I have travelled to Hong Kong extensively for business and 20 years later, I'm still consistently surprised by what the city had to offer. Stepping through the threshold of the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, a piano rendition of "The Phantom of the Opera" greeted me.

You'd expect the audio to be delivered through some fancy high-end sound system but the song was was actually performed live. As the violin solo followed, I was firmly in the "pleasantly impressed" camp as I broke into a rousing applause after the performance.

The grand piano sits atop the balcony of the upper mezzanine floor, and yes, from ground to ceiling, the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong measured closed to three storeys. Adding to the plenitude are grand marbled columns, period décor pieces, and indoor water features alongside curvilinear staircases that lead to the upper mezzanine. The immense lobby is reminiscent of a luxurious cruise liner. I feel dwarfed. This was an experience where ample spaces allow guests to comfortably take in the environment and acclimatise to the opulent details.

Located at the waterfront of Hong Kong Island, guests get a gander at the world-famous Victoria Harbour. When night falls, the city become starburst—lights dot and hum along the streets. Since opening in November 1989, the hotel finished a four-year-long renovation on all guest rooms and facilities in 2018. Masterminded by Melbourne-based boutique design studio, BAR Studio, the rooms are imbued with striking spaciousness. Outfitted with an open bathtub, a walk-in shower, a separate toilet, glass light-fixtures and a neutral sand-tone marbled vanity, one is still able to find the breadth of the space tenable; a respite in space-starved Hong Kong.

Even before the makeover, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong had chalked up several awards and accolades for its hospitality. While the room’s spaciousness is a refreshing commodity, there are the thoughtful designs like putting a multi-purpose solid timber table next to the windows just so you can take in the city view. The housekeeping team takes the cake.

If cleanliness is next to godliness, I'm in church. IMHO, the housekeeping is probably second to none. An example: on my second day, I accidentally dropped my contact lens case, which landed behind the sink. As I retrieved it, I spotted the sink pipes—polished, with nary a dust particle. Even in hard-to-reach places, the attention to neatness was evident.

The free time I had was either spent on eating and shopping. I needed the gym to keep my energy up and kill some calories. Grand Hyatt Hong Kong offers a 24-hour fitness studio and its wide assortment of gym equipment afforded me my usual workout routines with little to no need for variations.

Contributing to my excess calories was the breakfast buffet at Grand Café. During my stay, I had three opportunities at the sumptuous breakfast buffet and I still didn’t manage to try all the dishes. The offering was extensive—from Western to Chinese and Middle Eastern cuisines. It'd be easy to think that with such an extensive buffet offering, quality will dip but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Take the dim sum menu. As a Hong Kong signature, the dim sum were fresh and finely prepared, instead of being microwaved and placed in steamer baskets afterwards. If the Grand Café is serving up such hearty quality food, there is no doubt the other 11 world-class restaurants and bars found at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong will not disappoint.

Grand Hyatt Hong Kong is the gold standard for luxury hospitality. If I had all the money in the world, I would want to replicate the thoughtful designs, environment, a capable in-house chef who can serve up international cuisines and a butler team who will anticipate all my OCD whims. But I'm a man of modest means so this brief stay at the hotel is a close second to my dream home.