(a 2 1/2-minute read)

Almost thirty-eight years ago, I was waiting in the lobby of the recently opened Mandarin Hotel for some lawyers who represented a Japanese industrialist. I had been competing in the Macau Grand Prix and helping his son learn the tricks of the round-the-houses circuit. After several days of negotiations, I had agreed to quit my job, move to Tokyo and help establish a racing team in Japan.

It was the crack of dawn. Suddenly, a paperboy ran through the lobby and the world stood still--during the night, JFK had been shot in Dallas!

History records how the world changed and each of us knows how we were personally affected. The lawyers never showed as the Tokyo market dive had devastated the industrialist, but his son arrived with a gift of apology--a black lacquer lighter I treasured for years. It was symbolic, for Kennedy once said "… and the effort we bring to this endeavor will spark a flame, and the glow from that fire will light the world."

When one considers how much has changed and developed in those many years, it is astounding to realize that The Mandarin Oriental's flame is as bright as ever; however, The Regent Hotel's blazing glory across the harbor is today's brightest beacon.

Granted, tea in The Peninsula's colonnaded hall can be a grand event and The Mandarin Grill is still one of the best of its genre in the world, but however hard it is to break the habit of staying in a long-time favorite, The Regent is the best excuse I've seen in years. For the ultimate excitement of all five senses, it is simply sensational!

The crowd is young, bright and attractive, the service is instantaneously efficient and the choice of cuisine is as diverse as is each restaurant delicious.

With exactly the same number of rooms as The Mandarin, The Regent spreads luxuriously over twice the acreage of what is the most valuable real estate in the world. Vast vistas of highly polished marble reflect the most spectacular urban view in the world--the incredible, sparkling cityscape of all of Hong Kong's monumental high-rise apartments and offices standing sentineled against the mystic misty peaks.

But imagine having this panorama all to yourself. Some of the most attractive, comfortable and colossal suites I've ever seen are any of the corner ones at The Regent. On my latest trip, I had fifty feet of window running from living room, past the dining area, through the bedroom, and culminating in a Jacuzzi tub for four (candles included) seemingly suspended over the harbor. For the absolute best book far in advance for the one on the third floor, which has its own terrace.

Hong Kong is like no where else on earth and, like a great Chinese feast, the only way to savor the whole is to delight in each exquisite part--a touch of “The Pen,” (loved Felix, the Phillip Staark-designed restaurant on the top floor), a taste of The Mandarin, and an eyeful from The Regent. That banquet's the eighth wonder of the world!

Until next time, all the best