The Island Shangri-La hotel in Hong Kong might be the most creative stay for families in the whole city. Harriet Mallinson went to find out what kids and parents can expect.
Hong Kong’s skyscrapers afford incredible views of the city
You know the cloud game? The one where you watch wind-carved clouds mutate and then guess what they look like? Turns out, Hong Kong might be the ultimate play zone.
I’m staring out like a lighthouse keeper from my wall-consuming skyscraper window. Perhaps it’s the tropical weather or the fact that I’m almost eye-level with them, but these chameleonic shapes – snowman, croissant, pirate ship – are mesmerising as they act out their sky-high drama.
Now snowy white, now oyster-shell grey: the clouds tumble-turn with abandon above the hulking hills and high-rises.
As a child I spent many a happy holiday with my dad calling out such shapes, and it would be easy to while away hours doing the same from this luxury Hong Kong hotel bedroom. Only…what’s behind me is so eyeball-grabbingly extraordinary I’m not sure a kid would find the time.
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Kids can sleep in an array of themed rooms including an airship
Inside the Island Shangri-La family suites
However, these aren’t mere bedrooms I’m standing in, the themed family quarters in the Island Shangri-La are wildly imaginative, five-star wonderlands. I realise that any future accommodation might be a heart-sinking disappointment for me, the minute I step out of the lift to be greeted by a tiny toy train chuffing around the hallway.
In such enchantingly dubbed rooms as Fairy Garden Suite or Underwater Treasure Suite, little ones (or me if I can elbow them out of the way fast enough) can variously sleep in a pink pumpkin carriage, an airship, a castle, a treehouse or a campervan.
Not that they’ll just want to kip: each room is packed with interactive touches like secret hatches, slides, UV-revealing murals and toy-stuffed treasure chests. Even I don’t want to leave.
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A treehouse is another amazing accommodation option on the family floor
What’s the Island Shangri-La kids club like?
Though it’s not all childhood fantasy, there’s a strong practical streak, too. As well as doors decorated with animals to help youngsters recognise their room, The Pantry has everything from strollers, sterilisers and nappies to swim gear and a washing machine. So you can ditch the 17 spare pairs of pants.
Nearby is the ever-so-aesthetic, no-plastic-to-be-seen kids club, The Hangout. Here, there’s a Workshop Room with crafts, board games and edifying activities like bamboo weaving and clay magnet-making, plus an Instagrammable Grab & Go station for snacks, ice cream and afternoon tea (handy given most of the hotel restaurants don’t offer kids’ menus).
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The eighth-floor pool has a dedicated water play zone for under-sixes
Island Shangri-La food and activities
That said, the buffet downstairs is waistband-strainingly extensive and caters to all tastes.
Although I soon get the sense I’m doing breakfast all wrong as I virtuously help myself to yoghurt and fruit whilst Asian guests shimmy past with ramen, seafood congee and things I’m not brave enough to face before 10am.
For a hit of fine-dining in the AM, be sure to nab a spot at 56th-floor joint Petrus and order the French Toast – it’s a sugar-topped holiday in a mouthful, so don’t share a morsel.
Outside, the enticing eighth-floor pool has a dedicated water play zone for under-sixes, with splash jets, a toddler pool and an LED-lit whack-a-mole wall. Also, shaded cabanas, poolside service and the nearby spa mean adults aren’t exactly roughing it either.
Basically the Island Shangri-La is a family utopia, but don’t miss out on the charm of the city itself. Albeit the fourth most densely populated region on earth, Hong Kong is far more than a forest of skyscrapers.
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Ride the historic Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak for super panoramas
What to do in Hong Kong with children
Firstly, ride the historic Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak for those famous skyline and harbour views. Then, if you’re feeling energetic, hike the Morning Trail via the Mid-Levels Escalator (the Guinness World Record holder for the longest covered escalator, no less).
For more walking, try the scenic Dragon’s Back trail on Lantau Island, followed by a visit to Shek O beach (a short bus ride from the end of the hike). The umbrella-studded sands are as inviting as dulce de leche ice cream, and beachfront restaurant Cococabana does excellent rosé–accompanied seafood lunches.
Although you can also see sights without the sweat. Hop on red-sail junk boat Aqua Luna for a harbour cruise with a drink in hand. Or jump aboard the iconic Star Ferry over to Tsim Sha Tsui where you can catch the nightly Symphony of Lights, browse the shops and explore cultural hotspots like West Kowloon’s M+ art museum and the interactive Hong Kong Science Museum.
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At Ocean Park panda cubs, not yet a year old, steal the show
Why you shouldn’t miss a visit to Hong Kong’s Ocean Park
For theme park thrills and Mickey magic, you can swing by Hong Kong Disneyland. However, I find my fun fix at lesser-known amusement venue, Ocean Park, where twin panda cubs, not yet a year old, steal the show.
Here, staff at the dedicated enclosure are part zoo-keepers, part theatre troupe as they fling open curtains to reveal a new scene for each group ushered reverently through. Since the fluffy, ungainly duo are the first giant pandas ever born in Hong Kong, they have us all scrambling for our cameras.
There’s tumbling, cuddling, climbing, scrapping and snoozing; there’s bums up and heads down, and plenty of “Geroff!” and “That’s mine” (I assume). These are toddlers, all right. Although, as I watch the keepers coaxing with toys and supervising log scrambling, I conclude childcare of these bumbling bears is something I could happily get behind.
Not that their father agrees. Next door, oblivious to the chaos he helped create, the large male sits in solitude, chowing through a cornucopia of bamboo and surveying his child-free kingdom. I see the appeal in his serenity, yet can’t help feeling he’s missing out.
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How to plan Hong Kong family holidays
How to get there
Direct UK flights to Hong Kong from 12 hours, 45 minutes
Where to stay
Island Shangri-La Hong Kong, Family Suites (2 adults, 2 children) from £1,493 per night
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