Social-distancing challenges

We stayed at Kowloon Shangri-La during Hong Kong's fourth wave of coronavirus cases, when dining and leisure restrictions were in place. The buffet dinner at Cafe Kool included in our package shifted to in-room dining, while the pool, gym and spa were no longer options to experience. We appreciated the panoramic Victoria Harbour view of Central and the spacious, well-appointed amenities all the more as many of the other amenities were off-limits.

"It appears that local guests opt for packages that include activities within the hotel while overseas guests are always out and about in the city and their main concern when booking is the hotel's location," says a spokesperson with Shangri-La Hotels in Hong Kong. "One of the biggest challenges is definitely the social-distancing measures implemented in our restaurants — although they have impacted our business tremendously, we also concur that they are mandatory as they ensure the health and safety of our guests and colleagues."

We were surprised at how a buffet dinner via room service was interpreted, as we were treated to a large meal with a multitude of dishes that captured the feeling of a buffet. Yet as it was all served at once, some hot dishes got cold rather quickly. Medium rare steak became well done and fries went limp even as they were kept warm in trolley ovens. We concluded that room service was ideal for breakfast or other one-course meals.

"Staycation has been one of the most popular key word searches in 2020," Rosen admits. "This trend will well continue in 2021 not only because of the fact that the borders around the world continue to remain closed with uncertainties, but also that staycation has no doubt become a unique strategy for tourism sustainability — especially for holidays, weekends and celebrations."