Photo of the day No. 26 - The view from ICC in Hong Kong
The views from floors 100 - 118 are quite staggering
Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong for 53 years - I know the place.
I have personally completed 2,300+ Private Experiences (over 6,000+ guests) since April 2011 and I am considered one of the finest Private Tour Guides in Asia.
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Photo of the day No. 26 - The view from ICC in Hong Kong
The views from floors 100 - 118 are quite staggering
click on the image to enlarge
Uniquely Sky 100
“Discover Hong Kong from an elevated perspective at Sky 100 and be delighted by these extraordinary experiences that will make your Hong Kong journey one you will never forget.
The unrivalled 360-degree Views
Situated at the centre of the Hong Kong, a city famed for its breathtaking skyline by day or night, Sky 100 is the only indoor observation deck in town offering full 360-degree views from the tallest building in the city, ICC. You can take in the magnificent views at different times of the day while enjoying the comfort of being in an all weather proof indoor environment, away from the crowds.”
The Magnificent views from the ICC Building in Hong Kong
The image above is that of Hong Kong Island from the ICC Building in Kowloon, it is an amazing view and even as a long term resident I could stand for hours looking at it and identifying buildings and landmarks!
I am in absolute agreement that the views from ICC and the observation deck on the 100th floor are magnificent, there is no question of that but there are things you need to know and there are also other options for the same view on higher floors! so you can trust the corporate blurb up to a point.
I haven been in the Observation Deck Sky 100 4 times over the years since it was built and I have always come away with the impression that things could have been done better design wise had they used a bit of imagination, they are very explicit in their blurb that it is an indoor viewing platform.
… but then I take into account that it was built for mass market tourism and large groups so after a few years it got a reputation for being a bit of a tourist trap and the pricing reflects that, most tourist traps cost a small fortune to visit.
If you read my blog posts you will know that I rave about the worlds greatest panoramic city view from Lugard Road at Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island and as good as the view from ICC is it is not even close to the Victoria Peak view, a personal opinion of course.
My big issue with the view from ICC is that the windows totally distort the view, the window glass is very thick and covered with something to reflect sunlight, not to mention quite often the windows are just plain dirty which means the clarity of the view is quite poor and not to mention you quite often see a reflection of yourself in the image. this is quite disconcerting. There is nothing like the view from Victoria Peak, it is a fresh air view with no glass to distort the view.
I understand completely that most people will not give a flying monkees for the degraded view, it is still really something but it makes me wonder that they could have done much better.
Sky 100 occupies the whole floor and in my humble opinion they could have had a partial OPEN observation deck rather like the one on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building in New York which is as iconic as they come. this would eliminate the glass that distorts the views.
You know what, I bet they considered it, when you build a building that is 118 floors it would have been a consideration I am sure and I always believe a partially open deck was rejected by Government Departments on safety grounds.
This is some blurb about the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai
“He went on to say 'At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY' at Level 148 is the crowning glory and the 'hero' level, where for the first time, Dubai residents and visitors can scale up 555 metres, and step out to an outdoor terrace – the highest viewing point on earth in a building – which opens to mesmerising views of the city”
That’s right an open viewing platform on the 148th floor!
The cost of an adult ticket for Sky 100 is approximately US$23 and to be honest the building is in an awkward location, so it is not cheap and takes up a lot of time to get there.
So what are your alternatives.
In a nutshell, the Ritz Carlton Hotel which I have been to hundreds of times over the years, the Hotel is from floor 102 to 118.
… which means if you get a window seat in any of their restaurants you are going to get the view but the real clincher is the Ozone Bar on the 118th floor for the spectacular view at night.
Click on the link above for the Ozone Bar website, I have been in there many times and it is an experience that will live long in your memory of your Hong Kong visit!
Naturally you could simply just book a room in the Ritz Carlton Hotel and ask for a Hong Kong Island view and enjoy the view for a couple of days or more!
So, is a visit to ICC worth your time. a resounding YES
Please also take into account the weather, cloudy, misty and rainy days may affect the view, I have been in there when all you could see was fog and not even a glimpse of a view.
© Jamie Lloyd | J3 Consultants Hong Kong | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong |
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