Because of some last-minute work complications, we ended up arriving in Hong Kong a day early (or a week late, or tomorrow; it’s impossible to calculate across the International Date Line). Genuinely horrified at how expensive same-day hotel prices were, we used points and stayed at the JW Marriott. Well, I can’t wait to be genuinely horrified again, because it led us to the best room, and the best hotel experience, of our lives.

The JDub, as people (okay, just me) call it

Hong Kong is flashy. It’s wealthy. It’s why we have words like “opulent” and “envy.” The JW Marriott, located in Central, isn’t afraid to compete with its neighbors. The large, multi-storied lobby and bar area has a pianist. The elevators have 12-foot ceilings. The Executive Lounge is bigger than most restaurants, even in the States. We were suitably impressed, even before The Greatest Thing Ever Occurred.

They upgraded us.

To be much more specific and fancy, they upgraded us to the Admiralty Suite. Guys, you can’t even book this suite online. The website just implies that if you want to stay here, it won’t matter what it costs.

If you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Or you got it with points.

 

When they walked us into our suite, dusty and wrinkly from our plane and trip to Tian Tan Buddha, we almost wept.

This 1,200-square-foot palace is incredible on its own, but when put into the context of Hong Kong, it’s even more special. Hong Kong has a population of more than 7 million people on a footprint smaller than Manhattan (building-wise; much of HK’s land consists of undeveloped mountains). There’s no room for anyone, ever. But this suite–oh God, this suite–is a Manhattan unto itself. There is a living room and a dining room and an office and a kitchenette and a guest bathroom and a bedroom and a walk-in closet and a bathroom so big it almost hurts to tell you about. Look at this bathtub.

I literally cannot touch both sides of the bathtub at the same time. And I tried.

The amenities are Bvlgari, the countertops are marble, and there is a pillow menu to determine just how well you’ll sleep. For two jetlagged poor people such as ourselves, it was the best thing that could have happened to us.

Our view at night

Amenities-wise, the JW has a nice gym, several restaurants, an outdoor pool and hot tub, and is above the Admiralty metro station. If you don’t have status with Marriott, the suite also includes access to the Executive Lounge. It is by far the largest Executive Lounge we’ve visited, and the food is top-notch. It’s technically a business hotel, but the location is so good we were able to walk to Lan Kwai Fong for nightlife, Victoria Harbour for sunshine, and an unbelievable number of good restaurants. Can’t recommend this place more.