While the party was in full swing, neighbor Macao—37 miles to the southwest—made a racket of its own with full-tilt construction to the tune of billions of dollars. In past decades, Macao (also spelled "Macau") has flown under travel agents' radar as a possible destination for their clients. That's about to change in a big way, as investment is flowing into the gambling mecca.
Getting to Macao from Hong Kong is a simple matter. High-speed catamarans and jetfoils make frequent roundtrip, one-hour journeys between Hong Kong and Macao. There is also regularly scheduled helicopter service—a 20-minute flight—between the two destinations, operated by Heli Express.
It's hard to say if Americans will come to Macao in significant numbers. At present, the easily reached island, which mixes Portuguese and Chinese culture, makes a colorful and exciting add-on to a Hong Kong journey.
Langham Hotel, Hong Kong (http://hongkong.langhamhotels.com/) is in Kowloon's Tsimshatsui district, directly across the harbor from Central Hong Kong. The hotel—the only member of The Leading Hotels of the World in Hong Kong—is in the midst of a $22 million renovation intended to give it a more residential ambience. The first phase of the renovation will be completed this month, while the second and third phases will begin in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
For picture-perfect views, book the deluxe city view rooms, where at night you can see the glittering streets of Kowloon Drive. The hotel has 26 suites. The Premiere Suite (Room # 1328) represents the hotel's ultimate in accommodations. It's a one-bedroom suite with a bar, sitting area, dining area, study, and two-and-a-half bathrooms (one with a Jacuzzi).
Langham Hotel Club Floor rooms are popular picks because of their access to the exclusive Langham Hotel Club Lounge on the 11th floor. The lounge serves breakfast, all-day unlimited snacks and canapés, and evening cocktails. The lounge also has complimentary PC terminals with scanners, printers and broadband connection.
The hotel's main restaurant, which specializes in Cantonese cuisine, is T'ang Court, chosen one of Hong Kong's Top Dining Tables by Gourmet magazine. The hotel is a favorite of an eclectic mix of celebrities, including designer Kenneth Cole and singer Christina Aguilera.
Lanson Place Hotel ( http://www.lansonplace.com/) debuted in 2006. The 190-room boutique hotel includes residential apartments; 10 percent of its guests are long stay.
"The selling point is its private club atmosphere," says Musetta Wong, director of sales, Lanson Place. "The boutique hotel is a new concept for Hong Kong—there are only a handful of properties like this in the city."
The rooms that are the best to book are on the higher floors, specifically, 12 and up. These offer the most dramatic city views. As a thoughtful touch, guests are supplied with a personal mobile phone during their stay.
The hotel doesn't have a restaurant: It does have a continental breakfast on site though, and a menu program with 80 Hong Kong restaurants. The hotel's business center and gym are both open 24 hours a day, and Lanson Place can book advance spa appointments with the nearby MTM Spa.
The $2.4 billion Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel ( http://www.venetianmacao.com/) recently opened. At 10.5 million square feet, it claims to be twice the size of the Las Vegas original. The property has 3,000 rooms, a 15,000-seat sports arena, 1.2 million square feet of convention space, multiple fine-dining venues and a show produced by Cirque du Soleil.
Macao and the islands of Taipa and Coloane are connected by a reclaimed strip of land called Cotai. Cotai is the cornerstone of a resort area called the Las Vegas Sands' Cotai Strip. The Cotai Strip has a slate of projects on the drawing board, including hotel properties from Four Seasons, Sheraton, St. Regis, Shangri-La, Traders, Hilton, Conrad, Fairmont and Raffles.