Review: Dorsett Kai Tak, Hong Kong

We check in to a five star stay in Hong Kong’s newest precinct.

The site of Hong Kong’s legendary Kai Tak Airport has been reborn as the city’s largest sports and entertainment hub with a 50,000 seat stadium, a 10,000 seat sports park, new shops and dining plus a new way to stay at the Dorsett Kai Tak, the latest luxury flagship from the Hong Kong born hotel group.

Location

Kai Tak Sports Park is beside the hotel. Picture: Amanda Woods.

On the former northern tarmac of the airport the hotel sits in between the new stadium and sports park. When you’re not exploring Kowloon it’s ten minutes walk to the Kowloon City Ferry Pier to cross the harbour, or around 15 minutes to MTR stations to hop on a train. 

Set the scene

Acres of marble in the lobby.

As we pull up at the hotel and look up at the lights changing colour on the stadium in front of us it’s a definite wow moment. After collecting our keys in the marble lobby where a sweep of chandeliers soar above us we discover the real wow moment was waiting in our suite where our bedroom, lounge and balcony look directly onto the city’s new stadium with skyline view. 

The room

Views for days from the Presidential Suite.

The 373-room hotel opened in September 2024 ahead of the sports park’s grand opening in March 2025 and still has that new hotel feel. Room sizes range from 22 square metre accessible rooms to the 380 square Presidential Harbour View Pool Suite with a private outdoor garden and pool. 

While some rooms look down into the sports park and others look over Victoria Harbour, I love the novelty of the stadium view from our 40 square metre Executive Balcony Suite.  Bedrooms come with king or twin beds and a window seat, and we have a separate living area with a lounge, dining table and kitchen complete with a cook top if you want to make your own meals, though kitchenware is on request only in a bid to reduce fire hazards and food odours. A hot and cold water filter removes the need for a kettle, though a small one is provided along with a Nespresso coffee machine.

Suites come with two layout options and while the open area suites have bathtubs our separate bedroom layout has a more compact bathroom with a shower stocked with Elemis toiletries. As a pillow cuddler I was a little surprised to only have one pillow on each bed and while we didn’t have any robes I’ve been assured suites usually come with them and in other rooms they are available upon request. 

Food & Drinks

Big tapas flavours at The Dorsett.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in Siete Ocho. Here the breakfast buffet is on the very simple side for a luxury hotel but I’m still happy with my dumplings. At lunch the menu switches to burgers, pasta and steaks while dinner is mostly Spanish and includes tapas and paella. 

Upstairs on the 15th floor London’s Jin Bo Law rooftop bar has made it to Hong Kong where hotel guests and visitors alike can enjoy those stadium lights and harbour views with quality cocktails and mocktails.  

Open from 5pm until midnight the bar has outdoor and indoor seating and on Sundays to Thursdays from 9pm their late night happy hours have a buy-one-get-one menu. And after our long flight the satay skewers, chicken wings and waffle fries hit the comfort spot before bed. 

The extras 

Pool with a view at the Dorsett. Picture: Amanda Woods.

The rooftop infinity pool looks down into the sports park to create an unusual scenario where you can watch people battling it out in the Hong Kong heat as you kick back in cool water. While it does have the very Hong Kong local pool feature of walking through a shower to access it, you can also find a drier door near the bar. 

From 10am to 8.40pm the hotel also provides a free shuttle to the AIRSIDE Mall and Kai Tak MTR. If you want to go shopping, other Hong Kong malls are more exciting but taking the shuttle to the train can help save your steps for bigger malls and street markets. 

What’s hot 

That new Hong Kong view and staying right on the stadium and sports park’s doorstep so that you can be back in your room while thousands of people are still walking to the train station after an event. 

What’s not 

The rooftop pool isn’t heated which can make for a lovely refreshing dip in summer but may not be for everyone. The pool is also closed in winter. 

The verdict: 8/10

A great new addition to the Hong Kong hotel scene at any time the Dorsett Kai Tak is a hot spot to stay for a concert or major sporting event. 

The writer stayed as a guest of Dorsett Kai Tak. Rooms start at HKD 800 (approx A$156). 

Originally published as Review: Dorsett Kai Tak, Hong Kong