EAST Hong Kong

In a neighborhood often missed by travelers, EAST Hong Kong is a sleek luxury hotel for people who care about more than a 24/7 concierge or a pillow menu. Geared to the iPad generation, this hotel has a tech-friendly sensibility mixed with old-fashioned, spot-on service.

Little details in all of the 345 guestrooms set EAST Hong Kong apart. There are free tea, water and a never-ending jar of Mentos in each room (a surprisingly delightful treat before bedtime). Some have views of Hong Kong that rival those of multimillion-dollar apartments downtown. All bathrooms offer Elemis spa toiletries as well as rainfall showerheads.

An in-room iPod Touch holds all the hotel’s information, and the flat-screen TV is hidden behind a sliding image of Victoria Harbor; it’s accompanied by adapters and cords to connect to your laptop. Any gadget guru will feel comfortable here.

Most of the hotel’s amenities play off the hotel’s name. Beast is the 24-hour gym and juice bar. Feast, run by chef Davis Laris (famous for Shanghai’s Laris at Three on the Bund) is an all-day café that serves Asian and Western food.

Breaking the trend is Sugar, the hotel’s chic rooftop bar. The well-crafted menu has cocktails like the Airmail, a concoction of white rum, lime, lychee and prosecco, and small and big bites from the kitchen at Feast. The drinks aren’t cheap, but when you’re sitting back on Sugar’s stylish sofas, enjoying the 180-degree view of Hong Kong as the sun sets over the harbor, you won’t mind. Like the rest of the hotel, Sugar has its priorities straight: stellar service and a stylish attitude.

Check availability for EAST Hong Kong: Booking.com | Hotels.com | Expedia | Agoda | HotelsCombined‎ or see what others think on TripAdvisor.

Getting there:
Emirates (www.emirates.com), Cathay Pacific (cathaypacific.com) and Virgin (virgin-atlantic.com) all operate flights to Hong Kong from major international cities. It’s also worth checking out other airlines such as Air France, Etihad, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, KLM, and Singapore Airlines.

Review in large parts by Jessica Beaton, courtesy of Jetsetter.com.

in our opinion

Located in the TaiKoo business district on Hong Kong Island’s north side, EAST Hotel has a stylish, tech-friendly sensibility.

The Converse-clad, English-speaking staff makes the paperless check-in easy, and in-room killer views, up-to-date electronics and a bottomless jar of Mentos remind guests that they’ll be well taken care of.

What we love

• Relaxed yet upscale vibe that caters to a younger crowd;
• Sleek interior design aesthetics;
• Book a harbor corner room. Surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass windows the room offers simply astounding views!
• Panoramic views of Hong Kong are offered from other rooms too, and particularly pleasant space from which to enjoy them is the hotel bar, Sugar;
• Proximity to the efficient metro. The station is virtually right outside the hotel door.

What you should know

• It’s about 20 minutes to the popular Central district, which is also our favorite for hanging out. Do try exploring Kowloon too—although developing fast, in many ways it is still a more authentic side of HK.
• Although rooms are on the small side, the layout and extras ensure you won’t miss the square footage;
• Cell reception in the hotel can be spotty;
• Expect to see lots of business travelers;
• Perks include free WiFi, tea, a 24-hour gym, and an outdoor swimming pool.