The Peninsula Hong Kong

The best afternoon tea experience ever!
Had read that The Lobby at the Peninsula was able to do a gluten free afternoon tea and I was keen to go.
You can’t reserve in advance as you have to turn up (and queue) as service starts at 2pm. However, I did email to ask about reservations and gluten free and was told that although there were no reservations for a table, they had reserved a gluten free afternoon tea under my name and I was to let the server know when I was seated.
this has indeed been reserved for me as my name and dietary requirements were checked. I think for around $ 38hk, I got three tiers — one sandwich based, middle with four mini scones with jam and clotted cream and the top with sweet things and cakes.
There was lots of good things here so don’t be fooled by the delicate looking plates! The gf scones were amazing! Great texture which held together well. Sandwiches were decent too — small bites and fillings went well so they weren’t too dry (as gf bread can be hit and miss but the stuff used here was ok). The small sweet treats such as sesame layers, chocolate cake (v rich), macaron (good balance of chewy and crispy) and a fruit with cream and marinated in booze were all great.
I loved all the food but it was the service which made this out of the world. As I was dining alone, a newspaper was brought over. Staff were careful to ensure I had the right (gf) food. My tea was always topped up as was my hot water pot. I didn’t want for anything and I felt that this was a fabulous service experience which I was definitely want to repeat.
The afternoon tea won’t be the cheapest experience in HK but it is definitely worth it. I’ve seen blogs advise to go Mon to Fri rather than Sunday and I can understand why. At no point was I rushed and I probably had my table for 1hr 30 mins so if you were at the back of the queue, then you would have felt like you’d never get afternoon tea.
Definitely a HK experience!

What’s not to like, even when they get it wrong they get it right. No question flawless service (most times), attention to detail (all times), and priced accordingly. The high tea is expensive but worth every drop. I come here at least once every time I travel to Hong Kong for high tea and enjoy the room. It is important to know someone that knows someone of you could find yourself standing in line for hours. They give guest for right to tables and rightfully so. So far I have been lucky to avoid the lines. Nothing compares.

Afternoon Tea in the striking lobby is a traditional Hong Kong experience and even after all these years it’s still first come, first serve. Which means that people start lining up by no later than 1pm for tea service that starts at 2pm. We were the second people in line when we arrived at 12:45 and were seated at 1:45 with food and tea on our table by 2:05. Plan for this or you will be grumpy as hell.
Quick hits:
The service is exquisite. Down to the doormen everything is five star level. Plenty of tea and hot water is provided so you can linger as long as you like. And that was my favorite thing about this. We weren’t rushed. And with a long line of other guests we could have been rushed so our table could be flipped. We were able to enjoy our tea and treats in good time. Important because this pleasure is pricey. About US $ 50 a person for tea and sweets and savory bites for two. We were plenty full after but it’s quite an investment. The live string quartet made the whole affair extra elegant.
How was the food? A nice mix of sweet and savory. Best were the macaroon and truffle quiche (five more of those please). Thoughtful details abounded like edible garnishes and gold leaf. It’s not rock your world amazing but it’s pretty tasty.
Two more final thoughts: the restrooms are on level one (up two flights of stairs) and we listened to a podcast while in-​line. It was the perfect way to pass the time.

Where do I begin? The Peninsula HK ranks amongst the top of hotels I’ve stayed at. The top of the top actually. From its location to its common areas, restaurants, rooms, staff, the peninsula HK is a jewel of a 5-​star hotel with all the amenities one can think of. Highlights are the varandah for breakfast, The Salon in the basement, the Felix bar upstairs, the beautify lobby, the incredible service, wonderful location, etc, etc

I finally got to see if the Peninsula Hong Kong lives up to its reputation of being one of the best in the world. Well, it does. I have spent the better part of the past 16 years traveling full time for work and staying in hotels. My room at this Peninsula was easily one of the nicest I’ve been in.
Now, let me start by saying that I was there for work and that’s pretty much all I did during my 10 day stay. My focus was on the amenities in the room because I didn’t have much of a chance to leave it.
We started out with room service breakfast. I decided on the Chinese breakfast because, well, I don’t get that very often. What a great start! It was a delicious combo of congee, noodles, spring rolls, dim sum and tea. In all honesty, it was way too much food but I couldn’t stop eating it! In fact, our team did a lot of dining in the hotel and everything we had was so good. We switched to the buffet breakfast each morning thereafter and I swear I gained 10 pounds just from eating that. I can’t resist dim sum and noodles for breakfast. It’s true. But even when I got tired of eating that, there were so many other choices as well. Eggs benedict, pastries, omelets, fruit, salad, the list goes on…
One of my favorite parts about this hotel is the sound system in the room and bathroom. It was a huge pick me up to have a variety of satellite radio stations from around the globe to choose from while I was getting ready in the morning. It definitely put a little pep in my step after listening to the latest dance hits from Germany while I was in the shower.
We used one of the hotel suites as an office and it had everything we needed. The rooms come standard with printer/​copier/​fax machines and, when you run out of ink or paper, housekeeping is quick to replenish them. There’s even a little drawer with office supplies in case you forget something.
The rooms come with tablets and touch screen control panels that you can use for anything from ordering room service, to closing the curtains, to checking the weather. The minibars are loaded with a variety of drinks and snacks ranging from your standard beer and sodas, to wine, and even a kids’ selection of chocolate coconut water. I got to try a drink called Pocari Sweat which, I think, is like Gatorade. In case you’re tempted by it, it does taste a bit like sweat. (sorry Pocari Sweat lovers!)
They really take care of you at this place. When I got my laundry back, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my favorite pj’s (that have been well loved and had developed a hole) had been completely stitched up and repaired without even having to ask… and at no extra charge!
My room didn’t have much of a view but I didn’t care all that much. The hotel is steps away from everything, including shopping and that beautiful skyline. And even if you do need to get somewhere, the subway is only about a block away. We always took that instead of braving the traffic in a cab. It’s extremely quick and efficient.
The staff tops off a great experience, they are extremely helpful and accommodating. And there’s something about having a doorman in a traditional uniform open the door for you when you arrive that makes you feel special. I only hope to have the opportunity to return soon!

As soon as you walk in you recognize that this building is representing the years of colonial governance. You have to come here for the afternoon-​tee-​experience! The quality of the food and the tea in addition to the life music and the special feeling you get it is definitely worth spending an afternoon!

While vacationing in HK, my bf and I stopped by the Peninsula Hotel for afternoon tea at the Lobby. The hotel was of course very grand and luxurious. Afternoon tea starts at 2 pm and we arrived at 1:45 pm to line up as there is a queue daily for the ever so popular afternoon tea. The wait was not too bad, I want to say we waited about 35 mins or so on a Wednesday.
We had the afternoon tea set for two. I had the peach tea and it was delicious with milk and sugar. The mini quiche was memorable as was the berry mousse and strawberry roll cakes. The service was nice and attentive.
It definitely was an experience to visit the Peninsula and experience their afternoon tea. It seemed like it was mostly tourists. So if you are visiting HK, do check it out.

This review is for their afternoon tea at The Lobby.
Like many others, we waited 2 hours for our table for afternoon tea. We got there at 1:10p to line up for tea-​time that supposedly starts at 2p. Little did we know that many patrons continue to eat their late lunch and stayed to chat with coffee, tea. By 2pm, there were only a handful of tables that ‘opened up’ for tea. Hotel guests also get to «cut in line» with reservations. We didn’t get seated until 3:15p! Once you’ve waited that loooooonnnng, NOTHING is enjoyable anymore. The food was mediocre (I’ve had better) and I would even say that the service was sub par given the number of people they had to serve. We had to wave people down to order, to refill the hot water/​coffee, etc.
If you are thinking of enjoying a nice, quiet, pleasant, relaxing, afternoon tea time with your friends/​loved ones, this is NOT the place to go. It is noisy, busy, and crowded. If you sit along the aisles, you will be stared at by the people in line or see people and luggage go by every 5 minutes. It is hustle and bustle… Tea-​time «Hong-​Kong-​style» if you will.
Go to Palm Court at Langham Hotel TST around the block. It’s so much better! I know that no bad reviews will deter people from coming here and waiting in the ridiculous line — the Peninsula is an institution and the afternoon tea is a tourist attraction. But after you’ve waited for 2 hrs and get disappointed, don’t say I didn’t tell you so.

As soon as you step foot into this five star hotel located in Tsim Sha Tsui, you feel like straight royalty. It’s an absolutely stunning hotel with its high ceilings and bright interior. I came here for afternoon teatime with 2 friends and we got the afternoon tea set for 2 that was HKD $ 628 (~ USD $ 82). It was an amazing, bougie time!
The afternoon teatime set came with a set menu for the little finger foods, but we were able to choose which teas we wanted (chamomile orange blossom and the peninsula blend).
The tea was exquisite, and so was just about everything else about the entire experience from the arrangement of the delicacies to the tea cups!
The raisin scones are TO DIE FOR. My personal favorites were the mini-​quiche, the crustless ham finger sandwich, the fluffy macarons, and this wonderful cake dessert with a thin chocolate bar across the top of it. I was stuffed by the end of it because it was a rather large amount of food.
The service is superb as the waiters would immediately pick up handkerchiefs if they fell and were very cordial and polite, making the experience a very pleasant one (which let’s be honest is a bit hard to find in Hong Kong).
I highly recommend trying out tea time at the Peninsula because it’s an experience that made me fall in love with afternoon tea!

Since afternoon tea at The Lobby at The Peninsula Hotel was recommended by many, my mom and I arrived 15 minutes before the start time and ended up waiting 1 hour and 30 minutes for afternoon tea. Seating was based on first come first serve basis. The whole party didn’t need to be present. They had an instrumental music quartet playing a wide array of music ranging from John Denver songs to Chinese music to Disney songs.
We ordered the Afternoon Tea for Two for $ 628 HK. It came with a selection of finger sandwiches and savoury pastries, homemade afternoon tea pastries, freshly-​baked raisin scones with devonshire clotted cream and organic strawberry preserve and choice of tea. For tea, we picked Earl Grey with cream and Verbena (a relaxing green tea with lemongrass notes).
There were three tiers. The first tier consisted of two ginger butter cake topped with mango flavored yolk, two thin rectangular green tea flavored cake topped with buttercream, dusted with coconut, and sprinkled with white chocolate pearls, two key lime parfait topped with a tart raspberry sauce, and two Grand Marnier infused milk chocolate orange marmalade tart inside a circular baked brownie shell topped with a square brownie bit and candied orange peel. The second tier consisted of two chicken red pepper relish sandwich, two smoked salmon mayo sandwich, two baked egg quiche, and two cucumber mayo sandwich. The third tier consisted of four raisin scones, glazed with egg white, and served with devonshire cream and strawberry preserve. The afternoon tea was better than most places however the service was lacking. I couldn’t believe you had to pay additional fee for french macarons!

The highlight of my trip to Hong Kong. I’ve never had high tea before but basically it’s a fancy tea party lol. It’s something anyone can enjoy from couples to families with little kids so long as they behave. Basically after lunch and before dinner, you enjoy «snacks», mostly dessert and mini sandwhiches, and tea for an hour or so.
We enjoyed high tea for two which was about 100 USD. Comes with a 3 tiered mixed variety of mini sandwiches and desserts. Loved the mini cucumber sandwich, yogurt parfait, and macaroons. Macaroons reminded me of those from Laduree. Not surpursing tho, this is the pennisula! Everything here screams luxury and quality. There is of course the option to order extra foods if youre extra hungry. The coconut with sticky rice was absolutely delicious, one of the most unique and tasty desserts I’ve tried. As for their tea choices, I had the pennisula black tea but it was kind of over steeped and thus bitter. There were a lot of options which kinda was overwhelming.
Setting is in the lobby of the hotel. Of course even on a weekday there is a long wait. Wait at 1pm was about 45 min for 2. At about 2:30, 3 pm the line becomes very short fyi. Dress code is business casual. No need to go to high tea in high heels like I did –_​-​. Expect to relax and stay for a bit as that’s the atmosphere.
Transportation here is tricky. not sure about the train, but a taxi ride from central area can be quite hefty because you cross a bridge or 2 and have to pay the tolls.

This hotel has literally every single thing you could possibly need and think of.
The wall has also American plugs. There is coffee and tea in the room that is very good. The bed is comfortable. There is a huge tv in room and one in the bathroom. There is a blowdryer and nail dryer, phone charging station, laundry service, printer/​fax, all office supplies needed, a phone to call anywhere in the world and several different pillows with various softness.
The service is impeccable and they can help you with anything you need.
I would say though it’s better for business travel. If you need to get things done, things are very convenient for you. If traveling for pleasure, it might seem a bit stuffy.
Felix bar is a must try.

The bestest high tea experience!!! I’m not sure how much it costs now but I paid HK$ 270 (around US$ 35) and was soooo worth it! It’s hard to top this level of high quality high tea in such a posh setting, this was far more memorable than any of my high tea experience in UK! Literally everything on the 3-​tier plate stand was scrumptious, I mean E-​V-​E-​R-​Y-​T-​H-​IN-​G!!! There are usually one or two things on the plates that are mediocre but The Peninsula’s high tea was simply perfect. I cannot recommend this place enough, please do yourself a favor and go!!! You’ll thank me later!
Food: A+
Ambiance: A+
Service: A+

Was in Hong Kong for a short trip and choose the peninsula again
I am very happy with the service the shopping is amazing there and definitely come back again

The Lobby @ The Peninsula has one of the most infamous (aka long) queue for afternoon tea in Hong Kong. (no reservations) It’s almost as if you have never had afternoon tea until you tried the one here. The experience has deteriorate a lot with the rising number of mainland tourists. Case in point, there was a super hyper kid who was screaming and literally licking the carpet while his parents were sipping tea when we went.
The tea set is your classic three-​tier. The scone is some of the best I had in Hong Kong and the pastries are all very delicious and well made. The portion is generous. One tea set is enough for 4 and they never urge you to order more (unlike some other places I’ve been to) I am thankful I am not given tea bags for tea here. Very high quality tea! (I love the earl grey here.)
If you can overlook the long queue and the noise, it’s a great place to spend your afternoon. The service is impeccable and price is reasonable in relation to the quality of food. It is an experience you should have at least once especially if you have an affinity for Hong Kong and its colony history!

Expensive, but worth the experience.
Live orchestra playing while you’re sipping your tea and eating your crumpets. Great ambiance and service.
This place is gorgeous and plush; there is a lot of history behind it. Oh, we came with a party of 4, but only ordered for 3, and there was plenty of food. I am glad they don’t enforce you to order for 4 ppl. Extra star for that!
If you come during peak time, be prepare to wait for 30 mins to 1 hours.

It’s difficult to explain the significance of The Peninsula to a foreigner. One can always being with its origins, of course.
«The Peninsula was built with the vision of being the finest hotel east of the Suez Canal. The fleet of the classic Rolls Royce Silver Shadows roaming in front of the hotel’s iconic entrance 87 years later is a testament to The Peninsula’s commitment to keeping the vision alive.»
So it’s like a flagship Ritz Carlton, but in Hong Kong, right?
In terms of measuring the magnitude of its prestige, then yes, that would be a fair analogy. But one must also recognize the cultural influence that The Peninsula had on Hong Kong.
«Although Hong Kong is ethnically Chinese, the city was under British colonial rule until 1997. Hong Kong prospered during that time span, flourishing from a port city into an international metropolitan. The success inevitably led to a pro-​Western sentiment among the Hong Kong citizens. At the same time, the finest hotel on all of Hong Kong soil was a Western Hotel with Western architecture and Western customs. Simply put, the West was considered the best, and The Peninsula was the symbol of that sentiment. And in a way, The Peninsula may have also served as a subliminal reinforcement of Western Superiority.»
It’s very interesting to consider the hotel as a representation of Hong Kong’s westernization. But in today’s time, is the hotel just a relic of British colonialism?
«The Peninsula remains much more than a relic, even today. To many in Hong Kong, the hotel is the pinnacle of luxury and class. The classic afternoon tea at the Peninsula Lobby will cost close to 500HKD for a party of two. While this is relatively expensive in Hong Kong, the price is still somewhat manageable for the working class in the city. However, much of the mannerisms observed at The Peninsula are not practical in the casual dining experience in everyday Hong Kong. Undoubtedly, there is an impactful culture shift as soon as one walks through the high doors of the hotel entrance. Thus, the phrase ‘high-​tea at The Peninsula’ has an enduring allure, regardless of its affordability.»
That’s the significance of The Peninsula. If one looks and listens carefully, he/​she will notice the influence of The Peninsula across the city of Hong Kong.

Amidst all the places to go for high tea, The Peninsula still remains my favourite place. It is definitely pricier than other high tea places, has a huge wait line (now that there’s this huge hype over high tea, which I sincerely hope will be over soon), and is busy all the time.
However, despite its chaotic wait line (expect to line up at least 30 minutes prior to tea actually commencing), once you actually get seated, it’s a phenomenal experience.
The tea set is pretty and delicious. Everything is so meticulously made and the scones are of high quality (I really care about my scones at tea…). Tea assortment is also absolutely great.
Service has been absolutely phenomenal every time I’ve gone. I also really enjoy the fact that you get to use Tiffany china :).
The hotel itself is absolutely gorgeous and has a downstairs bakery if there was a tea or a particular pastry you really enjoyed. There are also an array of shops around

High tea at the Peninsula is quite the experience, I must say. The Peninsula itself is a gorgeous hotel, very ritzy and plush.
WAITING.
I don’t think they take reservations for high tea, so be prepared to wait at least an hour or more. Tea is between 2 and 5, I believe, and it’s THE place to go. You’ll be waiting next to the rich, the tourists, and the hired tour guides, it’s an interesting assortment of people. And you WILL learn to hate the tables of people who just sit on their phones for a few hours and barely touch their tea.
HIGH TEA.
Simply phenomenal. There’s one set item, where you receive a tiered assortment of finger sandwiches, buttery scones with clotted cream & jam, and some sweet bites (macarons, etc.). The sweet treats were a bit too much for me, but the scones and sandwiches were superb. Each person also receives their own fresh pot of tea in gorgeous silver tea pots.
SERVICE.
Fantastic. You truly feel pampered coming here. The employees are very polite, prompt. and discrete.
Price-​wise, it was about $ 100+ for 2 people, so certainly not an inexpensive affair, but a lovely experience in Hong Kong!

Hot off the ferry from Macau Koi Kei Bakery bag in hand rolling my fabulous Tumi luggage from the Kowloon Terminal, I felt a little bit like Andrea Anders (in the Man with the Golden Gun) however there was no green Cornish to meet me at the terminal. We decided instead to just walk the four or five blocks to the hotel. Alexis stayed here when she met Racheed and was trying to steal the South China Oil leases away from Blake. Needless to say my expectations were extremely high. They were all met and some were even exceeded. I spent the next three nights in the lap of luxury. They must use some mega HEPA filters because even the air on my non smoking floor and in my room was first rate. Everything in the room is controlled by an IPAD or localized push buttons. The room even included free international calls over VOIP.
I loved dimming the lights and taking long baths in the extremely large tub while I checked the latest from CNBC and local Hong Kong stations on the built in bathroom TV whilst soaking Macau and all my troubles away. If you are a guest in the hotel you can reserve a table for tea. We didn’t need to since we went so late the first night. We ended up being seated in the lobby right next to Van Cleef & Arpels that was sandwiched in between Cartier and Prada. Instead of Tea I opted for a Kir Royal and a club sandwich. The stylish couple next to us were returning to Paris that evening and I got to speak in French with them while watching an Asian business tycoon that was staying in the hotel buy several large pearls and diamonds for herself. Where else could you do this? (She did look fabulous when I saw her at breakfast the next morning in the pearl hair braid she bought)
My following three mornings were spent having long breakfasts upstairs with pots of fresh coffee, all the dim sum items you could want, tables of fresh fruit, fresh salmon, and almost any breakfast item you could think of. We loved looking at the harbor and the skyline and the incredible service we received every morning. Order the carrot juice and try the dragon fruit and eat all the dumplings you can.
You really can’t beat the location. You can just walk across the street and see the harbor in all its glory. Truly ‘the hoard of a jewel thief.’ The MTR is a block away. Nathan Avenue is right outside your door and a fleet of Rolls-Royce’s and Mercedes await your direction to take you anywhere you want to go. I definitely recommend you at least reserve one to take you to the airport. I took the Rolles Phantom to the airport when it was time to leave. They even have somebody already there for you to take your bags and escort you to check-​in and security. (Now I fully understand how parting can be ‘such a sweet sorrow.’)
Do check out the Spa and the Pool area. I had a wonderful deep tissue massage the night before I left and was able to use the thermal suite afterwards. It’s worth it just to sit in the sauna with a harbor view. My whole Peninsula experience was truly amazing and forever memorable. I highly recommend this hotel and hope some day to return.