Walking into a Shangri-La is a bit like walking into a Starbucks - you know what to expect even whether you're in Taiwan or Turkey. It's strong branding and high level of service meant that we felt welcome from the moment of our arrival. Check-in was a fast and smooth process, and we were assigned a pleasant room with views of the pool and neighbouring Hong Kong.
The room itself was rather dated and looked in need of refurbishment, but this shortcoming is reflected in the great value-for-money room rate. The flat-screen TV did not have a HDMI input, and there didn't appear to be an in-room dining menu. The mini-bar was empty and not stocked. There was a shallow bath in the bathroom.
The sizable pool was where we spent most of our time, and while there weren't many sun loungers available, staff were able to move more out to the poolside promptly upon request. The adjacent gym is well-equipped with modern equipment. The pool was generally quiet during the day (as it usually is in China in the summer months), although it did get busier towards the late afternoon.
Breakfast was a relatively uncrowded affair - always a welcome in any hotel - although the variety was somewhat limited. That said, the quality of food was generally high, with some excellent fresh cream accompanying the waffles and very tasty Sichuan minced pork noodles on offer. We spotted a dimsum buffet promotion which looked great, and we will be checking it out in future. Also, a huge plus point: the hotel did provide a Hong Kong wi-fi internet connection, which means guests have an uncensored internet connection during their stay.
