Hotel ICON's Durian Festival returns to bring multisensory experiences to HKers

The fifth Hotel ICON Malaysian Durian Festival has returned to bring unique multisensory experiences to guests by leveraging the sweetness and refreshing taste of durians. The hotel will arrange acrobatic performances during the durian-themed buffet for the first time in five years. 

Available from 6 August to 24 September, the festival is supported by Consulate General of Malaysia, Hong Kong, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (Hong Kong office), Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), Malaysian Association of Hong Kong and Malaysia Airlines. The festival aims to tell stories of Hong Kong and celebrate the brave souls in the city who are willing to try new things and experiment, as not everyone is a fan of durians.

A total of 12 durian buffet events will take place in the spacious Silverbox Ballroom. In addition to the usual six brunch durian festival events, six dinner durian festival events will be added this year, allowing durian lovers to gather and meet with Hotel ICON's executive chef Danny Ho, who will host the interactive session and share more about Malaysian durians. Customers will have chances to win prizes including sponsored gifts, dining vouchers, and even fresh durians.

Moreover, this year's durian platter will showcase five different durian species. According to the release, Ho travelled to Malaysia to seek advice from Liu Wai Hung (廖偉雄), a Hong Kong idol who is operating a durian farm in Malaysia, aiming to ensure the authenticity of the durian selection.

In terms of the experience, the hotel aims to create a funfair-like atmosphere with design and photo opportunities for guests to enjoy, as well as acrobatic performances on stage during the evening session. Whole durians will be given away to participants during the session.

Commenting on the initiative, Vallois Choi, director of marketing at Hotel ICON, said: "Hong Kong's cultural diversity has inspired us to create a funfair atmosphere for our guests, including 12 buffet events, Q&A sessions, giveaways, and photo opportunities. We have also arranged for acrobatic performances during our dinner buffets, which is the first time we have done so in five years."

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