Review: Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong

HOSTED BY: 1 AIR TRAVEL

For the first overnight of my long journey to Abu Dhabi, I spent a night at the 1,137-room Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong (yes, you read that right… is this the world’s biggest airport hotel?). While not a points hotel, I stayed at this property for the simple reason that it’s connected directly to the terminal, and that’s something I really value when choosing an airport hotel (rather than having to worry about ground transportation to and from the airport).

Ultimately the Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong serves its purpose — it’s convenient, and it has a decent number of amenities, including several dining outlets, a gym, and more. However, the only reason I’d stay here is the location, so in this case it was the right option for me (since I wanted to be at the airport before 5AM the following morning).

Let’s get into the review…

Booking the Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong

My one-night stay at the Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong cost ~$210. For what it’s worth, I booked an “executive club superior single room,” so that gave me access to the club lounge. At the time that I was booking, this cost only ~$30 more than a standard room, so I felt that was a fair premium.

Personally I really value club lounge access, if for no other reason than having a place to sit and work while jetlagged, to avoid falling asleep (which is the temptation when working from a hotel room). So for a fairly small premium, it seemed worth it.

Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong location

The Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong is connected directly to Terminal 1 at Hong Kong International Airport, and you don’t even have to go outside. After clearing immigration at Terminal 1, I simply turned left, and walked to the far end of the arrivals hall.

At the end of the hall, there’s an area with signage pointing in the direction of the hotel, so you just have to walk down that corridor.

Then a couple of minutes later you’ll find yourself at the entrance to the hotel. That’s unbeatable convenience, if you ask me.

Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong lobby & check-in

The Regal Airport Hotel’s lobby feels quite grand, which isn’t surprising, when you consider that the hotel has nearly 1,200 rooms.

The lobby has an atrium that spans several floors, with the spa and gym being on level three, reception and airport access being on level two, meeting space being on level one, and several restaurants being on level zero.

Fortunately there was no wait at reception, and I was promptly helped by a friendly associate, who checked me in within minutes, and presented me with a letter outlining the privileges I’d receive for booking an executive room.

While my check-in experience was smooth, it was quite chaotic around me. On one side was a man who was demanding help with his luggage, complaining that he had 26 bags he needed help with, and none of the carts were big enough. On the other side was a man who was yelling at the front desk employees in some language, but they kept responding “sir, we don’t speak that language.” So then he just kept yelling louder and more angrily.

Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong executive club room

With keys in hand, I headed over to the elevators for the South Wing (where my room was located). My room was on level 11, also the hotel’s top floor.

I was assigned room 1159, located down the hall and on the left.

The executive club rooms at this hotel are marketed as being 27 square meters (~290 square feet). I thought the room was perfectly serviceable — it felt clean and modern enough. The room featured a bed that was a bit too firm for my liking (but not uncomfortable), plus a loveseat, a desk with a chair, a wall-mounted TV, and some luggage storage.

Most of the room’s functions, including lighting and temperature, could be controlled by the rather outdated panel next to the bed.

Back toward the entrance was the minibar setup. There was a Lavazza coffee machine, plus a kettle.

One of the privileges of being in an executive club room is a complimentary minibar. The minibar had eight beverage cans, including Coke, 7-Up, and SKOL beer.

The bathroom had a sink, a toilet, and a shower and tub combo.

Toiletries were in reusable wall-mounted containers, and were from ELLE Voyage.

There were also a variety of bathroom products, which was much appreciated, as often luxury hotels don’t even have these kinds of things.

As far as the room’s view goes, my room faced the interior courtyard of the hotel and pool, but didn’t have much in the way of airport views, unfortunately (other than some construction in the distance).

Wi-Fi in the room was free, and was a decent speed.

Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong spa, gym, and pool

On level three, the Regal Airport Hotel has its OM SPA, open daily from 10AM until 10PM.

While I didn’t get any spa treatments or check out the facilities, you can find the spa menu below.

The Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong also has a 24/7 gym, which is quite large. Then again, it needs to be, given that the hotel has so many rooms. The gym had a selection of both cardio and weight equipment, and is one of the better airport hotel gyms that I’ve seen.

The hotel also has both an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, though I didn’t have the chance to check those out during my short stay.

Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong executive club lounge

Unfortunately like many hotels around the world post-COVID, the executive club lounge at the Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong hasn’t fully reopened. As an eligible guest, you receive the following perks:

I wasn’t at the hotel during breakfast the following morning, but instead I just saw the lounge in the afternoon, and went to the evening reception at The China Coast Bar + Grill.

The hotel’s executive club lounge is located on the 11th floor, and was just down the hall from my room. The lounge was a bright, colorful, modern space, and definitely had a more fun design than the rest of the hotel. One side of the lounge was more of a living room area, with couches and a TV, while the rest of the lounge had dining tables.

There was even a business center area, with a PC, an iMac, and a printer.

While it was claimed that the hotel offers “refreshments” in the lounge all day, I found those to be really limited. There was whole fruit and a couple of packaged snacks, but that’s about it.

What I found most disappointing was the lack of drink options. The only options were bottled still water, and hot water for tea. The coffee machine was out of order, and there were no other soft drinks. C’mon, you’d think they could do a bit better than that, no? Not even coffee?

In the evening, I went to The China Coast Bar + Grill, located on level zero, for the evening reception.

While this is a restaurant and bar open to the public, the front area is currently used for the executive club evening reception.

Upon sitting down, I was presented with the menu off of which I could order.

I ended up ordering an americano to drink, to try to stay awake for a bit…

Then later on I ordered a Diet Coke and some spring rolls.

You could order as much as you wanted, though I wasn’t very hungry, and it was also a pretty substantial serving of spring rolls. Interestingly I was never asked for my room number, or to sign anything (and I confirmed that when I was ready to leave).

Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong dining outlets

I didn’t end up visiting any of the hotel’s other dining outlets, but it’s worth noting that the hotel has several options. These aren’t just popular with hotel guests, but seem to also be popular with people traveling through the airport, or those with business in the area.

The hotel has everything from Cafe Aficionado (the all-day dining restaurant with three buffet servings per day), to Rouge (serving Cantonese food for lunch and dinner).

Also, while not related to food, I couldn’t help but notice the sign in the lobby for a flight simulator experience. The price doesn’t seem bad for what it is, though I imagine this isn’t a full-motion simulator. Has anyone done this before?

Bottom line

The Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong offers unbeatable convenience for those arriving or departing from Hong Kong Airport, as it’s connected directly to the terminal. If I’m going to stay at an airport hotel, I’ll gladly pay a premium for that convenience.

I’d say the Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong does the trick. The hotel is huge and has a fair number of amenities, but the hotel also isn’t going to “wow” you in terms of design, service, or anything else.

Now, Hong Kong Airport is connected directly to the city via the Airport Express, so I’d have a strong preference for staying in the city, if possible, given the convenience. The only reason I stayed at this hotel is because I planned to be at the airport before 5AM, which is before the train runs, and I didn’t want to deal with transportation at that hour.

What’s your take on the Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong?