Many Short Stays

March was my month of many short trips with hops to nearby towns for leisure. And that included 3 separate brief stay in Macau all courtesy of Galaxy Macau. I drove on the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge for the first time, getting us from home to hotel in less than 2 hours with a more pleasant drive that I expected. I still do prefer the ferries as far as Macau transport option goes, but at least now we have a choice to go by "land" if we so choose.

Second Getaway

I went on a second trip to Macau in as many weeks this time courtesy of the PR team of MGM Resorts. While the main purpose of the trip was to attend a special lunch reception on the next day at MGM Cotai (details to be posted later), I did spend some time touring around the hotel and its sister property MGM Macau and had a very relaxing 2-day journey. 

The "Last" Stay-cation (We Hope)

We spent a weekend at The Murray a few weeks ago, in what would probably our last "staycation" for a while. There are a few things we would love to try at the hotel so we thought it would be a good idea to combine them with a stay in one of their rooms. 

Urban Escape

Admittedly, without spa or gym or swimming pool or dine-in dinner service (that was back when those COVID restrictions were still in place), the idea of staycation lost quite a bit of charm. That said it didn't stop us from planning a stay at Marco Polo Gateway for one night during the Easter long weekend, courtesy of the newly launched GHA Discovery loyalty program. Turned out it was a blessing in disguise and a much needed getaway from all the life madness. 

Plan B Staycation

An unwilling change of plan got me scrambling for Plan B on a weekend of celebration. We have done our fair bits of staycation around local hotels but that didn't mean we couldn't do one more - and this time it's at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. 

Seafood Dinner (What Else?)

Upon confirming our staycation booking at WM in Sai Kung, we knew immediately where we should go for dinner. We had great experiences at Loaf On so we won’t hesitate to go back any time we have a chance. 

Sai Kung became more and more crowded as the night falls with visitors flocking to this neighborhood famous for its seafood restaurants, most of them lined up along the sea-side promenade. Loaf On was tucked in the block behind slightly further from the rest, but by no means less popular, thanks to the Michelin star they gained and kept for a few years already. 

Sai Kung Staycation

It’s probably not the best time to open a new hotel, but at least in Hong Kong with people thirsting for anything just to get away from home, hoteliers can count on staycation goers filling the rooms for the time being. And plenty of them, as we found out a few weeks ago when we checked in to the new WM Hotel in Sai Kung for a quick weekend getaway. 

Just Don't Use the G Word

I won't necessarily call this "glamping" per se as I didn't see the glam part, but rather a sleepover in a simple caravan parked on a lawn, when a group of friends spent a night near Kam Tin at a "campsite" called Park Nature a couple of months ago during the July 1 long weekend. 

Second in a Month

We went for a second staycation weekend in a month with a stay at The Langham in TST in mid-June. We probably picked one of the worst weekend to go, as it fell into Father's Day, and that meant the hotel and its restaurants were all fully-booked.

The Unexpected Stay

Admittedly, The Eaton is not the type of perfect staycation venue in our mind, but it did turn out to be a pleasant surprise. We stayed there a few weekends ago, taking advantage of the special vaccination incentive promotion by the hotel group which owned the property. 

Dim Sum and More

Honestly we didn’t do much for our staycation at Conrad except getting the much needed rest, but we did drop by their Golden Leaf restaurant for a decent lunch on the first day. We hopped down to the restaurant, which is located at the basement level of the hotel, after we checked in and dropped our stuff. 

Simple Staycation

Recently we decided to stay at The Conrad Hong Kong for a quick weekend staycation. A business hotel in the middle of the city is probably not our ideal getaway venue, but a room package that included breakfasts, executive lounge access and dining credits meant we paid (almost) next to nothing for the room itself. And being a hotel loyalty program junkie I thought it's a good way to rack up some program points for Hilton Honors for which I have been a member of. 

The New Mandarin Club

We were excited to check out the new Mandarin Club facility in its first month of operation during our weekend staycation at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. With almost all the luxury hotels in town offering executive lounge facilities as one of the options for their guests, it’s about time they followed suit, converting what used to be the conference rooms on the high floors into an exclusive space where guests could rest, had a drinks and some simple food, or work in a more relaxed environment.

Suite Staycation

With no end of travel restriction in sight, we decided to continue our “staycation series” with a weekend spent at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong after the busy Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day weekends. 

In-Room Michelin

We were not going to let the dine-in restriction deprive us the enjoyment of a proper dinner while staycationing at The Pen, so we went for the room service from Spring Moon downstairs. With our suite that came with a separate dining area and a long dining table, we found that almost as good as a proper sit-down meal but in the comfort of the posh, private space. 

Staycation at The Pen

With no travel plan in sight in foreseeable future, we thought we would wrap up 2020 with another weekend “away” at The Peninsula known for its timeless grandeur. And there's no better time to stay-cation at this legendary property than in December, for they arguably have one of the best festive decorations in town during the Christmas season. 

The Gentrified Neighborhood

Just a few weeks ago we bemoaned the closure of TAP (The Ale Project in full), one of the pioneer gastro-pub specializing in local brews, when the original lease was not renewed but glad to know they re-opened shortly after at a shop just down the street from its original location on Hak Po Street, which has been gentrified to a somewhat hipster block thanks to a few restaurants and cafes opening in the last few years.  

Extended Staycay

Turned out it was a great idea that we extended our weekend staycation at Cordis at the last minute thanks to a new room package with steep discount. We thought Mongkok is a somewhat familiar neighborhood to us but still there were much to see and do plus the extra day gave us more time for a much-needed break from the hectic life.

West Kowloon Picnic

We always wanted to do something different while on staycation, and this time at The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong we headed down for a picnic right by the harborside at the West Kowloon Art Park Sunday morning before we checked out.

Sky High Getaway

Our obsession with staycation continued with a “weekend away” at The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. With the craze for staying a night or two away from home now catching on with the rest of the city, we arrived earlier than usual to check-in to avoid running into the crowd. And that strategy worked as we were given the room key quickly by the front desk staff upon arrival slightly after noon.