Last month there was a long Easter weekend (April 2 to 6), so my friend May and I decided to have a one night staycation at Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel during one of the days.
Funny story about this – we’re both new to Hong Kong, so we thought the long weekend was only until April 6, Monday. We only found out on April 1 that April 7 was also a public holiday. Both Easter Monday and a Chinese holiday called Ching Ming Festival or tomb sweeping day both fell on Monday, so Tuesday was also turned into a holiday.
We laughed at the thought of both of us logging on to our computers on Tuesday and wondering where everyone was. That actually sort of happened to me last year, by the way, when there was a typhoon and I didn’t realize that Hongkongers usually consider typhoon days as no work days.
The Grounds
We met up at the hotel itself. Before the late lunch buffet at 2pm, we explored the grounds. There are plenty of beautiful views surrounding the hotel and lots of nooks and crannies for photo opportunities!
Cafe Lagoon
We headed to the Cafe Lagoon shortly before 2pm to have our buffet lunch which was part of the package we paid for. The food was good. There was a lot of seafood and dessert options.
Garden View Room
We then finally managed to check into our bedroom which was also quite decent, but it was at a low floor so there wasn’t much of a view outside.
Golden Beach and Swimming Pool
After relaxing for a bit, we got changed for the beach and the pool. It was a short less than 5 minute walk to the beach, which was full of people. Hong Kong had just reopened beaches and pools after four months due to Covid restrictions, so everyone was pretty excited.
It was fun to feel the soothing sea breeze and listen to the water lapping at the shore as we watched the beautiful sunset.
As the last dregs of citrus faded from the sky, we walked back to the hotel to hunt for the swimming pool.
On the way there we passed by the dinner buffet spread and followed our noses to a man twirling a suckling pig over a fire. When we reached the pool entrance, we were told that there was a regulation on the number of people allowed into the pool at a time and we had to wait for someone to leave since we didn’t book reservation slots. 😞 Luckily, it didn’t take that long for us to be ushered in, maybe because there were only two of us and it was around dinner time, so perhaps someone left to have dinner?
The backdrop to the pool was a gorgeous view that took my breath away. I snapped my favourite photo of the day:
Then we hurriedly showered and jumped into the swimming pool. Now I’m not a good swimmer, but there is just something so fun about being submerged in a pool. I tried to remember the last time I was in one, and I drew a blank. It was probably before 2020.
Yue Chinese Restaurant
After swimming, we showered and changed so we could have dinner at Yue Chinese Restaurant which is inside the hotel. It’s recommended by the Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau since 2014.Â
We were not not that hungry, so we just ordered some light bites like foie gras with roasted suckling pig, a cheese filled crab shell, hot and sour soup, and some xiao long bao. The food was okay but didn’t really blow my mind taste-wise.
Satay Inn
The next morning after checking out, we used some dining vouchers to get a discount at Satay Inn, a Singaporean restaurant inside the hotel. As someone who lived in Singapore for 11 years, I consider it my second home, so I was excited to have some Singaporean food.
We ordered bak kut teh, fried Hokkien mee, satay, and gula melaka sago. Unfortunately they all didn’t pass muster. I mean, they were decent, but do not taste authentic at all.
Outside the Hotel
After lunch we walked around outside the hotel to explore the view and have some coffee before heading home.
It was a fun short getaway!
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