines.

Hong Kong
According to Departures, Hong Kong has also opened itself up to a host of contemporary international architects who have put their stamp on the city, from Foster + Partners to Cesar Pelli to I. M. Pei. Recently, at the 117-room Upper House (from $425), local Andre Fu-known for doing the home of actress Michelle Yeoh-has created an ideal, almost spiritual, balance of uncluttered spaces. "The design is not Asian in a literal manner," Fu told Departures, "but it reflects a subtle Asian sensitivity." He has achieved this with pools of water, bamboo enclosures, natural timber, shoji glass, limestone and lacquered paper panels. Additional design highlights include the Sky Bridge on the 49th floor, which crosses a 130-foot-high atrium; the hotel's Bedonia stone façade (see photo above) by one of Britain's hottest architect-designers, Thomas Heatherwick; and freestanding bathtubs with panoramic harbor or island views.

Tags: architecture inspired clothing, art+deco+hotels+asia, artdecohotelsasia, Asia, asia+hotels, asiahotels, Bangkok, best+hotels+in+the+world+with+photos, besthotelsintheworldwithphotos, coolest+design+hotels, coolestdesignhotels, Departures, departures+design+hotel, departuresdesignhotel, design hotels, Hong Kong, hotel+designers, hoteldesigners, hotels, michelle+yeoh, michelleyeoh, modern+architecture, modernarchitecture, new+design+hotel+2011, newdesignhotel2011, Shanghai, Singapore

Continue reading “Asia's Best Design Hotels”

Christie's Sells Record-Breaking $91 Million Worth of Watches in 2010

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

With its final auction of the fall season on December 14 in New York, including the stunning collection of rare Rolexes we wrote about the other day, Christie's International wrapped up a record-breaking year for fine and rare watches that realized an astonishing $91.2 million in total sales – the highest annual total ever achieved for watches at the global auction house. During what has emerged as a remarkable year for investment in fine timepieces, every watch sale hosted at Christie's salerooms in Dubai, Hong Kong, Geneva, and New York achieved sell-through rates above 90% by value. The top watch of the year was a unique Patek Philippe gold chronograph Reference 1527 (above) manufactured in 1943 that sold for a record-breaking $5.7 million at Christie's Geneva in May. The top 8 prices of the year were all attributable to Pateks, and no other auction house in the world achieved as many record prices for important timepieces during 2010.

Tags: auctions, Christies, Dubai, Geneva, Hong Kong, New York, Patek Philippe, Rolex, watches, world record

California-Themed Wine Bars To Open Across Asia

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

I've mentioned the growing hunger for French wine in Asia but California wine hasn't caught on quite as strongly yet. That could change with the launch of California Vintage, a new chain of California-themed wine bars that will open in Asia starting in the Central neighborhood in Hong Kong in January. Decanter reports that the backers of the project are 22 California 'partner' wineries and a Hong Kong-based importer. The bar will offer 80 wines by the glass and all wines will come from the partner wineries including Fritz, Hope, Peachy Canyon and Tierra Roja. The wineries are all small, family-owned boutique wineries. California Vintage plans to open 20 outlets across Asia in the next five years in Hong Kong as well as China, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.

Tags: california vintage, california wine, hong kong, wine

Perfect Pink Diamond Sets Hong Kong Record

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

It's not a world-record setter like the $46-million pink diamond sold at Sotheby's recently but a stone called "the perfect pink" sold for over $23 million to an anonymous buyer at Christie's Hong Kong over the weekend. The 14.23 ct. rectangular-cut fancy intense pink diamond is the most expensive jewel ever sold in Asia. The sale was a record-setter overall, bringing in $78.9 million, highest ever for a jewelry auction in Asia and the largest ever at Christie's worldwide. The pink diamond is flanked by a pair of rectangular D-flawless diamonds weighing 1.73 and 1.67 carats and mounted in 18k rose and white gold. The center stone is graded fancy intense pink, natural colour, VVS2 clarity, with excellent symmetry. It is a type IIa diamond, diamonds which are chemically very pure and are famed for their clean, jaw-dropping sparkle.

Tags: Christies, diamond, diamonds, hong kong, pink diamond

Alleged Swindler Scammed Out of $800,000 by New York City Limo Driver

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth, Celebrity Design, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Tony Chan Chun Chuen is allegedly swindled by New York Limo driver.

A New York City limo driver allegedly stole the credit card information belonging to a Hong Kong-based near billionaire and racked up nearly $800,000 in fraudulent charges, according to court documents filed in a Federal Court in Brooklyn.

Astonishingly, the victim is so wealthy, he wasn't even aware he had been defrauded of hundreds of thousands of dollars until it was brought to his attention by the company that had issued the charge card.

It all started when celebrity feng shui adviser, Chan Chun Chuen, also known as "Tony Chan" (seen above), traveled by private jet in July 2008 arriving at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport before being transported to Manhattan by Queens, N.Y.-based driver, Peter S. Rahhaoui. According to an indictment filed in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, Rahhaoui later used Chan's American Express card to "receive payment and other things of value". The fraudulent activity allegedly occurred between August 2008 and November 2009 .

U.S. Secret Service Agent Kwame Davis testified that he had been contacted by a fraud investigator working on behalf of American Express who was investigating a pattern of fraudulent activity for a card issued to Chan Chun Chuen. According to Kwame's testimony, a large number of charges were posted on a monthly basis by A&S Limousine Service, for amounts ranging between $4,300 and $19,242. According to court documents, the total amount of these charges was $794,986.

But in a strange twist of events, the victim's own alleged misdoings are now being used as a defense by Rahhaouhi.

Tags: American Express, billionaire, Can Chun Chuen, court, feng shui, fraud, fraud investigation, Hong Kong, legal action, Nina Wang, Tony Chan

Continue reading “Alleged Swindler Scammed Out of $800,000 by New York City Limo Driver”

Grissini Restaurant Unveils 600 gram White Truffle

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

White truffles are among the most elusive and expensive of the all the truffle varieties and as this year's white truffle season begins (it runs October to December) the Grissini Restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong is sitting pretty. This past Friday they unveiled a much larger than average 600 gram specimen.

About as big as two baseballs, the beige beauty might not be a record-setter but it is many times larger than the 20 - 30g truffles the restaurant usually gets. Grissoni isn't disclosing how much it paid for the truffle but it will say it plans to charge customers just over $19 a gram for the delicacy, or about $11,600 total.

Bigger isn't better in terms of taste but larger truffles do have a longer shelf life and, because they're so rare, are always good for garnering a little extra publicity.

Source

Tags: grissini, hong kong, hyatt, truffle, truffles, white truffle, white truffles

The Yachts of Seabourn's Fabled Far East Cruise

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Want to explore the bustle and beauty of Asia without spending half your time in confusing and crowded foreign airports? Then take a long look at The Yachts of Seabourn's Fabled Far East Cruise, a Luxist nominee in the best summer cruise category.

The 24-day itinerary begins in Bangkok, Thailand and ends in Kobe, Japan, with stops in five cities along the Pacific coastline. The first week includes stops in Vietnam's sprawling Ho Chih Minh City and bustling port of Da Nang before chugging over to Hong Kong, where shore excursions include a helicopter ride and high tea at the Peninsula Hotel.

Gallery: The Yachts of Seabourn

The Yachts of Seabourn (The Fabled Far East Cruise)

Week two starts with a journey to mainland China's seaside city of Xiamen; the trip continues with two days in Shanghai, the "Paris of China," and wraps up with a day on the Yellow Sea. The third week takes visitors to South Korea, first to the mountain-backed city of Mokpo, then to Jeju, a volcanic island formed from eruptions nearly 2 million years ago. The trip ends with stops at Nagasaki, Kagoshima and Kobe, Japan.

The Fabled Far East cruise takes place on the Seabourn Pride, a boat that boasts both a restaurant and spa. Best Available Fares per person, based on double occupancy, start at $11,400 for wait list spot, while the brochure fare is $22,800. Fares go all the way up to $32,800 for a wait list spot in a deluxe owner's suite (the stated brochure fare is $65,600), not including airfare.

Vote for the Summer Cruise that you think is the best of breed. The winner will be announced on September 1st.

Tags: awards-main, best cruise, best summer cruise, China Construction Bank, China cruise, Cruise, Far East Cruise, Hong Kong, luxist-awards, The Yachts of Seabourn

Porsche 911 Carrera S Centurion Edition from American Express

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Membership has its privilege, or so the saying goes. In the case of Hong Kong residents holding the exclusive Centurion card from American Express, that privilege includes the option to purchase an exclusive, special-edition Porsche.

The Porsche 911 Carrera S Centurion Edition is distinguished by matte black paint with blacked-out wheels, and an interior decked out in black leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber trim. It also includes the optional Sport Chrono pack and dual-clutch transmission. Throw in some special badges, but that's about the extent of it. Each commands a very hefty HK$2 million (about a quarter million in equivalent American dollars), and only three will be made.

Source

Tags: american express, american express centurion, centurion, centurion by american express, centurion from american express, hong kong, porsche, porsche 911, Porsche 911 Carrera S Centurion Edition

No Sale After All For $57 Million Hong Kong Apartment

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Last October we heard about a $57 million Hong Kong apartment. The five-bedroom duplex suite in a building called 39 Conduit Road was, at 6,158 square feet, believed to be Asia's most expensive property per square foot. But now the developer, Henderson Land Development Company Limited, says the deal for the penthouse with the harbor views has collapsed. And the same buyer has walked away from five other apartments. The $57 million penthouse was listed as being on the 68th floor but was actually on the 45th, the second tallest in this 46-story building. The top floor was numbered as the 88th, the numbers were used to attract Chinese buyers who are often superstitious about lucky numbers.

The developer created a building of 66 units total ranging from 2,800 to 7,600 square feet. Henderson says a total of 20 deals in the tower have been canceled representing a total of 2.67 billion Hong Kong dollars (nearly $343 million). The failure of the sales are seen as a sign that Hong Kong's real estate market is cooling.

Tags: 39 conduit road, china, hong kong, real estate

Spectrum Wines Spans The Pacific With Simultaneous Auction On Two Different Days

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Auctions

There's no denying that the rare wine market is huge in Hong Kong. Spectrum Wine Auctions is set to capitalize on that with an auction this summer that puts them in two places at once. The wine auction specialists will offer 575 lots in its next fine and rare wine live auction simultaneously on Friday, June 25 at Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California, at 6 p.m. PDT, and on Saturday, June 26 at the Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong, at 9 a.m. HKT. Bidders will have the opportunity to bid live, via fax and telephone, and via the internet in real time at www.spectrumwine.com. Small bites and various wines will be offered throughout the session and attendance is open to the public and is free of charge.

The June auction features abundance of 100-point Parker wines and has an estimate of $3.5 million. Highlights include 12 bottles of 1978 Romanée Conti estimated at $150,000. Also up for bid will be more highlights from the collection of Aubrey McClendon including 1982 and 1986 Château Mouton Rothschild, 1996 and 2003 Château Lafite Rothschild, and 1997 and 2001 Harlan, other fine properties for sale include Château Haut Brion from 1945-2006, Château Latour spanning 1928-2006, a full cadre of Domaine de la Romanée Conti from 1953-2005, and Screaming Eagle from 1995-2007. A Nebuchadnezzar (15L) of 2005 Château d'Yquem in original presentation wood case, numbered #28 out of 100 is estimated at $17,500.

Tags: chateau dyquem, hong kong, romanee-conti, vintage wine

Greubel Forsey Private Room In Hong Kong Is Elegant Dungeon In Which To Buy Watches

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

"You will not be leaving here until you purchase a watch." Possible words of warning as you attempt to leave the new luxury Greubel Forsey "Private Room" located in the Elegant Watch & Jewelry boutique, in Hong Kong. The brand which makes some of the word's most expensive watches opens their first private location in Hong Kong. The private room is quite literally that, a Greubel Forsey decorated and operated room with a table, chairs, some display cases... and only one way out. "My exit for a watch!"

Stepping into the room pretty much means you are going to leave with an extra $300, 000 - $500,000 worth of watch in a large size box under your arm. Or perhaps you get the pleasure of waiting a few months while Greubel Forsey's talented watch markers toil over your brand new family heirloom that the kids can't ever touch. Meetings are likely by appointment only, but I image the private room will be occupied quite often given the fine brands popularity in the watch savvy region.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: boutique, Greubel Forsey, hong kong, private room, private shopping, store, watch

Felix: Indulge in a Cocktail for "The Most Magical Show on Earth"

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

Felix at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong is nominated for a best hotel bar award by Luxist

Felix at The Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong offers both spectacular service and a stupendous view of Hong Kong, and has been nominated for a Readers' Choice Award for Best Hotel Bars.

Fortuitously situated with an outlook facing Victoria Peak and Hong Kong Harbor, Felix boasts front row seats for a "galaxy of lights" in the evening which they describe as "the most magical show on earth." As you can see from the photos, the views inside the bar aren't too shabby, either.

Gallery: Felix at the Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong

The grand opulence of The Peninsula Hotel is the perfect setting for this luxurious bar experience. Guests of the highest caliber from all over the world can enjoy the beauty of Hong Kong from the uber-contemporary 28th-floor haven over an elegant bowl of Sunchoke and Lobster Soup with Meyer Lemons and Capers, or a Prawn Cracker-crusted Garoupa with a Shrimp Pillow, Scallions and Champagne Butter.

Late night dishes include small yet extravagant fusion offerings like Smoked Beef Tenderloin with Carmelized Onions and Brie on Toast, Salty Five Spices Pork Ribs and Salmon Nachos, and desserts like Rose Champagne Terrine with Seasonal Berries and Peach Reduction and a menu item entited "Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate" (really, who needs a further explanation?).

You'll find cocktails of both the avant-garde and classic varieties at Felix, and no children under 12. An additional bonus: as no "plastic footwear" is permitted, you won't see a single pair of Crocs.

Vote for the hotel bar that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through April 30 and winners will be announced on May 1.

Tags: awards-main, bar, best hotel bar, Felix, Hong Kong, hotel bar, Luxist-awards, nightlife, Peninsula Hotel

Langham Place Hotel Offers Guided Art Tours

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art

More hotels are getting into showcasing art but the Langham Place hotel in Hong Kong is now the first hotel in the world to offer their guests museum-style guided tours of their collection of contemporary Chinese art.The hotel owns more than 1,500 pieces of contemporary Chinese art worth more than HK$20 million. The collection includes pieces by Chinese artists including Wang Guangyi, Yue Minjun and Jiang Shuo. The iPod art tour takes guests from the ground level to the 41st floor to check out the hotel's top 21 pieces. Via the iPod, Angela Li, Langham Place's art consultant explains the philosophy and history of the art and artist and the key contributors guiding the artist. The tours are conducted in English, Cantonese, Mandarin and Japanese and are free for all guests. The tour comes with a free take-home petite box-set guide with image prints and written explanations in English and Traditional Chinese.

Gallery: Langham Place Art

Wellington X Queen X Jervois by Warren Leung Chiwo

Tags: art hotel, art hotels, chinese art, hong kong, langham place

Chuan Spa: Guided by the Pillars of Traditional Chinese Medicine

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spas

For the best of ancient Asian relaxation techniques, there are few places like Chuan Body and Soul. With a flagship location perched on the 41^st floor of the Langham Palace Hotel in Hong Kong, the establishment really does take its clients to a place high above the daily grind – making it an easy choice for a Luxist nomination for best men's spa.

Founded in 2005, Chuan emphasizes the connection between Jing (life force), Qi (vital energy) and Shen (mind and spirit). The spa also carries on the teachings of traditional Chinese medicine, emphasizing the five Wu Xing elements whose harmony makes up the core of one's spiritual and physical health. Each session begins with a questionnaire aimed at determining which of the five elements are out of balance within an individual.

Once inside Chuan's sanctuary, choose from a wide range of relaxation options. There's the 1.5-hour Body Elements treatment, which starts with a harmony massage and ends with a facial hydration treatment. For something a little longer, try the Serenity Shen, which begins with a stone therapy massage and continues with a cool marine algae facial mask treatment and finally finishes with an indulgent foot treatment.

If you can't make it all the way to Hong Kong, never fear. Chuan boasts locations in Auckland, Melbourne, Koh Samui, Shanghai and Boston, with more locations planned for Bangkok, Beijing, Guangzhou, Phuket, Pune, London and Los Angeles. Unlike many of its compatriots in the Best Men's Spa category, Chuan is also open to women.

Cast your vote for your favorite spa until March 31st. Winners will be announced on April 1.

Tags: awards-main, best mens spa, chuan body and soul, chuan spa, chuan spa worldwide, hong kong, luxist-awards, mens spa, spa-main

Hong Kong

Featured Galleries

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular

Also on AOL