Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong

Character and identity

Rising 56 storeys above the Pacific Place complex in Central, this 565-room tower is a 1990s grande dame that still carries weight. The atrium is anchored by "The Great Motherland of China," a 167-foot silk painting viewable from bubble elevators, and the signature white tea scent threads through every floor. Eight restaurants and bars include the Michelin-starred Cantonese Summer Palace, the formal French Restaurant Petrus on 56, the live-jazz Lobster Bar and Grill, and Nadaman for teppanyaki. A 90-foot heated outdoor pool faces Hong Kong Park. Service runs warm, intuitive, and notably attentive on top floors.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What sets this hotel apart is the depth of thinking in the renovated suites and the 45th-floor family programme, paired with a restaurant roster locals actually book. Book a renovated suite (older categories don't tell the same story), bring the kids to the family floor if you can justify it, and ask the butler to reserve Summer Palace dim sum and the Island Gourmet frou frou before noon.