If you build it, they will come. If you build it bigger and higher, they will pay to come.

Maybe the Ritz-Carlton saw the Armani Hotel Dubai in the Burj Khalifa–the current tallest building in the world–as a challenge. Or, maybe the hotel group just wanted to create some local competition with the Park Hyatt Shanghai (to date the highest rooftop observation deck in Asia). Or, maybe still, the pending opening of the tallest hotel in the world was just another way for the legendary hotel group to make an unforgettable impression. Whatever the case, the Ritz-Carlton’s re-entry into Hong Kong is prepped to be one of the biggest and grandest events in hotel history, and we got a sneak peak at what’s to come.

Standing 118 stories high, the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong will become the flagship property for the Ritz-Carlton in Asia and occupy levels 102 to 118 in the International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong’s tallest building and home to financial giants including Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank. While the sounds might be seem serene at 1,600 feet above the chaotic Hong Kong city streets, the view is anything but calm: the building sits directly across Victoria Harbour and offers magnificent views of the harbor, Hong Kong Island and The New Territories.

Set to open in December, the 312 guest room hotel will feature an indoor infinity pool, spa, gym, rooftop restaurant and restaurants on lower floors. The hotel’s guest rooms will occupy floors 106-117. The other floors will house the spa (116); the gym, pool and rooftop restaurant (118); additional restaurants (102); and the hotel lobby will be on floor 103. The International Commerce Centre below floor 102 features office and residential space, an Observation Deck on the 100th floor, a shopping mall and is a transport hub to both Mainland China and Hong Kong Island. Full report from Huffington Post click here…. (JLD – Huffington Post states that hotel is 188 floors tall, is not correct, ICC is 118 stories tall)