Sometimes you just need a bit of a break from the craziness that is Hong Kong. We find ourselves running around this fast paced city and the high demands of living here (pollution, traffic, cramped spaces and tons and tons of people) can get the best of us from time to time. We strongly believe that in order to keep the love affair with this city alive you need to get away from it once and a while. Jetting off to Thailand or Bali for a bit of relaxation is wonderful but let’s face it, it can get a bit pricey with flights and hotel costs. Flights are the one thing that really eats away at your budget as you can generally find great hotel packages if you search for them. So, when all else fails and you can’t splurge on a getaway that requires using a passport then I suggest a Staycation!
A staycation for those who may not be familiar with the term is a getaway that doesn’t require traveling too far… essentially it is a vacation in your own city. I have been wanting to do a staycation for a while now so after one of those days where Hong Kong got the best of me I decided to pull the trigger and book a weekend getaway for my husband and I in Hong Kong. Our destination of choice was the Hyatt in Sha Tin. I am quite embarrassed to say that after 2 and a half years I have hardly spent much time in the New Territories so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to see a bit more of Hong Kong and have a weekend break from my normal Central routine.
We booked a one night stay so on Saturday in the late morning we made our way via the MTR to the hotel. Taking the MTR from Central is really easy and it takes about 40 minutes tops and costs about $12 HKD. To get to the Hyatt in Sha Tin you get off at the University MTR station and the hotel is in short walking distance from the station. Upon arrival I really felt a sense of relaxation come over me as I saw people riding their bikes on a nice path, a green football pitch with a running track and pretty trees and mountains in the distance.
After checking out our very lovely room (we got lucky and were upgraded to a suite which obviously made my day!) we were starving for lunch so we made our way down to the Cafe to stuff ourselves with their yummy buffet which features a ton of international and local cuisines. The best part for me was their dessert station and I didn’t feel bad at all going back for seconds as I wanted to try it all. As this staycation was really about just chilling out we then headed back to our room for a nice long relaxing nap before we ventured off to the tennis courts which was followed by a nice pre happy hour dip in the pool.
Happy Hour was spent at the Tin Tin bar and we nibbled on some appetizers and sipped our 2 for 1 drinks (2 scotch’s for the hubby and 2 French Martini’s for me). We were going to check out Sha Tin 18, the Hyatt’s signature restaurant, for dinner but we were so mellow that we just preferred to head back to our room and order room service instead. This is where I started channelling Rachel Zoe because as soon as I got back to the hotel room I threw on a robe and just chilled in it all night long. I read Prestige while sipping white wine in my robe, I ate dinner in my robe and nibbled on chocolate desserts in my robe. It was pure bliss and such a nice relaxing evening away from home. I dream for a night like that again and I totally have a white luxurious robe on my wish list now…
The next morning was our Spa Day! Since we didn’t party hard the night before we rose early so around 8am we decided to take out the bikes that are available to hotel guests. It was such a nice ride along the water and it was so great to see so many people out and about on a Sunday morning. After that we had a bit of time before our spa appointment so we stopped into the Patisserie for some coffee and croissants. They were both delicious and I highly suggest you stop in if you ever book a stay here – it was really good I think.
Okay, so now on to Melo Spa. We had a half hour bath treatment to start off with which included a steam shower which got very high points from the hubby. While we waited for our massage to start we relaxed with some tea in our uber comfy Kashwere robes. I am 100% percent infatuated with these robes. I literally did not want to take it off and I applaud Melo Spa for splurging on the most comfy robe I have ever put on my body! As I was getting a full body massage they basically had to tear me out of the robe but thankfully the massage tables had the very same material so I was rocked gently to sleep in the most comfy massage bed I have ever been in. We had the Melo Signature massage which was 60 minutes and included pomelo and grapefruit infused oil with a pomelo herbal compress.
After our treatments which went by far too quickly for my liking I asked to see Melo Moments, which is their private suite facing Tolo Harbour. The suite has 12 plush lounge chairs for foot reflexology, head and shoulder massage and mani/pedis and is so perfect for a private party with your friends.
I personally think a staycation with a visit to Melo Moments is the perfect girls getaway without even needing to go away. I say, why spend ton on flights when you can spend them on spa treatments!
Hyatt Regency Sha Tin
18 Chak Cheung Street, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, 3723 1234
[email protected]