The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong has debuted as the tallest hotel in the world. The property’s developers put together an international design team for the massive project, including architectural firms Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates of New York and locally based Wong & Ouyang, LTW Designworks of Singapore for interior design of guestrooms and public areas, and SPIN Design Studio and Wonderwall (both out of Japan) for restaurants and bars.
Guests arrive at the hotel entrance on the ninth floor, where Palissandro blue marble stretches across the entire space and throughout the hotel. A dark wood entryway then leads guests through to the elevator lobby outfitted in vivid orange onyx walls.
Throughout the hotel, modern interpretations of traditional Chinese fittings and art give the hotel a true sense of place, while hand-tufted wool and silk cartographic pattern carpets adorn public spaces with their jeweled blue-gray and earthy brown-yellow tones. On the 103rd floor, the lobby features an abstract artwork that depicts a classic Chinese watercolor of running horses in fragmented strips, offering varied views of the piece from different angles.
The 312 guest rooms and suites, occupying floors 106 to 117, feature a silk-paneled wall and leather headboard with metallic accents, carpeting with a floral motif, a bright tangerine silk-lined interior of the “Chinese jewel box” closet, and baths with travertine marble floors and walls and onyx countertops.
Meanwhile, the 116th-floor club lounge attains a homey feel through the use of soft lighting, modern classic furniture, and shelves that resemble suitcases. The dark Brazilian marble floor with its bold quartz inserts is juxtaposed by the gleaming white marble countertops streaked with orange and gray. Other striking elements include the mirrored columns near the windows, which are etched with a metallic-finished fretwork pattern.
The hotel offers three restaurants on the 102nd floor, including Tin Lung Heen, serving refined Cantonese cuisine; Tosca, an Italian restaurant with an open kitchen; and the Lounge & Bar, which features stunning crystal fire pits. In addition, there is a chocolate-themed lounge named the Chocolate Library on the 103rd floor and a patisserie located on the 9th floor. On the 118th floor is Ozone, offering bar and restaurant seating in zoned sections and the world’s highest al fresco terrace.
The Ritz-Carlton Spa by ESPA features nine deluxe treatment rooms and two couple’s suites, all with floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views. Meanwhile, the indoor infinity pool has a massive LED screen on the ceiling that displays images and videos. At 10,000 square feet, the Diamond Ballroom is defined by chandeliers with crystals that drip from the ceiling, wall panels with cut-mirror effects that sparkle, a color palette of champagne and amber, and lacewood doors fitted with cut crystal handles.
