HotelChatter

As you enter the lounge, you can either turn left or right. Both sides feature plenty of seating, with a meeting room (bookable via the lounge staff) and two complimentary workstations with computers, printers, and other necessary equipment in the section on the left.

To your right, at the far end, various food presentations are available throughout the day, from breakfast during the morning to canapés and desserts in the evening. Breakfast in the regular restaurant has a slightly wider selection, simply due to space, but as an Executive floor guest you are free to choose whether to stay on the 59th floor or head downstairs.

Service is fantastic, with drinks served at your table rather than through those mini-fridges you sometimes see in club lounges. Over the course of the five days we were there, we saw a lot of the same staff, who remembered the kind of drink you prefer at different times of the day or how you like your coffee.

We were pretty happy with the overall service at the hotel. There were a number of thoughtful touches: we asked for an International Herald Tribune in the morning, which, when not published on Sunday, was replaced by an alternative newspaper accompanied by a courtesy note from the concierge explaining why. A bowl with fresh fruit in the room was replenished twice a day, with another note left when we had left the do-not-disturb on, urging us to call if we still required anything.

Wifi is free in the lounge, but disappointingly, not in your room, even when you are on the Executive floor. That was our only real disappointment. Complimentary shoe shine, and garment pressing upon check-in, is available.

Views from the lounge are pretty spectacular, and being in the middle of a tropical depression when we first arrived made for some impressive weather gazing. One moment you could clearly spot the likes of the Ritz-Carlton (the highest hotel in the world) and the Peninsula across the water, a few minutes later the Island Shangri-La next door was barely visible.

We loved having a place to start the day and come back to after spending time in the city, so we would definitely pay the premium for the Executive floor again. You can sometimes find an Executive room for about HK$400 (US$52) compared to the same category room on regular floors, which even as a leisure traveller could be worth your while.

Hong Kong hotels are famous for their club lounges, but equally so for their consistently high rates: an Executive Harbour View room at the Conrad starts at HK$4050 (US$522) in June.