Exclusive Feature:  Hong Kong never stops moving; from skyscrapers to bustling streets, Hong Kong is a mecca of improvisation and excitement and it's no stranger to hotels.

Over the past few years, Hong Kong has welcomed new hotels, witnessed the rebirth of legacy hotels, and watched as the lights get brighter and buildings get taller.

There are few things that remain constant in this bustling city - save for some great shopping and amazing food - but one thing that never goes out of the style is the light-show, and one of the best places to watch Hong Kong light up is welcoming guests to a redesigned space.

InterContinental Hong Kong just unveiled its new lobby and Lobby Lounge, a renovation that has been in the works for years. The stylish new look was created by architecture firm Woods Bagot Hong Kong studio, and the design encapsulates all the mesmerizing aspects of Hong Kong, from morning until night.

The hotel is perched the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbour, giving guests unrivaled views of Hong Kong's skyline and prime seating for the nightly light show. When I stayed there in 2011 the renovations were still going on, but that didn't deter guests from showing up early for a window seat in the lobby lounge. However, now that the renovations are complete, the InterContinental Hong Kong's lobby lounge is reclaiming its status as “the place to see and be seen” in Hong Kong.

“Since our lobby is the heart of the hotel and where our guests have their first impression of Hong Kong, we want our guests to have a unique sense of arrival.” says InterContinental Hong Kong Managing Director Jean-Jacques Reibel.

According to a statement from the hotel, the new design, material and color selections were inspired by the hotel’s location on Victoria Harbour. The new design is reminiscent of sunset on Victoria Harbour, featuring bronze, gold, champagne and silver shades that play off the new carpet design, which represents the subtle waves seen in the water just outside the hotel.

To keep guests excited about nightfall, the hotel added new tables to the lobby, including table tops near the expansive windows that are made of Champagne-colored textured glass with copper metal frames, reflecting the light from the harbor and adding a three dimensional element. At the center is a dramatic art piece, which doubles as a communal bar table.



InterContinental Hong Kong’s Managing Director Jean-Jacques Reibel, who was the passionate driving force behind the design, said “We wanted to create a focal point in the Lobby Lounge with a unique art piece. For the Lobby Lounge, one of the key briefs I gave the designer was that the harbour view could not be obstructed in any way. We did not want any walls or partitions which might obscure the spectacular views from our Lobby.”

What's a new lobby lounge without some new lobby lounge libations? To compliment the hotel's new look, guests can indulge in one of the Lobby Lounge's new selection of signature cocktails called ‘V-Sips’, also inspired by the hotel’s unique position on Victoria Harbour.

Themed cocktails include the Nine Dragons, Victoria Sunset, Fragrant Harbour, Peak Me Up, Hong Kong Skyscraper, Smoke & Mirrors, Asia’s World City, Avenue of Stars and Batman (with reference to the scene from “The Dark Knight Returns” when Batman jumped from the 88-storey IFC II tower into Victoria Harbour.)

Melanie Nayer is a hotel reviewer and expert on luxury travel around the world. She has covered all aspects of hotels including corporate restructures, re-branding initiatives, historical aspects and the best of the best in luxury hotels around the world.

Melanie writes a weekly exclusive column for 4Hoteliers.com