HotelChatter

Now exhale...the hardest part about getting into The Peninsula is building up the courage to walk past its row of gleaming, custom green Rolls-Royce Phantoms and over the threshold into the gilded lobby. Most tourists don't make it beyond taking a cheesy photo of themselves in front of the majestic fountain out front, but two minutes in The Peninsula's presence isn't enough.

Although it appears a bastion of colonial stuffiness and proper manners, a few steps inside and you'll see that it's quite the opposite. The Peninsula is surprisingly welcoming to the public, with afternoon tea in the lobby, the human-sized gingerbread house and train layout on the mezzanine level during the holidays, several restaurants including the Philippe Starck-designed Felix, and—of course—the mini shopping mall stocked with designer brands. Frankly, it's welcoming atmosphere took us by surprise.

On the other hand, if you do book a room and turn the key to become a guest of The Peninsula, then there's an inner sanctum only for you. The pool (we'll get to that tomorrow), the gym and yoga deck, the helicopter departure lounge, the best tables at the restaurants, and—OMG—the deck with views so awesome that one could be justified in booking a Hong Kong vacation just to sit out there night and day. Oh, and they were busy setting up a guests-only barbeque out there when we passed through.

Now enough with our blabbering. We'll let the video room tours and photo galleries do the rest of the talking...

Peninsula Hong Kong's Room 2416, a Grand Deluxe Harbourview Suite in the newer tower:

Peninsula Hong Kong's Room 215, a small suite within the original building:

[All photos and video: Cynthia Drescher for HotelChatter]