Double Happiness at The Peninsula Hong Kong

By Sandra Scott

On February 14 Chinese New Year, the Year of the Tiger, and St. Valentine’s Day will occur on the same day. Surely an auspicious sign for the year to come—time of Double Happiness! The tiger is a symbol of strength and power while St. Valentine has long been associated with love. What a powerful combination.

While in Hong Kong, John and I had the pleasure of staying at The Peninsula Hotel. There is no hotel quite like it. It is the Gold Standard for judging hotels. For nearly a century The Peninsula has been serving guests from all over the world with panache. No other hotel boasts that their guests are served by a fleet of 14 Rolls Royce vehicles and two specially designed Mini Coopers. The hotel’s helicopter is ready to transport guests wherever they want to go.

While at the Peninsula, we visited The Peninsula Boutique, part of the hotel’s shopping arcade. The boutique offers a variety of decadent treats including Valentine’s Day chocolates prepared by the hotel’s chocolatier and presented in a specially designed gift box. The boutique also offers traditional New Year’s Cake called Neen Gow. The main ingredient of Neen Gow is glutinous rice flour, which is a symbol of unity or oneness. So love represented by chocolate combined with the New Year’s Cake will surely lead to lasting love. John decided we should have both. “It is the perfect way to celebrate the harmony of East and West — truly an expression of Double Happiness.”

Chocolate is not only an integral part of St. Valentine’s Day but it is also an important part of the Chinese New Year celebration. It is traditional to give people Lucky Money in red envelopes along with gold wrapped chocolates. These signify money and prosperity for the New Year.

According to the traditional Chinese calendar, February 14 will usher in the year 4708. When it comes to celebrating Chinese New Year and Valentine’s there is no better place than at The Peninsula where they do everything with style. John and I wish we were going to be in Hong Kong to celebrate the Day of Double Happiness. Besides the luscious melt-in-your-mouth chocolates prepared by the hotel’s chocolatier we would have a romantic dinner en suite with an incredible view of Victoria Harbor. Our dinner would conclude with one of The Peninsula’s Sweet Endings, Valrhona chocolate with sea-salt caramel and buttermilk ice cream. After dinner we would then join the other hotel guests on the hotel’s Sun Terrace to view the spectacular fireworks above Victoria Harbor while enjoying a glass of champagne.

All the Peninsula Hotels are noted for outstanding service and accommodations but The Peninsula Hong Kong is the flag ship of the brand, from the top floor ultra-sleek Felix Restaurant to Salon de Ning on the lowest level done in the style of a 1930s salon. John and I enjoy Double Happiness every time we visit The Peninsula.

Visit www.peninsula.com.

Sandra Scott is a frequent contributor to travel publications and to Creators Syndicate
and has co-authored two books on local history. She lives in Mexico, NY.

Images courtesy of The Peninsula Hong Kong, Hong Kong Tourist Board and John Scott.

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