Hawaii Girl's Honeymoon in Asia

Before we arrived in Shanghai, we thought the butler service was going to drive us batty. "I don't want anyone unpacking my luggage," I told my hubby. "I might have to tell the butler to scram, leave us alone." Little did we know that the St. Regis Shanghai butlers were what we would miss the most when we checked out.

Melannie, our butler upon check-in was so sweet. I inquired about the Shanghai Zoo. Why? Melannie asked. I was determined to see a panda in real life I told her, because my sisters and I tease my mom that she looks like a Chinese bear. Melannie immediately left the room and returned a few minutes later to present my mom with a stuffed panda.

Wishing for a cup of tea? Call the butler. Wanting to book a private tour to Hangzhou? We called the butler. My mom and I wanted to find out where the best places to shop in Shanghai. The St. Regis Shanghai arranged for a butler named Rain to accompany us the next day in a taxi all over Shanghai. The Chief of the Butlers Don was so caring and gracious in helping us plan our taxi directions - he always remembered our name when we came in or left the lobby. It was absolutely delightful.

We loved the St. Regis Shanghai so much, we did not want to leave. We ate at the hotel the first night in the Italian restaurant upstairs. I fell in love with the asparagus ice cream with limoncello sabayon and had to return to the hotel each night afterwards to sit in the 2nd floor lounge and have the waiter order the ice cream to bring down from the restaurant.

My husband and I also treated ourselves to a foot reflexology massage at the hotel spa. Afterwards, I glided out of the spa to my room. My ugly ballet-tortured feet finally felt like princess-toes.

The plush guest rooms, great restaurants, huge swimming pool and work out room all contributed to the general "luxe travel" experience, but what makes the St. Regis Shanghai stand apart from other luxury hotels are their wonderful butlers. Other travel sites also bemoan the location in Pudong as out of the way, but taxis are so cheap and the area was still rich in neighborhood experiences. I will definitely be back!

Although our rooms in Langham Place Hotel were just delightful (loved the plush bed, Ipod docking station and generous closet), next time we're in Hong Kong, I'm going to stay at the W Hong Kong on Austin Road. Langham Place however was PERFECT for this trip. My husband and I were traveling with my parents who had not been to Hong Kong in over 10 years. The hotel is connected to Langham Place - a huge mall frequented by Hong Kong locals. It was rainy when we arrived so instead of venturing outside, we strolled across the walkway to the mall to eat dinner and gawk at the 4-story escalator and gorgeous fake blue sky ceiling. The mall even has a grocery store and QSR food court if you don't want to dine in one of their fun little restaurants. Go to the bottom floor and visit the little cafe that celebrates slow food and a return to a slower lifestyle - gee, almost wanted to rebel against technology!

After working non-stop for the last two years with no vacation since December 2006 when I had surgery, I did need a break. A traditional Chinese massage at the hotel's Chuan Spa was the first shot of relief. After an 80-minute treatment, my hubby and I wanted more. We went to the Grand Hyatt on Hong Kong Island two days later for a lymphatic massage at Plateau Spa. Despite the pollution and sometimes curious city odors, I definitely felt more serene and relaxed. The next stay in HK however will be at the new W Hotel. The rooftop pool was fabulous and the hotel is connected to Elements mall which has an indoor ice skating rink! Not to mention a Bliss Spa! If I had discovered that sooner, my family would have had a hard time pulling me away from Hong Kong!

Tip: Don't miss Afternoon Tea at the Grand Hyatt...a sophisticated buffet of savory and sweet snacks in such a civilized atmosphere. My friend and freelance writer Kathy Leong also told me about Hutong, one of the cities BEST restaurants in Kowloon. We sat near the window watching the harbor light show in this restaurant that looked like an old Chinese village.

Hubby was outnumbered. He was the sole first-timer to Tokyo so he had to go along for the ride. I did the research and booked two guest rooms for two nights for us and my parents at Claska Hotel in Tokyo. Didn't want to stay at a faceless touristy hotel or homely onsen - I searched night after night online for a cool little boutique hotel and found Claska. My husband was looking for the "Lost in Translation" experience, but he got something even better. Claska is a little gem of a hotel located smack dab in the center of a quiet residential neighborhood. Staff were so friendly and the hotel restaurant was always filled with relaxed residents waiting for their dogs in the next door dog salon to be groomed. The futon beds in our room felt like firm, cosy clouds and the scent of the hotel's herbal amenities was heavenly.

The train station was about 15 minutes away by foot through these narrow neighborhood streets which transformed into a one lane pedestrian way lined with restaurants and tiny shops. On the last night, we stumbled upstairs to a delicious okonomiyaki restaurant called Kyu-to. The staff couldn't speak any English, but between charades-like gestures and picture-pointing we did just fine. Suggestion: At least try to learn the words for food you like, like shrimp, chicken or beef. And if traveling to more than 2 foreign countries at a time (I used to travel through 7 countries in 3 weeks), at the very least, learn "excuse me" and "thank you."
Can't do much in Tokyo in 2 nights (just 1 day really). I must go back to eat at Beige Tokyo in the Chanel building in the Ginza.