High on the hills in Hong Kong Island, with scenic views over Causeway and Kowloon Bays, sits The Park Lane Hong Kong Hotel, a historic institution with pride of place in the local community for over four decades.
“Park Lane is an icon and point of reference in Causeway Bay, perfectly part and integrated in the luxury and upmarket shopping scene,” says Luc Bollen, the General Manager.
While it is an integral part of the local community it also provides visitors with a quality experience that cements Causeway Bay’s upmarket reputation. “It is a meeting point where local families come to dine over many generations and it is not an unusual sight to find three or four generations dining together. It equally offers trendy places to be seen where young local business people from the nearby fashion walk meet in the evenings for cocktails on The Deck restaurant overlooking Victoria Harbour,” adds Bollen.
In the 40 years since its inception, The Park Lane Hong Kong has consistently delivered superior services and developed a reputation among locals as the place to be seen. “With the local community we connect through our restaurants and bar offerings where local patronage has remained at 80 percent throughout the years,” says Bollen.
Evolving with time and changing customer demands, Park Lane’s rooms, meeting rooms, restaurants and bars have seen many upgrades – and in some cases complete overhauls – but the hotel has always retained a strong identity. “Our teams reflect both the wisdom and experience of those who have served The Park Lane Hong Kong over many years and our new generations of hospitality workers bringing in new dynamics,” says Bollen. “Combined they are the magic behind constantly, over 40 years, meeting and exceeding guest expectations.”
Causeway Bay, The Park Lane Hong Kong’s location, is one of the world’s most exclusive shopping destinations. The area is a popular tourist spot, but it’s more than just a retail paradise. This vibrant part of Hong Kong Island, in easy reach of the whole city, offers a pleasant green environment, with Victoria Park and splendid hill views. Add to this the abundant restaurants and leisure activities and it’s easy to see why Causeway Bay is so attractive. “With recent real estate values surpassing even Fifth Avenue in New York, one can imagine the density and richness on offer in the area,” said Bollen.
Business and pleasure
The Park Lane Hong Kong does not only cater for tourists, it has exquisite business facilities too, making it ideal for executive travellers and our Best Business Hotel, China, 2013. “For business travellers we have state-of-the-art facilities, rooms equipped with relaxation and working areas, club floors and lounge, business support services, restaurants and lounges for meetings, and a gym to offer an equilibrium between work and private time,” says Bollen.
“For individual travellers we have developed rooms focused on leisure, families, shopping, dining facilities, and a great location in the heart of Causeway Bay and close to the central part of Hong Kong Island.”
“Causeway Bay, where Park Lane is located, is one of the most exclusive shopping destinations in the world”
Hong Kong is a hi-tech city and The Park Lane’s guests expect top-quality infrastructure. The hotel does not disappoint when it comes to technology, and for Bollen it’s an important part of modern hospitality. “Technology is a fast-changing and evolving aspect of a traveller’s journey, while we provide standard frameworks for people to maximise the benefit of their preferred hi-tech gadgets, what differentiates us from others are the technological advances we use back of house to better understand and engage with our customers,” he said. “These technologies allow for real-time engagement, allow us to tailor our offerings and, as such, strengthen the intrinsic relationship between the hotel and its customers.”
Always improving
The Park Lane Hong Kong is undertaking an important refurbishment, but guests need not worry – Bollen promises there will be no disturbance to the hotel’s sterling service. “After 40 years of operation and continuous investment in our hotel the art of renovation has become second-nature to us. Again it is a question of engagement and communication with our guests, combined with good planning, limiting noise pollution, and maximising works offsite.”
There is no doubt that The Park Lane Hong Kong will emerge from this fresh wave of investment as a more impressive institution than ever. “For 2014 we have planned an upgrade of our 28th floor meeting rooms with an unique addition of a spacious rooftop garden overlooking Victoria Harbour,” says Bollen. “This will set us apart from our competitors and will offer our guests a privileged space to showcase their brand.
“Further we are looking at conversion of second-generation family rooms. Our first generation is very successful and we have taken into account feedback from guests and associates. We are also renovating a number of rooms and incorporating the latest technologies for our business travellers.”
There is a temptation in a market as buoyant as Hong Kong’s to delay major renovations, but The Park Lane Hong Kong knows better. “We are extremely lucky that our owners have the foresight and believe that continuous upgrading and adapting the facilities to ever-changing demands is the right thing to do. We strongly believe that our guests are our biggest marketing tool, as such we view our continuous investment in the hotel as smart marketing dollars well spent and benefiting all stakeholders,” explains Bollen.
A global brand
The Park Lane Hong Kong is an affiliate of Worldhotels’ deluxe collection. Worldhotels extends its heartiest congratulations to Park Lane on winning Business Destinations’ Best Business Hotel, China, 2013.
“The Park Lane Hong Kong commands the very best location in Causeway Bay with some of the best shopping outlets on one side, and stunning views of Victoria Harbour and Victoria Park on the other. The hotel’s spacious guest rooms, well-equipped and newly designed function rooms, as well as renowned service excellence are some of its strengths attributing to winning the prestigious award of Best Business Hotel, China,” says Roland Jegge, Worldhotels’ Executive Vice President Asia Pacific. “It’s always a delight to see the excellence of our hotels recognised at an international level. Kudos to The Park Lane Hong Kong team on winning this amazing award!”
Accommodating up to 400 persons for a cocktail reception, The Park Lane’s function rooms overlook spectacular views of Hong Kong’s renowned Victoria Harbour and Victoria Park, and offer modern audiovisual and conferencing equipment. Other hotel facilities include restaurants, a cigar tasting room, a business centre and a spacious gymnasium with sauna, steam bath, massage and facial services.
Authentically local
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