Celebrity Life

Bubbly brunches and party junks are on hold, but these birthday staycation deals are a piece of cake to book.

Another birthday, another lockdown. A trip around the sun may look somewhat different these days, but there are still plenty of ways to mark that milestone (albeit on a smaller scale!) and make the most of your special day. Hotels are still open for business, so if you’re happy to hop on that staycation bandwagon, these ones are offering special birthday deals. From discounted room rates to custom packages and free bottles of Champagne, here’s where to book.

The best birthday staycation deals in Hong Kong

The Peninsula Hong Kong

Birthday staycation deal: Your Suite Birthday Staycation

“Your Suite Birthday” staycation package is bound to sweeten turning another year older in more ways than one. Priced at HK$4,080 per room per night, The Peninsula is celebrating birthdays with an invitation to their Superior Suite, breakfast for two in The Lobby, a complimentary bottle of Champagne, welcome birthday amenities and a late check-out (2pm!) to help you recuperate from all of the festivities.

Valid for stays until 30 September 2022

More details here.

The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Regal Hong Kong Hotel

Birthday staycation deal: Birthday Happiness Promotion

Offering three celebration packages from just HK$738 per night, Regal Hong Kong Hotel promises free cake, daily breakfast for two and a ton of birthday privileges to help get the party started. Birthday boys and girls can enjoy a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine, in-room birthday decorations as well as 30 percent off hotel dining.

Valid for stays until 20 June 2022

More details here.

Regal Hong Kong Hotel, 88 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Cordis Hotels & Resorts Hong Kong

Birthday staycation deal: Celebration Package

Guests can expect plenty of balloons and snack platters waiting for them in a Superior or Club Deluxe room. From HK$1,348 you’ll be treated to 15 percent off Cordis restaurant and bars, buffet breakfast, late checkout and access to the hotel’s pool and health club. Top things off with a one-pound strawberry cake for a special rate of HK$250.

Valid for stays until 30 June 2022

More details here.

Cordis Hotels & Resorts Hong Kong, 555 Shanghai Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon Hong Kong

Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

Birthday staycation deal: Hong Kong Resident Exclusive: Hotel “Birthday Celebration” Privilege

Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel is bringing a little magic to your birthday with an offer exclusive to Hong Kong residents. From HK$2,307, including room and dinner for two, the birthday guest will also be gifted a complimentary one-day ticket to the park. Did someone say extra gifts? Book the package and receive a free cake-shaped towel and birthday card, as well as the option to customise a bunch of Disney-themed add ons and unique personalised momentos.

Valid for stays until 2 July 2022

More details here.

Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, Magic Road, Lantau Island

The Pier Hotel, Hong Kong

Birthday staycation deal: Birthday Celebration Package

Staycation hotel favourite The Pier is offering a simple birthday package that’s sure to please. Arrive to in-room balloon decorations, a bottle of red wine to toast with, party hats (an essential) and a small birthday gift — all in an Ocean Front room, no less.

This package is ongoing.

More details here.

The Pier Hotel, 9 Pak Shan Wan Street, Sai Kung, New Territories, Hong Kong

Rosewood Hong Kong

Birthday staycation deal: Celebration Package

Specially curated for momentous occasions, Rosewood’s “Celebration Package” is here to help you make memories during these trying times. Arrive to a seasonal Blooms & Blossoms “Flower Bucket” and signature cake from Butterfly Patisserie before kicking back in your luxurious room or suite with a bottle of Champagne to help toast your happy milestone. Guests will also be gifted HK$500 hotel credit to use in any of the restaurants, bars or at Asaya. A restful night’s sleep is followed by complimentary breakfast for two.

Valid for stays until 30 December 2022

More details here.

Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong

Birthday staycation deal: Celebration Package

Lap up luxury at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong and enjoy Champagne, decorations and sweet treats in your newly renovated room (or suite!). Daily breakfast for two and nightly credit towards Michelin-starred dining makes this one a birthday to remember.

Valid for stays until 30 June 2022

More details here.

Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong,  8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong

Auberge Discovery Bay Hotel

Birthday staycation deal: Celebration Package

Offering a special birthday staycation deal for two, guests can enjoy discounted rates starting from HK$1,888 between Sunday to Thursday and HK$2,388 on Friday, Saturday and public holidays. Inclusive of a Mountain View Room, this seafront hotel’s celebration package also includes breakfast and a dinner buffet alongside complimentary mini sweets and a crisp bottle of French sparkling wine served at Café bord de Mer & Lounge.

Valid for stays until December 2022

More details here.

Auberge Discovery Bay Hotel, 88 Siena Avenue, Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong

Birthday staycation deal: Celebration Suite

If there is ever an occasion to book a suite, it’s a birthday — especially at 25 percent off and the offer of a complimentary second room. Revel in The Mandarin Club privileges (read: snacks and drinks!), a bottle of bubbles, in-room decorations, daily breakfast for four, and madeleines and rose petal jam to enjoy in the comfort of your rather swanky suite. Just look at those views!

Valid for stays until 30 June 2022

More details here.

Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong

Birthday staycation deal: Stellar-Bration Package

Take some well-deserved time out for yourself and book The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong’s “Stellar-Bration” package for your birthday. A one-night stay in a Deluxe Room with daily breakfast for two, the birthday staycation deal is pulling out all the stops when it comes to bespoke in-room decorations, a bottle of house Champagne and dishing up its signature blueberry cheesecake. Guests can also snap up 20 percent savings on spa treatments and hotel dining, while those whose birthday falls in the month of February or March are also treated to a complimentary room upgrade!

This package is ongoing.

More details here.

The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, 1 Austin Road West, West Kowloon, Hong Kong

(Hero and featured image: Anastasia Shuraeva / Pexels)

The post These Hong Kong Hotels Will Celebrate Your Birthday With Special Staycation Deals appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Located inside the International Commerce Centre in Kowloon, The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong boosts the best panoramic views in the city and offers a luxury experience like no other.

Upon arrival on the 103rd floor, where the hotel's majestic reception is located, guests embark on a memorable journey of unique experiences and five-star service. During the festive season, The Ritz becomes even more magical thanks to Instagram-worthy decorations, seasonal offerings and just the right amount of opulence among the clouds.

A Memorable Stay at The Ritz-Carlton

Location 10/10

Let's be honest, it doesn't get any better than this. The hotel's panoramic view is pretty much unbeatable and can be enjoyed from nearly every area of the property, from the private rooms, to the lounges, restaurants and fitness centre. Additionally, The Ritz-Carlton offers easy access to Elements and Tsim Sha Tsui's amenities.

Design 9/10

Originally located in Central from 1993 to 2008, when it reopened inside the ICC in 2011, the hotel was revamped and given a completely new look. Mixing contemporary elements with Asian touches and classic pieces, the large property is a temple of elevated luxury. The stately chandeliers, designed by famed architectural lighting designer Sally Storey, stand out in every communal area.

Room: 10/10

The Ritz-Carlton's 312 accommodations highlight its enviable vistas through large panoramic windows. The Deluxe Victoria Harbour Suite, where we had the pleasure to stay, is a 75 SQM oasis of comfort and outstanding design. We absolutely loved the window corner's area (which includes a telescope), the living room space and the elegant full marble bathroom. Other highlights include an ultra-lux mini refreshment bar, the Apple TV and the - truly - high-speed Internet access.

Service & Facilities: 10/10

Staying true to its global reputation, The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong's service is personable and world-class at the same time. We loved the attention to details and the staff's bespoke approach.

When it comes to facilities, the hotel has something to offer for every type of guest. Located on 116th floor, the spa features 11 treatment rooms, including two couple’s suites, providing a serene escape to relax and enjoy personalised pampering experiences. We loved the lava shell body massage treatment, which uses Tiger Clam shells to boost circulation and sooth aches.

Two floors above, the large fitness studio provides a wide range of Technogym equipment in a tranquil and spacious environment that overlooks the breath-taking infinity pool.

Food & Drink: 10/10

Hong Kong foodies will not be disappointed with the dining options that the hotel has to offer. Now-famous for being a temple of haute cuisine, The Ritz-Carlton houses two-Michelin-star Chinese restaurant Tin Lung Heen and one-Michelin-star Italian sensation Tosca di Angelo. Additionally, we loved our meal at the Lounge & Bar, an all-dining venue that offers front-row seats to the skyline and sophisticated dishes. The menu includes time-honoured Western classics like steaks, soups, and salads executed to perfection.

For a memorable drinking experience, head to Ozone, one of the world's highest bars.

Christmas Giveaway Day 10: A One-night Exclusive Staycation

At Prestige, we will be giving a one-night complimentary stay in a Deluxe Victoria Harbour Suite with Club Access for a maximum of two adults (validity: one year, blackout dates apply).

How to Enter

To enter, head to our Instagram page @PrestigeHK and follow the instructions.

Terms & Conditions:

By entering this Prestige giveaway, you will be bound by these terms and conditions and acknowledge that you satisfy all eligibility requirements.

This giveaway is open to Hong Kong residents only and entrants must be over the age of eighteen (18).

Entrants must follow our Instagram page and set their profile to public in order for their entry to be valid.

The giveaway prize is live for five (5) days only.

Entries will be accepted within the five (5) days of posting the feature. Thereafter the giveaway for that prize will close and the winner will be announced.

Winners will be contacted and asked to provide their full name and contact details via Instagram within 48 hours.

Winners will be instructed on how to claim their prize by email.

Winners must respond to redeem the prize within seven (7) days of the prize announcement, otherwise the prize will be forfeited.

Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash, credit and are non-transferrable to third parties.

Prestige reserves the right to cancel, re-draw or otherwise modify this giveaway at any time with immediate effect and without giving prior notice.

The post Staycation Review: Elevated Luxury at its Best at Ritz-Carlton (A Christmas Giveaway) appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

As part of the Victoria Dockside design and arts district, which transformed the Kowloon waterfront into a diverse and unrivalled global destination, K11 Artus is an inspiring, art-centred urban escape the redefines the concept of contemporary luxury.

Originally designed as an artisanal residence for long and short stays, the spacious apartments boost incredible views of the Victoria Harbour as well as much-coveted private balconies. While luxury, comfort and excellent service are guaranteed and elevated, throughout the property, there's much more to discover than what initially meets the eye.

What makes a stay at K11 Artus a unique experience, in fact, is the detail-oriented and meticulously curated conceptualisation of private and public spaces. From the entrance, to the library, corridors and swimming pool area, technology, design and art coexist in a culturally-relevant urban oasis.

Each staycation is an opportunity to immerse yourself in a creative journey that embraces multiple disciplines. In the communal areas, the impressive art collection curated by founder Adrien Cheng and his team dominates the scene.

Balcony: Autumn Colours Over Rivers and Mountains, an image by artist He Wang, located in the library and inspired by the property's now-iconic wraparound balconies, subtly combines a Chinese classic landscape and techniques with contemporary architecture in a piece that celebrates and creates a dialogue between the present and past. The coexistence of preservation and innovation, in fact, are a central theme throughout the property.

To enrich their cultural experience, guests can also book a private tour to explore the world of traditional Chinese craftsmanship through the K11 Craft and Guild Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded in 2018 to identify fast-disappearing crafts and engage the public in cultural initiatives.

In Love is Now, an illustration located on the other side of the majestic library, which also serves as a space to work and relax, artist Jude Chan imagines a dreamy scenario to depict the beauty and romance of life seen from the balconies of K11 Artus. In the image, Chan captures the juxtaposing calm and peace of the residence as an artisanal home and the bustling lights and activities of Hong Kong.

For art lovers looking for a memorable staycation that combines world-class luxury, excellent hospitality and culture, K11 Artus is an escape like no other.

(Hero Image: view from a private balcony at night)

For more information and bookings click here

The post Experience a Unique Art-inspired Luxury Stay at K11 Artus appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Since it first opened its doors back in 1991, the Island Shangri-La has been one of the most popular luxury hotels in Hong Kong. Thanks to its location, views and decor, the property is the epitome of timeless luxury.

We recently stayed in one the hotel's newly renovated Horizon Club rooms for a two-day staycation.

Location 9/10

Located in Admiralty above Pacific Place, Island Shangri-La is conveniently positioned at the very heart of Hong Kong's cosmopolitan centre, with easy access to every major attraction, restaurant and entertainment venue on the island. At the same time, its proximity to the city's major transport links make the hotel easy to reach from everywhere else in the territory. Last but not least, the 56-storey skyscraper boosts stunning views of Victoria Harbour and the Central District.

Design 10/10

Upon entering the hotel's atrium, it's impossible not to be mesmerised by the majestic Great Motherland of China, a 16-storey landscape silk painting deemed the largest in the world. The art piece, which is visible from the corridors, gives the space a unique and unforgettable sense of tranquility and timeless charm. Throughout the hotel, elements like Viennese chandeliers, European palatial touches, sumptuous carpets and an extensive collection of Chinese artworks perfectly blend to create an impressive visual experience.

Room: 9/10

The new Horizon Club rooms are everything you'd want from a luxury hotel in 2021: spacious, comfortable, equipped with the latest technologies and heterogeneously designed. We particularly loved the contrast between the urban chic bathrooms, quintessentially Shangri-La touches like the Chinese painting on the foldable door, and the vintage-style liquor cart.

Service & Facilities: 10/10

Every stay at the hotel is elevated by the Shangri-La staff's personable service and effortlessly elegant savoir-faire, which contribute to make the group one of the most celebrated hospitality brands in the world. World-class facilities include a stunning swimming pool surrounded by Hong Kong' skyscrapers, a spa, sauna and a fitness centre.

Food & Drink: 10/10

Conde Nast Traveler has previously honoured Island Shangri-La as one of the great hotels in the world for dining - and righty so. Starting from the semi-buffet breakfast, which is located at Restaurant Petrus for Horizon Club guests and offers countless of perfectly executed options, to afternoon tea and cocktail, to a meal in one of the hotel's acclaimed restaurants, a stay at the property is a gourmet experience like no other.

We are big fans of Head Chef Romain Dupeyre's innovative take on French fine dining at one-Michelin-star Petrus, where every meal takes you on a different culinary journey. This time around, we loved the new spring lunch, which features some true gems like the fresh and Greek-inspired Crab with yogurt, mint and quinoa, and the earthy Beetroot Tortellini with pistachios and goat cheese.

For those looking for refined comfort food and perfectly executed cocktails in a chic environment, finally, Lobster Bar and Grill, is the place to be.

Rating: 9.5/10

Perfect for: a staycation filled with timeless elegance, luxury and memorable food

Island Shangri-La, Supreme Ct Rd, Admiralty; +852 2877 3838

The post Hotel Review: A Weekend of Timeless Elegance at Island Shangri-La appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Seated in a corner suite in The Hari, his soon-to-be-completed hotel on that indistinct border where Wanchai and Causeway Bay wash into each other, Aron Harilela looks relaxed and very much at home. The hotel’s soft opening is planned for just a few weeks away, and every one of the floors beneath us is a cacophony of rattling and whining hammer drills, clumping work boots and the clatter of planks and scaffolding. Cables dangle from ceilings and the air is a soup of concrete dust and wood shavings, but if Harilela is concerned about the progress of the first hotel bearing his eminent family’s name – or, to be more accurate, a shortened version of it – to open in his home city, he certainly doesn’t show it.

Virtually a Hong Kong dynasty, the Harilela family has been in the hospitality business for half a century, so why did it take so long for them to go the whole hog and manage their properties themselves? “For years we had one business model,” explains Harilela, “which was to either build or buy hotels, and then give them to third- party management – Holiday Inn, InterContinental, Hilton, W, etcetera. But after 45 years of doing this, the world has changed and the landscape is very different from what it was even 20 years ago. I thought that the hotel market was ripe for something different, with little niches here and there where you could place your hotel.

“So I said let’s do our own hotel, and in about 2010 we started to renovate our London property. At that point I wanted to run the hotel ourselves, but some people in the office said, ‘Listen, what are you doing? We don’t run hotels, we asset manage.’ Weirdly enough, though, my father was very much in favour of running it ourselves. To cut a long story short, we didn’t, but four years later I said, ‘Right, sorry guys, we’ve had enough, we’re going to do it ourselves.’”

The Hari Hong Kong Opens Its Doors on December 12.

After consulting with a branding company on possible names – Harilela says they considered brands based on locations, feelings and personal or family names – they eventually plumped for The Hari, a “mixture between our truncated family name and my father’s name, which resonated with us”. Also, he says, “It’s a name that can travel, it has some gravitas, you can have it in London, you can have it in Bangkok and you can have it in Hong Kong and I don’t think it’s out of place anywhere. It would have been silly to call it The Chesham – our London property’s in Chesham Place, but what does that mean anywhere else?”

Fashioned out of an existing hotel and with just 85 rooms, the London Hari is considerably smaller than its newer sibling in Hong Kong, though there are definite similarities, not least in the fact the famed designer Tara Bernerd was responsible for the interiors of both.

“When we started on the London hotel,” says Harilela, “a hotelier friend, Jason Pomerantz, said, ‘You’ve got to get Tara to do this,’ even though she’d only ever done residential properties before. I said to him, ‘She’s never done hotels, are you crazy?’ But Tara and I got on really well and we created something in London that I think really hit the mark. It’s luxurious but it’s not crazy luxurious and you really feel relaxed – you feel as if you want to come back, regularly.

“I wanted to keep that DNA, so I told Tara that she had to do all The Haris – I don’t want them to look exactly the same but there’s a masculinity to it. It’s not refined luxury and it’s certainly not very feminine.”

Ever a dapper dresser, Harilela today is clad in a bespoke suit in an especially flamboyant blue-and-grey Prince of Wales check, so it seems obvious that the hotel’s look and ambience would also reflect his personal style. “For the first project in London,” he says, “I’d literally walk into Tara’s office and say, ‘I love that tweed jacket, and those grey flannel trousers. That’s what I want to do with the hotel.’ Not only the decor and the clothing, but also in the style of the service. I’m not very poncey and formal, I’m just not. I don’t want to arrive at a restaurant and everyone’s saying, ‘Sir,’ twenty-five times – I mean, just shut up, I’m eating my food. And I’d rather chat with the staff. Maybe it isn’t casual, but it’s certainly not formal, which isn’t the easiest thing to do in Hong Kong, because people are used to that hierarchy.

“If you give me two exact-same hotels, exact-same rooms, exact-same room rates and you go downstairs and one has a buzzing bar and the other one, you go in and the guy says, ‘Er, would you like a cup of tea?’ I’d go to the one with the buzzing bar. When you see what our Japanese restaurant looks like – it’s not designed like a traditional Japanese restaurant. It’s not all bamboo and dark, we’re going to have pumping music and it’s got nothing to do with Japan or Japanese restaurants except the food. We’ve just got a chef from Matsuhisa in Aspen, and I’m so excited about it.”

Harilela isn’t the least bit fazed by the discrepancies in location between the London and Hong Kong hotels. “It doesn’t matter that the Haris in London and Hong Kong are in very different areas,” he says. “Actually, Belgravia [in London] isn’t the best place to put a hotel, because it’s very residential, it’s not that close to the City and the Tube station isn’t that close either, but we really spruced that place up and we’ve done well with it. It’s very London, though, and this is very Hong Kong.

“A few years ago, when we did the W in Sydney, I’d never been there before. It was in Woolloomooloo – and a friend of mine said: ‘Do. Not. Touch. Woolloomooloo. Just don’t touch it, it’s terrible. It’s full of gangs and crime…’ But going to Sydney with new eyes, the one thing I realised was that you go west and you go east and everything is developed, but also that people also love places that are on the water. The hotel is on the water and it’s just a 10-minute walk through the most beautiful botanical gardens to the CBD. This was a pocket that was so overlooked and underdeveloped, and I think it’s the same for where we are in Wanchai.”

There's a masculinity to it — it's certainly not very feminine

Aron Harilela

As for London’s 85 rooms compared to Hong Kong’s 210, Harilela admits that “this is going to be a massive test for us. We can do it in London, but this is a bigger product, it’s our home base and it involves much more investment, because we bought the land, bought the buildings, tore them down and built this from scratch. So we have to get this right. And if we do, then our expansion plans – well, we’ll have to think it out. Can we go bigger, 320 rooms? Because that’s the next bracket where the economies of scale really make sense.”

And then, of course, there’s Covid-19 looming above everything – and, not least, the hospitality industry. “Well,” says Harilela, “you can’t open at 90 percent occupancy anyway. You start with 30 percent and then you nudge it up and you nudge it up again. So there’s only going up from here. We can’t go back down – all economies would be on their knees, so we’ll have no option but to open up the borders at some point. People are social animals. Will we be social distancing on planes? Yeah, for a little while, but once this is over I think that everything will go back to normal. I think we’ll go back to what we know best.

“All those years ago when my father built the Holiday Inn Golden Mile, it was at the end of the ’60s, the riots in Hong Kong had just happened and a lot of his external shareholders said, ‘I’m out.’ This is the first hotel I’ve ever built, and then Covid comes along and I said, ‘Come on, this can’t happen again!’”

The post Something About Hari: Aron Harilela Goes Solo appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Seated in a corner suite in The Hari, his soon-to-be-completed hotel on that indistinct border where Wanchai and Causeway Bay wash into each other, Aron Harilela looks relaxed and very much at home. The hotel’s soft opening is planned for just a few weeks away, and every one of the floors beneath us is a cacophony of rattling and whining hammer drills, clumping work boots and the clatter of planks and scaffolding. Cables dangle from ceilings and the air is a soup of concrete dust and wood shavings, but if Harilela is concerned about the progress of the first hotel bearing his eminent family’s name – or, to be more accurate, a shortened version of it – to open in his home city, he certainly doesn’t show it.

Virtually a Hong Kong dynasty, the Harilela family has been in the hospitality business for half a century, so why did it take so long for them to go the whole hog and manage their properties themselves? “For years we had one business model,” explains Harilela, “which was to either build or buy hotels, and then give them to third- party management – Holiday Inn, InterContinental, Hilton, W, etcetera. But after 45 years of doing this, the world has changed and the landscape is very different from what it was even 20 years ago. I thought that the hotel market was ripe for something different, with little niches here and there where you could place your hotel.

“So I said let’s do our own hotel, and in about 2010 we started to renovate our London property. At that point I wanted to run the hotel ourselves, but some people in the office said, ‘Listen, what are you doing? We don’t run hotels, we asset manage.’ Weirdly enough, though, my father was very much in favour of running it ourselves. To cut a long story short, we didn’t, but four years later I said, ‘Right, sorry guys, we’ve had enough, we’re going to do it ourselves.’”

The Hari Hong Kong Opens Its Doors on December 12.

After consulting with a branding company on possible names – Harilela says they considered brands based on locations, feelings and personal or family names – they eventually plumped for The Hari, a “mixture between our truncated family name and my father’s name, which resonated with us”. Also, he says, “It’s a name that can travel, it has some gravitas, you can have it in London, you can have it in Bangkok and you can have it in Hong Kong and I don’t think it’s out of place anywhere. It would have been silly to call it The Chesham – our London property’s in Chesham Place, but what does that mean anywhere else?”

Fashioned out of an existing hotel and with just 85 rooms, the London Hari is considerably smaller than its newer sibling in Hong Kong, though there are definite similarities, not least in the fact the famed designer Tara Bernerd was responsible for the interiors of both.

“When we started on the London hotel,” says Harilela, “a hotelier friend, Jason Pomerantz, said, ‘You’ve got to get Tara to do this,’ even though she’d only ever done residential properties before. I said to him, ‘She’s never done hotels, are you crazy?’ But Tara and I got on really well and we created something in London that I think really hit the mark. It’s luxurious but it’s not crazy luxurious and you really feel relaxed – you feel as if you want to come back, regularly.

“I wanted to keep that DNA, so I told Tara that she had to do all The Haris – I don’t want them to look exactly the same but there’s a masculinity to it. It’s not refined luxury and it’s certainly not very feminine.”

Ever a dapper dresser, Harilela today is clad in a bespoke suit in an especially flamboyant blue-and-grey Prince of Wales check, so it seems obvious that the hotel’s look and ambience would also reflect his personal style. “For the first project in London,” he says, “I’d literally walk into Tara’s office and say, ‘I love that tweed jacket, and those grey flannel trousers. That’s what I want to do with the hotel.’ Not only the decor and the clothing, but also in the style of the service. I’m not very poncey and formal, I’m just not. I don’t want to arrive at a restaurant and everyone’s saying, ‘Sir,’ twenty-five times – I mean, just shut up, I’m eating my food. And I’d rather chat with the staff. Maybe it isn’t casual, but it’s certainly not formal, which isn’t the easiest thing to do in Hong Kong, because people are used to that hierarchy.

“If you give me two exact-same hotels, exact-same rooms, exact-same room rates and you go downstairs and one has a buzzing bar and the other one, you go in and the guy says, ‘Er, would you like a cup of tea?’ I’d go to the one with the buzzing bar. When you see what our Japanese restaurant looks like – it’s not designed like a traditional Japanese restaurant. It’s not all bamboo and dark, we’re going to have pumping music and it’s got nothing to do with Japan or Japanese restaurants except the food. We’ve just got a chef from Matsuhisa in Aspen, and I’m so excited about it.”

Harilela isn’t the least bit fazed by the discrepancies in location between the London and Hong Kong hotels. “It doesn’t matter that the Haris in London and Hong Kong are in very different areas,” he says. “Actually, Belgravia [in London] isn’t the best place to put a hotel, because it’s very residential, it’s not that close to the City and the Tube station isn’t that close either, but we really spruced that place up and we’ve done well with it. It’s very London, though, and this is very Hong Kong.

“A few years ago, when we did the W in Sydney, I’d never been there before. It was in Woolloomooloo – and a friend of mine said: ‘Do. Not. Touch. Woolloomooloo. Just don’t touch it, it’s terrible. It’s full of gangs and crime…’ But going to Sydney with new eyes, the one thing I realised was that you go west and you go east and everything is developed, but also that people also love places that are on the water. The hotel is on the water and it’s just a 10-minute walk through the most beautiful botanical gardens to the CBD. This was a pocket that was so overlooked and underdeveloped, and I think it’s the same for where we are in Wanchai.”

There's a masculinity to it — it's certainly not very feminine

Aron Harilela

As for London’s 85 rooms compared to Hong Kong’s 210, Harilela admits that “this is going to be a massive test for us. We can do it in London, but this is a bigger product, it’s our home base and it involves much more investment, because we bought the land, bought the buildings, tore them down and built this from scratch. So we have to get this right. And if we do, then our expansion plans – well, we’ll have to think it out. Can we go bigger, 320 rooms? Because that’s the next bracket where the economies of scale really make sense.”

And then, of course, there’s Covid-19 looming above everything – and, not least, the hospitality industry. “Well,” says Harilela, “you can’t open at 90 percent occupancy anyway. You start with 30 percent and then you nudge it up and you nudge it up again. So there’s only going up from here. We can’t go back down – all economies would be on their knees, so we’ll have no option but to open up the borders at some point. People are social animals. Will we be social distancing on planes? Yeah, for a little while, but once this is over I think that everything will go back to normal. I think we’ll go back to what we know best.

“All those years ago when my father built the Holiday Inn Golden Mile, it was at the end of the ’60s, the riots in Hong Kong had just happened and a lot of his external shareholders said, ‘I’m out.’ This is the first hotel I’ve ever built, and then Covid comes along and I said, ‘Come on, this can’t happen again!’”

The post Something About Hari: Aron Harilela Goes Solo appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Seated in a corner suite in The Hari, his soon-to-be-completed hotel on that indistinct border where Wanchai and Causeway Bay wash into each other, Aron Harilela looks relaxed and very much at home. The hotel’s soft opening is planned for just a few weeks away, and every one of the floors beneath us is a cacophony of rattling and whining hammer drills, clumping work boots and the clatter of planks and scaffolding. Cables dangle from ceilings and the air is a soup of concrete dust and wood shavings, but if Harilela is concerned about the progress of the first hotel bearing his eminent family’s name – or, to be more accurate, a shortened version of it – to open in his home city, he certainly doesn’t show it.

Virtually a Hong Kong dynasty, the Harilela family has been in the hospitality business for half a century, so why did it take so long for them to go the whole hog and manage their properties themselves? “For years we had one business model,” explains Harilela, “which was to either build or buy hotels, and then give them to third- party management – Holiday Inn, InterContinental, Hilton, W, etcetera. But after 45 years of doing this, the world has changed and the landscape is very different from what it was even 20 years ago. I thought that the hotel market was ripe for something different, with little niches here and there where you could place your hotel.

“So I said let’s do our own hotel, and in about 2010 we started to renovate our London property. At that point I wanted to run the hotel ourselves, but some people in the office said, ‘Listen, what are you doing? We don’t run hotels, we asset manage.’ Weirdly enough, though, my father was very much in favour of running it ourselves. To cut a long story short, we didn’t, but four years later I said, ‘Right, sorry guys, we’ve had enough, we’re going to do it ourselves.’”

The Hari Hong Kong Opens Its Doors on December 12.

After consulting with a branding company on possible names – Harilela says they considered brands based on locations, feelings and personal or family names – they eventually plumped for The Hari, a “mixture between our truncated family name and my father’s name, which resonated with us”. Also, he says, “It’s a name that can travel, it has some gravitas, you can have it in London, you can have it in Bangkok and you can have it in Hong Kong and I don’t think it’s out of place anywhere. It would have been silly to call it The Chesham – our London property’s in Chesham Place, but what does that mean anywhere else?”

Fashioned out of an existing hotel and with just 85 rooms, the London Hari is considerably smaller than its newer sibling in Hong Kong, though there are definite similarities, not least in the fact the famed designer Tara Bernerd was responsible for the interiors of both.

“When we started on the London hotel,” says Harilela, “a hotelier friend, Jason Pomerantz, said, ‘You’ve got to get Tara to do this,’ even though she’d only ever done residential properties before. I said to him, ‘She’s never done hotels, are you crazy?’ But Tara and I got on really well and we created something in London that I think really hit the mark. It’s luxurious but it’s not crazy luxurious and you really feel relaxed – you feel as if you want to come back, regularly.

“I wanted to keep that DNA, so I told Tara that she had to do all The Haris – I don’t want them to look exactly the same but there’s a masculinity to it. It’s not refined luxury and it’s certainly not very feminine.”

Ever a dapper dresser, Harilela today is clad in a bespoke suit in an especially flamboyant blue-and-grey Prince of Wales check, so it seems obvious that the hotel’s look and ambience would also reflect his personal style. “For the first project in London,” he says, “I’d literally walk into Tara’s office and say, ‘I love that tweed jacket, and those grey flannel trousers. That’s what I want to do with the hotel.’ Not only the decor and the clothing, but also in the style of the service. I’m not very poncey and formal, I’m just not. I don’t want to arrive at a restaurant and everyone’s saying, ‘Sir,’ twenty-five times – I mean, just shut up, I’m eating my food. And I’d rather chat with the staff. Maybe it isn’t casual, but it’s certainly not formal, which isn’t the easiest thing to do in Hong Kong, because people are used to that hierarchy.

“If you give me two exact-same hotels, exact-same rooms, exact-same room rates and you go downstairs and one has a buzzing bar and the other one, you go in and the guy says, ‘Er, would you like a cup of tea?’ I’d go to the one with the buzzing bar. When you see what our Japanese restaurant looks like – it’s not designed like a traditional Japanese restaurant. It’s not all bamboo and dark, we’re going to have pumping music and it’s got nothing to do with Japan or Japanese restaurants except the food. We’ve just got a chef from Matsuhisa in Aspen, and I’m so excited about it.”

Harilela isn’t the least bit fazed by the discrepancies in location between the London and Hong Kong hotels. “It doesn’t matter that the Haris in London and Hong Kong are in very different areas,” he says. “Actually, Belgravia [in London] isn’t the best place to put a hotel, because it’s very residential, it’s not that close to the City and the Tube station isn’t that close either, but we really spruced that place up and we’ve done well with it. It’s very London, though, and this is very Hong Kong.

“A few years ago, when we did the W in Sydney, I’d never been there before. It was in Woolloomooloo – and a friend of mine said: ‘Do. Not. Touch. Woolloomooloo. Just don’t touch it, it’s terrible. It’s full of gangs and crime…’ But going to Sydney with new eyes, the one thing I realised was that you go west and you go east and everything is developed, but also that people also love places that are on the water. The hotel is on the water and it’s just a 10-minute walk through the most beautiful botanical gardens to the CBD. This was a pocket that was so overlooked and underdeveloped, and I think it’s the same for where we are in Wanchai.”

There's a masculinity to it — it's certainly not very feminine

Aron Harilela

As for London’s 85 rooms compared to Hong Kong’s 210, Harilela admits that “this is going to be a massive test for us. We can do it in London, but this is a bigger product, it’s our home base and it involves much more investment, because we bought the land, bought the buildings, tore them down and built this from scratch. So we have to get this right. And if we do, then our expansion plans – well, we’ll have to think it out. Can we go bigger, 320 rooms? Because that’s the next bracket where the economies of scale really make sense.”

And then, of course, there’s Covid-19 looming above everything – and, not least, the hospitality industry. “Well,” says Harilela, “you can’t open at 90 percent occupancy anyway. You start with 30 percent and then you nudge it up and you nudge it up again. So there’s only going up from here. We can’t go back down – all economies would be on their knees, so we’ll have no option but to open up the borders at some point. People are social animals. Will we be social distancing on planes? Yeah, for a little while, but once this is over I think that everything will go back to normal. I think we’ll go back to what we know best.

“All those years ago when my father built the Holiday Inn Golden Mile, it was at the end of the ’60s, the riots in Hong Kong had just happened and a lot of his external shareholders said, ‘I’m out.’ This is the first hotel I’ve ever built, and then Covid comes along and I said, ‘Come on, this can’t happen again!’”

The post Something About Hari: Aron Harilela Goes Solo appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

As one of the city’s favourite five-star hotels, W Hong Kong offers staycation packages with an unforgettable sea view.

W Hong Kong first opened its doors in 2008, and has remained one of the city’s most stylish destinations for stays, parties, and beauty treatments. Featuring a total of 351 guest rooms and 42 suites, the hotel occupies the first 25 floors of the Sun Hung Kai Properties-owned Cullinan II.

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Location: 8/10

Perched just above luxury shopping mall Elements and commercial skyscraper International Commerce Centre (ICC), W Hong Kong is only a mere lift ride down to a wide collection of restaurants, boutiques, a cinema, as well as an ice-skating rink. What’s more, Central, a happening area with lifestyle stores, designer stores and eateries, is only one MTR station away.

Design: 8/10

Conceptualised by Yasumichi Morita of Japan’s Glamorous and Nic Graham of g+a in Australia, the stylish and contemporary hotel is is designed to resemble an upscale urban jungle, with guest rooms designed in eight different styles and equipped with breathtaking views of Hong Kong's skyline.

Ambience: 8/10

Famed for its party scenes at one of the highest rooftop swimming pools in the world, the ambience at W Hong Kong is upbeat and uplifting. Its pool is perched on the 76th floor and is a calming and relaxing spot when it's not surrounded by festivity. During our stay, we saw mostly families and couples taking a dip in the recently reopened pool, which had been closed for almost two months (no thanks to Covid).

Rooms: 8/10

The rooms, separated into 351 guest rooms and 42 suites, all offer stunning harbour views for guests to relax and unwind. Our room, the Fantastic Suite, featured a cosy king-size bed with high end in-room entertainment, Bliss bath products and a walk-in rain shower, while biodegradable amenities added an eco touch to the bathroom design.

Service & Facilities: 10/10

As the world faces an unprecedented health crisis that has left most of us overwhelmed with stress and uncertainty, it’s crucial that we keep our mind, body, and wellbeing in check. W Hong Kong has recently launched a Fuel Fix Staycation package which includes a 30-minute ‘Vital Dome Infratherapy’ at the award-winning Bliss spa for a head-to-toe detox. The Vital Dome Infratherapy treatment features four built-in programmes that target different needs — from preventing insomnia and fatigue to metabolism stimulation, slimming to speed up physical recovery. Wind down in the peaceful dome-shaped environment featuring an advanced black carbon far-infrared technology for optimal results. Indulge in fresh smoothies, healthy nibbles and cocktails (which they will bring to your room) after melting your stress away.

Food & Drink: 7/10

W Hong Kong is also home to Sing Yin Cantonese Restaurant, which is known for its delicate dim sum and traditional delicacies. In view of the restrictions, guests can now reserve a glass or two world-class cocktails from the Woobar in their rooms for a more intimate experience.

Rates: Fuel Fix Staycation Starting at HK$2,200+10% per night. Prices for penthouse options require a quote depending on dates. The price may vary depending on availability and season. Current room packages can be found here.

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Fifty metres underground — this is the depth that local winemakers chose when they decided to store 10,000 wine bottles in the Aven d'Orgnac caves, an underground tourist attraction located at the southern end of the limestone plateau of the Gorges de l'Ardèche.

The experiment began in March 2018, when a new storage facility was specially created in a disused access tunnel to allow wine to mature in what amounts to a highly stable and peaceful environment.

A living product that ages best in undisturbed darkness, the wine will have benefited from ideal conditions: A constant temperature of around 12°C and an all-year-long rate of humidity of over 95%.

On December 12, 1,000 bottles of Côtes du Vivarais "Grand Aven 2017" from this treasure trove will be passed from hand to hand by a chain of human volunteers who will bring them back to the surface after two years underground. Thereafter, they will go under the hammer with a range of other local vintages in an auction with modest reserve prices.

Lots on offer will include 150 magnums of Terra Helvorum 2017 starting at 30 euros, 350 bottles of 2015 Terra Helvorum for as little as 15 euros and 350 bottles of Grand Aven 2016 from just 10 euros.

On land and sea

These days, experiments to store wine deep underground are very much in vogue in France. On June 3 of this year, 500 bottles were placed in racks at a depth of 103 metres in caves in Padirac under the watchful eye of Serge Dubs, the Best Sommelier of the World in 1989.

The first of these to return to the surface will be brought up for an initial tasting in the spring of 2021. And let's not forget that this experiment is focused on a very particular wine: A Clos Triguedina Cahors, christened Cuvée Probus, which has been produced to honour the 130-year anniversary of the Padirac Chasm.

Surprisingly enough, this new approach to maturing wine was initially inspired by a find at sea. In 2010, divers in the Baltic discovered a wreck containing what turned out to be a cargo of champagne, which was probably on its way to 1840s Russia.

The wave of experimentation that is now ongoing began when the bubbly, which was made by such houses as Veuve Clicquot, Heidsieck and the now defunct Juglar, was discovered to still be delicious after some 170 years under water.

In Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the French Basque country, winemaker Emmanuel Poirmeur has registered a patent for a process that involves vinifying wine in special vats at a depth of 15 metres under water. For its part, Leclerc-Briant set a record when it vinified one of its champagnes at a depth of 60 meters under the Atlantic in 2012, not surprisingly the vintage was christened "Abyss."

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As one of the city's favourite luxury boutique hotels, The Upper House hasn't aged a day.

The Upper House, which was the first Swire Hotels property in Hong Kong, has remained one of the city's stylish destinations for stays, events, food and drink, from the day it first opened its doors in October 2009. Featuring a total of 117 rooms, including 21 suites and 2 penthouses, the hotel reaches impressive heights (with 49 floors) in hospitality.

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Location: 10/10

Perched just above luxury shopping mall Pacific Place, The Upper House not only enjoys the connivence of the centrally-located Admiralty district, but it's also a mere lift ride down to a good collection of restaurants, bars and designer stores, as well as a cinema. What's more, nestled just behind Wan Chai (and walkable distance) is the neighbourly Starstreet precinct, a happening area with lifestyle stores, boutiques and eateries to explore. Plus if you're going to and from Central, then you can opt to walk, board a tram or a taxi.

Design: 10/10

The chic and contemporary hotel was designed by Hong Kong architect André Fu. It was the first hotel design project in which helped propel his career, making him one of Asia's most sought after design talents today. For The Upper House, his concept was to bring a relaxed and modern luxury to the interior, combining Asian influences with timeless design that hasn't aged, and gracefully resulted in a very calming atmosphere in a seriously good looking and refined space, filled with natural materials and subtle lighting.

Ambience: 9/10

Owing mostly to the calming design concept, the serene ambience at The Upper House is supremely zen. The upward journey from the entrance's escalators, towards The Lawn and lounge area, creates a sense of what's to come. The hotel is tempered with repose, setting a peaceful tone as if to make breathing space away from the hustle and bustle of the city below. During our stay, we saw mostly young couples and individuals, while the restaurant during breakfast was occupied by more business folk.

Rooms: 10/10

The rooms, separated into four different categories, range from Studio 70, Studio 80, Upper Suites and Penthouse Suites. Our room, a Studio 70, offered stunning harbour views that seem to slow time down. The spacious studio, about 730 sq. ft. (68 sq. metres), features a comfortable king-size bed which lays low enough for you to continue cloud watching even when horizontal. Over in the spa-inspired bathroom, a gorgeous limestone-clad bathtub makes the room extra special. While a walk-in rain shower, dressing area and amenities add touches of luxury also.

Service & Facilities: 9/10

The luxury service begins the moment a House BMW comes to pick you up from your designated pick up point. Upon entering the hotel, no paper forms need to be filled out and check-in is completed in record timing, before you're escorted to your room to relax, where thoughtfully prepared gifts (such as a leather garment bag and magazines) are laid out for you to discover. Moreover, a selection of chocolates, snacks and fresh popcorn (which they will bring to your room) is available while you watch movies on demand. Other facilities and services at the hotel include a well-equipped gym (not open during our stay), a lawn area for yoga classes, and in room spa treatments.

Food & Drink: 9/10

There may only be one restaurant at The Upper House, but with great modern European dining, and champagne and cocktails available at Café Gray Deluxe, there's almost no reason to leave the hotel at all. There's also The Upper House's grassy lawn area which is a fantastic spot for a picnic and drinks in good weather. During our stay, it's also a great space to take your coffee and cookies, courtesy of the Cookie DPT's pop up, to enjoy. In the evening, however, is when you'll be able to dine at The Nightery, an elevated and intimate in-room dining experience that transforms one of the Upper Suites and services it with a dinner by Chef de Cuisine Krzysztof Czerwinski and drinks with full service. This experience was one of the highlights during our staycation, and one I would like very much like to experience again.

Rates: start from HK$3,900/night for a Studio 70 room with island view and HK$4,500 with harbour view, to HK$18,000/night for the Upper Suite with harbour view. Prices for penthouse options require a quote depending on dates. The price may vary depending on availability and season. Current room packages can be found here.

Rating: 9.5/10

Perfect for: a staycation in understated luxury with thoughtful service that makes you feel at home.

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The new hotel, which is set to open in Winter 2020, is the second hotel to open under the independent hospitality brand The Hari.

As Hong Kong's hospitality scene gets excited at the prospect of welcoming a new hotel opening, others are, well, just a tad surprised as to why one would open during the current economic climate, a direct result of the global pandemic.

We took a moment for a quick chat with the man of the hour himself, Dr. Aron Harilela Chairman and CEO of Harilela Hotels Ltd., to find out why and what we can expect from the new hotel.

"Of course it is a difficult time to open right now," says Harilela. "However, I am confident in Hong Kong. We will take this quiet period in the hospitality industry to get everything perfect in the hotel. It always takes time for training people into The Hari style, and it takes time to test all the equipment. We will be very ready when the market picks up again."

[caption id="attachment_209462" align="alignnone" width="1194"] Image: The Hari Hong Kong[/caption]

Location

Situated in bustling Wan Chai, the hotel is in the middle of a metropolitan area filled with commercial and residential buildings, but sits on the somewhat quieter end of Lockhart Road. It is also in close proximity to a wealth of bars and restaurants that breathe life into the neighbour.

On his belief that Hong Kong will, no doubt, bounce back, Harilela is also confident in the foundations of his brand. "We have a very good team that has been in the hotel industry all their careers and have much experience spanning all aspects of the hotel -- finance, operations, real estate and legal, he says. "I am also very confident in the location; we are walking distance from the convention centre which also is planned for expansion. With such foundations, I am confident we will do very well and am very much looking forward to opening."

[caption id="attachment_209461" align="alignnone" width="1241"] Image: The Hari Hong Kong[/caption]

Rooms and Design

The Hari Hong Kong is the second hotel from the group, with the first being The Hari London, which opened in August 2016. And how do they differ? "In essence it is the same," explains Harilela. "They have the same DNA, the same styling, the same threads that run through both of them... The personalisation of service is what characterises The Hari."

For the hotel's interior, Harilela brought in acclaimed British designer, Tara Bernerd, who has worked on a host of luxury hotels around the world including Four Seasons, Sixty Hotels and Equinox Hotels groups.

At The Hari Hong Kong, which comprises 210 guest rooms, three signature rooftop suites showcase a layered approach in design. It is an interior concept inspired by Harilela's own layered tailoring and style, in which guests can expect a modern, but clean, aesthetic in the rooms where plush textures meet contemporary shapes over a warm, inviting colour palette, while luxurious marble bathrooms are fitted with walk-in rainforest showers.

"The only difference will be that The Hari Hong Kong will be a larger property." (as The Hari London has 85 rooms).

[caption id="attachment_209459" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Image: The Hari Hong Kong[/caption]

Restaurants and Bars

With two restaurants, Italian and Japanese, and two bars including a large terrace bar, The Hari Hong Kong aims to be more than just a hotel, and rather a social space.

The Japanese restaurant, named Zoku (meaning clan in Japanese), will offer robata grilled dishes, tempura and sushi. Its dining area will be filled with angled booth seating, bar lounge seating and a terrace bar. Here, a soft palette of pink will give way to khaki velvet banquettes, patterned fabrics and sculptural furniture.

Meanwhile, Lucciola is made for comforting Italian cuisine in a relaxed yet refined space. Offering regional classics on the menu, the Italian restaurant will also feature a bright and bold palette of ambers and green, in which timber, polished plaster, and artwork, line the walls.

The Harilela Group

Established in 1959, The Harilela Group is a wholly owned company by the Hong Kong-based Harilela family. As the parent company of Harilela Hotels, the group owns a total of 15 properties across Hong Kong, China, Asia, Europe, and America.

All images are renderings provided by the The Hari Hong Kong.

The post What You Need to Know About New Hotel The Hari Hong Kong appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's ever-changing dining scene is constantly evolving.

So much so, that it can get a little difficult to keep track of it all, let alone remember to book and try the new restaurants that have caught your eye. From brand new concepts to fresh venues and additional locations, here is our guide to seven of Hong Kong's most promising new restaurants to try right now.

Well, what are you waiting for...

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