The Upper House, Hong Kong

Where Is It: Hong Kong Island.

Why Go: It's elegant, conveniently located and a home away from home.

Best For: Stylish couples who love ultra modern style and views.

Three Things We Loved: The views, the spacious rooms, the modern decor.

The Ultimate Factor: A huge bathtub with a view of Hong Kong's dramatic skyline.

Overview:

It’s located in one of the most lively and hectic cities in the world and the Upper House in Hong Kong is a luxury boutique hotel which has become a “retreat in the sky” away from the manic madness on the streets below. This property has been winning major design and hotel awards on a regular basis since opening in 2009 and from the moment you walk through the Bedonia stone doorway facade you get the feeling you’ve entered a private residence with a calming water feature and impressively polished staff adding to the sense of calm and serenity. As you’re transferred up to the sixth floor on the dimly lit elevator, this is when you realise how and why the Upper House was given its name. From “The Lawn”, a grassed area where you can enjoy cocktails in a bean bag, Hong Kong’s spectacular Victoria Harbour is the panorama and down below the buses, taxis and cars thread their way through the business heart of the city. And that’s even before you’ve taken the elevator to your room.

The Accommodation:

All up, the Upper House has 117 spacious rooms, including 21 Upper Suites, two massive penthouses, and the remainder called “studios” although at 260 square metres (850 sq ft) and 222 square metres (730 sq ft) these are still among the largest hotel rooms in Hong Kong. All rooms have stand alone bath tubs and walk in rain showers and feature a similar design throughout with understated luxury but obvious elegance with two basic colour schemes of bamboo and lime green.

Where We Stayed:

This is not a hotel room but an apartment within a luxury boutique hotel, a huge apartment on the 40th floor with 270 degree views of Central, Victoria Harbour and Kowloon and Wan Chai. We were in an Upper Suite which is 375 square metres (1,230 sq ft) of Asian/contemporary elegance with separate living area which includes an oversized L-shaped sofa, a pantry with an espresso machine and tea making facilities and complimentary beers, soft drinks and snacks including small bags of M&Ms, individually wrapped Mentoes, Milano biscuits and Blue Diamond savoury nuts. The foyer at the entrance to the apartment also connects with the bedroom and the huge bed in the middle, separate dressing room and totally decadent spa-inspired bathroom at 121 square metres (400 sq ft) with a deep limestone bathtub overlooking the city, a television screen embedded into a faux mirror, a walk in rain shower and remote controlled privacy shutters. Accessories include a loofa, pumice stone, REN Moroccan Rose Otto bath oil, and crystal bath salts, a real pumice stone. The shampoo, conditioner and bath wash are also from REN. In the bathroom proper there’s a long vanity which is a combination of wood and marble, with his and hers sinks, mirrors with lighting and a full length mirror. Every conceivable amenity is provided including a branded UH purple velvet toiletries bag packed with more REN products, mouth wash, lip balm and more. There's even light and heavy robes depending on the season and your body temperature.

What Else Is There:

The signature dining venue is Café Gray Deluxe, a 21st century ‘grand café’ overlooking Victoria Harbour, which marks the return of celebrated Chef Gray Kunz to Hong Kong. The Sky Lounge is the elegant bar attached to the restaurant Cafe Gray Deluxe. Each room includes the use of an iPod touch, and free broadband Wi-Fi. The Lawn is a secret garden on level 6 which is a great spot for a cocktail in the evening and it’s also a sun trap during the day and this is where you can stretch out on a lush patch of lawn which is a rarity in Hong Kong. There’s also a gym with modern cardio equipment and free weights and complimentary yoga classes are also held every Saturday and Sunday morning on The Lawn. The Upper House also has two bicycles if you want to pedal around town.

The Verdict:

Perched high in the sky, this luxury boutique hotel stands sentinel over one of the world’s great cities and is truly a serene oasis in this concrete-glass-and-neon metropolis. Simplicity is the key and the oversized rooms and suites are uncluttered which adds to feeling of space and serenity.