This hotel’s new family suites are a kids’ wonderland

The entire 45th floor of the Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong has been newly dedicated to families, offering a cute and colourful luxury stay designed to excite the kids while giving adults the kind of respite for which we all love five-star hotels.

The in-room Hong Kong Explorer.

It’s part of a raft of changes at the Hong Kong Island property, including the new wellness club and spa, Yun Wellness, designed by Spanish architect Lazaro Rosa-Violan, opening onto the 28.5-metre outdoor pool. There are also new suites designed by French interiors specialist Tristan Auer, who has also left his mark on Rosewood’s Hotel de Crillon in Paris and Regent’s Carlton Cannes.

Known colloquially as “the Island Shang”, in the 30 years since opening in the Admiralty area of Hong Kong Island, the five-star group flagship, the Island Shangri-La featuring eight restaurants including the one-Michelin-Star Summer Palace has been a favourite among locals for celebrations, brunches and slap-up dinners.

It’s been recently repositioned as “an urban oasis, with a renewed focus on the leisure and family markets” with the piece de resistance that differentiates the Island Shangri-La from the rest being the Family Floor.

It features 21 luxurious themed rooms and suites, complemented by family services. Even the lift lobby of the 45th floor has been transformed to resemble a Hong Kong train station complete with a moving model train.

The 10 different room themes range across ideas such as a timber treehouse, fairy garden, an airship or a magical carriage.

The Fisherman’s Cove themed room.

Toddler-safe beds fitted with a slide, interactive toys, and child-friendly furnishings blend with practicalities such as extra luggage space.

There are larger interconnected suites (including a soon-to-be-added three-bedroom) that enable extended family groups to stay together and hold private parties or special celebrations. In-room babysitting service is also available.

The floor includes The Hangout which has different zones: a food station; an activity space with a well-equipped bathroom with a changing table; and a sitting room, a cosy space decorated with botanical wallpaper and comfortable armchairs. Games and books are at hand.

Parents’ room with a harbour view.

Guests also have access to The Pantry, another communal space which includes a washing machine and tumble dryer, a wash basin, and facilities for preparation or reheating of meals for children. There is a wide range of children-related quality appliances from strollers to bottle warmers for parents to use.

Island Shangri-La’s Family Floor launches in April.

See shangri-la.com