Why stay?

It’s not just the exceptional waterfront location that makes the Four Seasons a top choice for movers and shakers passing through Hong Kong—the elegant hotel is a culinary destination in its own right, with no less than seven Michelin stars under one roof. Other major pluses include the thoughtful, next-level service and a superb spa. Seventy percent of the recently overhauled rooms face Victoria Harbour; so too does the glorious pool terrace where guests swim laps in a 20-meter basin and soak up the views of Kowloon from the larger infinity-edge pool.

The neighborhood

Four Seasons Hong Kong inhabits a 45-story skyscraper linked to the swanky IFC Mall, part of a vast network of walkways and internal thoroughfares connecting various office blocks with the Central–Mid Levels Escalator (which runs past the arts and culture hub Tai Kwun). This is the closest hotel to the Central piers for the Star Ferry and regular services to outlying islands like Lantau and Cheung Chau. The Airport Express terminates directly below IFC Mall; Central’s namesake MTR station can be reached through a long underground concourse or via bridges and the podium rooftop at Exchange Square, whose ground floor houses a key bus interchange.

The bedroom of a Premier Harbour View suite at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong.

The feel

Guests will be reminded of the Four Seasons brand’s penchant for sleek, streamlined spaces from the moment of arrival. Natural light pours into the glass-walled lobby, where local studio AB Concept has installed reception desks of richly veined marble and added the Gallery café on a raised platform around the pre-existing spiral staircase, which skirts a structural column. Upstairs, the rooms and lift lobbies were completely revamped in 2021 by high-powered interior designer Peter Remedios, who started out his career working on Four Seasons Hotel New York with I.M. Pei. Hong Kong artist Kassia Ko contributed Chinese ink paintings nodding to the territory’s landscapes in the public foyers and standard rooms.

Guest quarters

Expect a polished residential style in a color palette of cream, gray, and black that mixes contemporary furnishings and Chinese heritage–inspired elements: think glossy lacquered cabinets and light wood shelves displaying miniature sculptures, small vases, books, and traditional ink brushes. A plush round swivel chair big enough for two provides a romantic window-side perch in the bedrooms of Superior and Premier Harbour View suites. Amenities from French perfume house Frederic Malle are found in the large bathrooms, now upgraded with new fittings, strip lighting, and gray marble countertops to complement the original yellow marble walls and floors. Customizable Simmons beds let you choose your desired level of firmness from one of three down mattress toppers, and the pillow menu has eight different options—including ones for expectant mothers.

Food and drink

Three of the hotel’s seven Michelin stars belong to the legendary Caprice, a temple to fine French cuisine; premium cheeses and vintages from a collection of up to 1,400 bottles can also be savored at the adjoining Caprice Bar. Led by seasoned chef Chan Yan-tak, two-Michelin-starred Lung King Heen has long been lauded for its heavenly Cantonese fare. Set lunch menus may feature several dim sum dumplings; a barbecue platter of crispy-skinned roast goose, marinated jellyfish, and succulent pork belly; and the signature puntalette (rice grain–like pasta) stir-fried with finely minced beef in XO sauce—a staple since the Four Seasons’ opening back in 2005. (Try the non-alcoholic pairings of sparkling tea in flavors like hibiscus and marshmallow root.) The two other Michelin stars are shared between contemporary Italian venue Noi and 45th-floor Sushi Saito, where patrons settle into 16 counter seats and enjoy seasonal omakase using handpicked seafood flown in daily from Tsukiji Market. Just as intimate is the first overseas outpost of Tokyo’s famed Tempura Uchitsu next door. Back down at lobby level, The Lounge serves high tea and international fare, while Gallery offers Western comfort food with an Asian twist. A stylish conservatory-like space for breakfast and lunch buffets by day, Argo morphs into one of Hong Kong’s top cocktail parlors after dark.

A spread of signature dishes at two-Michelin-starred Lung King Heen.

Wellness factor

Comprehensive facilities at the men’s and women’s areas of the spa range from saunas and ice fountains to a relaxation lounge and mosaic-tiled vitality pool. Private elevators whisk weary visitors to treatment suites with wall-to-wall windows framing harbor and city views. Feeling puffy? The Contouring Detox Experience involves a vigorous salt scrub to boost circulation, getting swaddled in bandages and then a thermal blanket, before a lymphatic massage that will have you falling asleep by the end of the 2.5-hour treatment.

Family matters

Kids receive personalized in-room amenities; the concierge supplies board games and video games on request. Families can choose from complimentary activities like seasonal treasure hunts, 30-minute air hockey and foosball sessions, or maybe a car racing simulation in their private quarters. When it comes to dining, The Lounge provides a children’s menu featuring breakfast and all-day options. Caprice and Lung King Heen welcome minors who are at least three years old, while the minimum age at Tempura Uchitsu is 11.

Sustainability cred

Minibars come stocked with glass water bottles, and biodegradable containers have been rolled out across the F&B outlets. Surplus food is donated to Foodlink, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting hunger among low-income residents; organic kitchen waste is taken off-site to be converted into biogas and compost. The hotel utilizes the ecoSPIRITS distribution system, which removes up to 80 percent of the carbon footprint from the global supply chain for premium spirits.

What else?

First-timers coming in aboard the Airport Express may be bewildered by the zigzagging (and not very well signposted) route to the Four Seasons via IFC Mall. To avoid getting lost, call ahead at an airport desk to organize a pick-up service from the platform level at Hong Kong Station. The hotel also offers a fuss-free arrival experience that sees guests escorted shortly after deplaning and driven in a Bentley or Mercedes-Benz on the scenic 45-minute journey into town.

Reviewed by James Louie

fourseasons.com/hongkong/
+852 3196 8888
8 Finance St, Central, Hong Kong

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