Review: The Ritz-Carlton Shenzhen

For a quick weekend getaway without the hustle of travelling, Macau – with its wealth of luxury hotels and high-speed ferry connection – is usually the first choice that comes to mind. However, the hustle and bustle of the casino city can sometimes be quite overwhelming if you’re after a more relaxing and rejuvenating experience. That’s why we decided take the unlikely decision to go all the way north across the border to explore the city of Shenzhen. We stayed at one of the modern metropolis’ luxury five-star hotels, The Ritz-Carlton Shenzhen, for a spa and fine dining escape. Could it be that our low-key Chinese neighbour might actually be the next great choice for a luxury weekend jaunt? 

Our expedition began at The Ritz-Carlton in Kowloon, where a luxury van with cushioned leather seats transported us from door-to-door (and city-to-city). The van was well-stocked with handmade refreshments and time flew as we grazed and napped throughout the 45-minute journey.   

We found ourselves in the heart of Futian, Shenzhen’s CBD, just steps away from the Convention & Exhibition Centre. The location is undoubtedly perfect for business travellers, but we found it great for first-timers who want to explore the city, too, as the hotel is just a stone’s throw from the glossy shopping mall and famous nightlife hub Coco Park. Situated right next to the city’s new metro system makes the Ritz-Carlton Shenzhen highly accessible to all the major attractions. You can stop by one of the amusement parks, go for a walk in a lake-side garden or soak up a bit of culture at the artsy cultural terminal OCT-Loft, all within an hour’s drive. 

The hotel lobby carves out the same image as rest of the American hotel chain, which is elegantly styled, without any signs of ageing throughout its four years in business. The hotel boasts an outdoor swimming pool and a fully equipped fitness centre; dining options including a rooftop garden bar, a cigar lounge and two fine-dining restaurants specialising in Italian and Chinese cuisines. 

As it was early evening, we made ourselves at home in Curv, the lounge bar on the lobby level, slumped down in the velvet couches and unwound with some classic cocktails, before moving to Paletto for an Italian feast. Located on the second floor, Paletto is one of the few upscale Italian restaurants in Shenzhen. The intimate and atmospheric dining room, featuring jewel-coloured upholstered chairs and wood paneled floors, sets the stage for a range of regional Italian cuisines, ranging from Roman to Sicilian specialities. There is also a tempting array of fresh pasta, pizza and charcuterie, served along a good selection of wine.   

Although the trendy bar and nightclub scene at Coco Park is just five-minutes walk from us, we decided to retreat to our premier room. Our spacious room exuded an elegant and contemporary flair, blending classic furniture and modern amenities such as Nespresso coffee machines and iPhone dock adapters.  We wound down in the deep bathtub facing a mirrored television for a soak, before we dived into the feather bed to call it a night. The Ritz-Carlton Shenzhen also makes an effort with its pillow menu (offering choices from buckwheat to foam), although our much preferred feather pillow was not an option. 

The next morning we woke up excited for our 90-minute Signature Elements Massage at the hotel spa. The spa environment is serene and calm; our small massage room was filled with aroma and pumped with soft music, but it’s otherwise claustrophobic due to the lack of windows. We began our treatment with a rose foot spa including an exfoliating scrub and warm towel wrap, followed by a unique and rejuvenating massage combining four different movements. The Signature Elements Massage is inspired by wood, water, fire and earth, the four elements of life and strives to create a balance in the human body through four different types of massages: aromatherapy, bamboo oriental, oriental Thai and lava hot stone. Our journey through the elements started with a sensual touch with essential oil to warming hot stones on our acupressure points, with a combination of Thai massage, pressure points and stretching techniques. When we finished the treatment, all the knots in our muscles seemed to be gone, we felt relaxed and walked out with a rejuvenated body and mind ready to tackle the rest of the day. 

We finished off the trip by experiencing the lavish dining culture of the motherland, by way of the Sunday Glitz brunch, a new weekend offer at The Ritz-Carlton Shenzhen’s buffet restaurant Flavourz. The all-day dining restaurant is styled after a market concept, featuring everything from seafood and sashimi, salad, Chinese noodles and dim sum, western barbecue and foie gras with brioche to freshly blended milkshakes and drinks. Of course, a sumptuous buffet is not completed without a good dessert station, and Flavourz impresses with its expansive bakery and sweet counter that spans over the entrance and corridor of the second floor. Just when we thought the buffet area cannot be any bigger, we discovered that the buffet table literally lives up to its name as the longest brunch in the city by extending it to Italian restaurant Paletto next door, serving cured meats, cheeses and made to order pasta. 

A unique feature of this glitzy bunch is that food is not passively laid on the buffet table, but they actually come to your table. Throughout our meal, constantly there were chefs and waiters carrying massive baskets of steaming pork buns, or a range of pizzas, burgers and donuts, spread on lengthy five-feet long wood benches, to bring to our table, which created the feeling of a bustling Chinese food market. We lost count of how many trips we took to the the buffet tables, and how much food was brought to us at our table. At this point we found ourselves fully pampered, and we ended our trip with a satisfying snooze on our way back home to Hong Kong. 

To experience the charm of Shenzhen with The Ritz-Carlton, there are currently two spring packages on offer, perfect for a weekend getaway: 

The Weekend Treat Package (RMB 1,988 for two) features overnight accommodations in a premier room with either breakfast plus a 60-minute spa treatment for two; or the Sunday Glitz brunch free-flowing sparkling wine for two. Alternatively, the Luxury Suites package (RMB4,888 for two) features overnight accommodations in club deluxe suite room along with a bottle of sparkling wine, plus Rolls Royce round trip transfer from downtown Shenzhen. 

These packages are on offer until June 30, 2013. 

The Ritz-Carlton, Fuhua 3rd Road, Futian, Shenzhen; +86 755 2222-2222