Hong Kong - You get what you pay for.

I had to write this Blog quickly to capture my thinking on this subject.

I decided to stay at the Hong Kong Kowloon Shangri-la hotel during the visit to the electronic trade shows. It is a bit more expensive than conventional hotels, but you get what you pay for.

Firstly the high speed internet is free in the rooms. This makes a huge difference as the internet is a vital business tool for me. It would normally cost around $25 per day.

Secondly, breakfasts are included. I have a choice of eating in the lounge, which is quiet and peaceful, or having a "slap-up" breakfast in the dining room. I opt for the quiet breakfast because it is efficient, healthy and requires no effort. In addition to this there is tea and snacks available until 11pm. I use this to sit and type my notes and e-mails in a pleasant comfortable surrounding. There is also a daily Happy Hour with free drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and good snacks. We enjoy this.

Thirdly, I can reserve a fully equipped private conference room for two hours per day; a benefit I use often. As an example, we had a wonderfully productive meeting this evening with a new manufacturing partner. It was enjoyable to get out of the hustle and bustle of the exhibition to spend two hours working on a new product in an atmosphere conducive to cooperative discussion.

And then to top it all; I was feeling a bit under the weather from jetlag and a spot of flu. I asked the lounge manager where I could get some cold medicine. She pointed me in the right direction. So far, so good. I returned to my room, where I took the medicine and settled down to get some work done. After a short while, there was an unexpected knock on my door. There stood an attendant from the lounge with a flask of boiling water, some Camomile tea with honey and fresh lemon. "We wish you a speedy recovery. Get well soon!" How's that for service!!

Will I be back? Definitely!!