While most people run out to department stores during black Friday, I spend the day looking for flight deals. I’m always surprised by how many people don’t realize that some international airlines offer fantastic sales on either black Friday or cyber Monday.
This year I found a flight that I just couldn’t pass up. I booked a Cathay Pacific Premium Economy flight from Chicago to Hong Kong. For this trip I’ll spend 2 nights total in Hong Kong so I needed to find overnight accommodations.
Booking The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
I used to stay in hotels A LOT. As a result I have a lot of Marriott Rewards points that I have a hard time using. When it comes to hotels I try to avoid spending a lot of money or points. I just don’t see the point in paying for a room that I hope to spend very little time in. However, while in Hong Kong I hope to stay somewhat on Chicago time. That means I’ll actually spend quite a lot of time in the room/hotel. I land at 9PM local time and plan on staying up until about noon the following day. With all of that time awake in a hotel I wanted to find a hotel that was quite special.
As I was searching for hotels in Hong Kong I kept coming back to the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong. The hotel is ridiculous and currently holds the title for the Worlds Tallest Hotel. After several days of talking myself into the booking I decided to book the hotel as a Christmas gift to myself.
For the dates I needed a hotel room the nightly rate for a Deluxe City View Room was 3,350 HKD ($428). That is way more money than I’d ever be willing to spend on a hotel room so I decided to pay for this room with points. The nightly room rate is 70,000 Marriott Rewards points! Yes, that is a ton of points, but come on, when am I going to have this opportunity again? With this redemption I’m only getting about $0.006/point of value from my Marriott points, but that’s fairly typical for Marriott points. From my experience it’s hard to get much more than $0.007/point of value from Marriott Rewards points.
The Ritz Carlton Welcome Email
About a day after booking my hotel I received one of the most incredible welcome emails I’ve ever received from a hotel. The email first asked for my travel information so they can prepare a room accordingly.
The email then introduced the Ritz Carlton Club Level Privileges which would require an upgrade of 1,900 HKD ($243). I should receive Club Level access thanks to my Marriott Gold Elite status, but it always depends on availability once you arrive at the hotel.
Next, the email proceeds to offer two room upgrade options. The first upgrade would be to a larger room with a harbor view while the second upgrade would be to a suite. While both upgrades seemed appealing, I have no interest in paying the 1,800 HKD or 5,100 HKD a night for a bigger room.
Lastly, toward the end of the email, the reservation agent introduced a few transportation options. Car services in either a Tesla, Mercedes S-Class, Toyota Van, or Rolls Royce Phantom are available for an additional fee. If you wish to arrange your own transportation, the agent details the average transit time and price of a standard taxi or more details on how to use public transportation to reach the hotel.
I don’t think I’ve ever received such a detailed welcome email from a hotel.
Final Thoughts
I am so excited to stay at this hotel. I was a little worried about spending so many Marriott Rewards points on a single night stay, but the welcome email I received confirmed my decision.
The Ritz Carlton Hong Kong occupies the 102 to 118 floors of the International Commerce Center. The International Commerce Center has a paid observation deck on the 100th floor of the building, but I can expect to see the same views from the hotel fitness center and pool located on the 118th floor!
When I arrive at the hotel it will be dark, but I still look forward to exploring the property and taking in the stunning views offered by the hotels. When I can’t yet decide is if I want to take in the sunrise from the hotel or leave the hotel in the morning to watch the sunrise from nearby Victoria Peak. I guess that’ll end up being a game time decision.
Featured Image Courtesy of Ritz Carlton Hong Kong
