The Peninsula hotel - Hong Kong, China

First opened in 1928, at the tip of the then insalubrious Kowloon, where - as the last stop on the trans-Siberian rail link - it received guests straight off the express, The Peninsula in Hong Kong has long been regarded as the legendary ‘Grande Dame of the Far East’.

The flagship hotel for the brand, it originally comprised just six floors before a renovation in 1994 saw the hotel expand to a lofty 30 storeys, where some of the best views of the impressive skyline on Hong kong island can be seen. Now, for its 85th birthday, the hotel has just emerged from another nip and tuck, this time to the guest rooms which are now suitably outfitted in plush Peninsula luxury befitting to the hotel’s celebrated status. The true highlight, however, is thanks to the in-house technology team who have brought the hotel into the 21st century with state-of-the-art tablets that can control everything from the television to the lighting and in-room service. 

With eight restaurant and bars, including a French fine dining restaurant which opened in 1953 (the first in Asia), an extensive shopping arcade, in which many international brands first launched, a tranquil spa and swimming pool, there’s a lot to keep you busy, and if you are not unwinding in your room enjoying the views, then make sure you take a spin in one of the hotel’s 14 Rolls Royce Phantoms, which are painted the distinct Peninsula Green.