An entire floor of Hong Kong’s Island Shangri-La hotel has been transformed into a playful, luxury haven for Generation Alphas. Rose Dykins reports
The Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong has designed a luxury experience for families to spend quality time together. Promising “playful adventure, whimsy and flair” the entire 45th floor of the five-star hotel offers thoughtful, practical facilities for parents and fun, imaginative elements for children.
Features of the hotel’s dedicated Family Floor include 21 luxurious themed rooms and suites and communal services such as the Hangout – a hybrid living room, dining room and play room – and the Pantry, offering useful appliances and necessities to help parents and children explore Hong Kong, removing the need to pack these items before their trip.
Clifford Weiner, general manager of Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong, says: “We are very proud to be the first to create a luxury family-friendly haven that combines a playful sense of adventure for children and sophistication for parents ensuring every moment spent with us is cherished and memorable.
“The launch of the Family Floor at Island Shangri-La underscores our commitment to being leaders in family travel in Hong Kong. We have created a haven which mixes fun and whimsy, while also offering practicality for families looking for the ultimate in stress-free holidays. We look forward to welcoming our first small guests and helping create memories for all.”
The 45th-floor lift lobby at Island Shangri-La has been revamped into a Hong Kong train station with a moving model train. Each corridor on the hotel floor has either a garden or marine theme. Doors are stencilled with local forest and marine animals, designed to help younger guests find their Peak- or harbour-view room or suite.
The floor offers a choice of child-centred, interactive themes for its design-led rooms and suites, including a timber treehouse, a magical carriage and an airship. In-room amenities have been chosen with families in mind. The parents’ area in each room or suite features contemporary, sophisticated décor, which feminine elements and rich colours and textures.
Practical touches include extra luggage space, and larger interconnected suites for extended family groups wanting to stay together, or host private celebrations. There is also an in-room babysitting service. There are toddler-safe beds fitted with a slide, interactive toys, and child-friendly furnishings and imaginative decorations celebrating Hong Kong’s culture and landscape.
The one-bedroom Fisherman’s Cove guestroom has a single-deck bed that mimics a traditional junk ship, and a rope walkway leading to an observation hut. Furnishings include Kerosene-style lanterns, a boat’s wheel that turns, plus anchors, buoys and starfish cushions. 
Meanwhile, the Peak-facing Garden Lodge guestroom has a tiered climbing deck leading up to a viewing platform, a log cabin-inspired bed, walls painted like wildflower gardens and leaf-shaped cushions.
Two-bedroom suites offer enhanced features, such as king-size beds, separate bathrooms and an extra Murphy fold-away bed in the children’s room. This room category has six themes to choose from, with exciting touches to encourage a sense of discovery, such as slides, personalised nameplates for children, interactive lights and sounds, toys and costumes for dressing up.
Local artists have handpainted secret animals and motifs around these rooms, which are only visible in the beam of a UV torch.
The Hong Kong Wonders suite has a bunk bed that looks like on of Hong Kong’s iconic green trams. There is a slide on the upper deck, and an interactive panels with buttons and pedals so children can control sounds and lights. A mural created by local artist Don Mark depicts the city’s landmarks, neon lights, and rural landscapes.
The two-bedroom Safari Adventure suite recreates the excitement of being on a real safari in a campsite. It has a canvas-tented bunk bed and a suspension bridge leading to a slide. There is a treasure chest is filled with toys, a wooden puzzle that plays real animal sounds, and a mural of an African terrain.
Meanwhile, the Underwater Treasure suite has a submarine bunk bed that kids enter through a hatch, to find driving panels with buttons that control alarms and alerts. There is treasure chest with toys, and a colourful mural of coral reefs and sea creatures.
The Family Floor of Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong has recently launched three-bedroom suites large enough for parties and family celebrations. Each has an elegant room with a plush king-size bed for parents, an immersive children’s room with a slide, and a separate living room. There is also a kitchen with a hydro tap and child-friendly utensils.
For example, in the Airship Voyage suite, children can control the propeller, turbine and mechanics of their own airship, while a weather projection immerses them in different climates. There is a treasure chest of nostalgic play items including dim sum and milk tea playsets, while a mural showcases Hong Kong’s history and heritage.
The Fairy Garden suite has a pink pumpkin carriage bunk bed and an enchanted mural landscape of colourful wild plants, butterflies, flowers, unicorns and toadstools. There is a whimsical table and chairs for tea parties, dress-up corners, a tea set for parties with fairy friends, and a magic wand. A ceiling projection complete with sound adds to the magical garden ambience.
The Hangout is a communal hub for families. It has a grab-and-go food station serving healthy options for both children and adults, with sweeping views of The Peak. Adjacent to this is a workshop room for children’s activities and board games, a curated book selection in variety of languages for children of all ages, and a bathroom with a diaper changing table. The cosy sitting room has botanical wallpaper and comfy armchairs, offering a space to relax as a family.
The Pantry offers the comforts of home, including a washing machine and tumble dryer, a wash basin, a microwave, and other essentials to enable easy preparation or reheating of meals for children. There is a range of quality child-related appliances from strollers to bottle warmers for parents to use.
On the eighth floor of the Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong is a pool deck with a Waterplay area designed for family fun. Created with safety in mind for children up to the age of six, the area has a toddler paddling pool, a splash park with a water tunnel, water jets, LED lights, flower sculptures and a Whack-a-mole wall – some of which can spray water when activated.
Luxury cabanas are available for guests to relax and enjoy Island Shangri-La Hotel’s poolside service. Guests staying on the 45th-level Family Floor will also receive a pool bag with amenities, and additional supplies such as pool toys and swimming nappies, which are provided on the pool deck for convenience.