Business Times - 04 Apr 2009
Lasting impressions
No matter how often you've been to Hong Kong, you'll still be wowed by its ample shopping opportunities, top-class restaurants and, above all, its daringly different lifestyle hotels. By Corinne Kerk
A FRIEND once explained how living in Hong Kong had changed him. When he first arrived, he said, he would hold the lift doors open if he saw someone rushing in. 'But after a while, I was like everyone else - punching the 'close' button as hard as I could!'
Yes, it's easy to pick up such every-man-for-himself moves in this super-charged city. But given its fast-paced lifestyle, being a bit more aggressive can actually come in rather handy - especially when you're a visitor with very little time to spare. Hong Kong has all the buzz - food and fun, shopping, entertainment and nightlife. And the sheer number of hip joints in existence - sometimes in the unlikeliest of places - constantly tempts you to part with large sums of money very quickly, even when it seems politically incorrect to do so.
If you're not the type to let gloomy economic forecasts hold you back, you're in for a blast. On a recent trip, we were introduced to Ooi Botos Gallery (5 Gresson Street, Wanchai), a cool art gallery focusing on contemporary photography, video and installation, and co-owned by the intelligent and energetic Joanne Ooi - formerly creative director at luxury Chinese fashion brand Shanghai Tang.
With the aim of raising awareness about art - especially the more challenging forms - artists on its list include Singaporeans Tay Wei Leng and Sean Lee, while its current exhibit features photographic prints created by Beijing-based Chen Zhuo and Huang Keyi. The tongue-in-cheek works are infused with elements of subversion and cynicism, even as they take on a celebratory, patriotic tone with hundreds of doppelgangers in souped-up, synthesised settings in modern China.
True to its guerrilla style of introducing contemporary art, the gallery is located behind a red, origami-like fibreglass facade, amid a row of market stalls selling fruit, toys and all manner of kitschy knick-knacks.
Of course, quality art, however witty, may not be everyone's cup of tea, while a good bargain always is. That's why folks head to one of the many warehouse/outlet shopping spots in Hong Kong. The list is long, ranging from premium labels to mass market ones like Esprit and sports brands such as Nike and Adidas. A good bet is Horizon Plaza (2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau), where you can check out - warehouse-style - previous seasons' offerings from fashion labels such as Armani, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Paul Smith, Max Mara as well as those carried by the upmarket Joyce Boutique and Lane Crawford.
There are also home and kitchen accessories, children's products and food and wine outlets in the building. And nearby is the Prada and Miu Miu outlet store (2/F, Marina Square, East Commercial Block, South Horizons, Aberdeen).
Obviously, there is plenty of great Cantonese cuisine in the Fragrant Harbour, but we also enjoyed popping by Classified Mozzarella Bar (31 Wing Fung Street) - right next to the Les Amis Group's new Hong Kong restaurant, Cepage - for a simple but delicious selection of mozzarella cheese served alongside arugula leaves and tomato stuffed with mashed tuna, then drizzled with a spicy dressing. All that was nicely washed down with a good bottle of wine.
At night, hip venues like Sevva (25th floor, Prince's Building, 10 Chater Road, Central), as well as The Pawn (62 Johnston Road, Wanchai), are safe bets if you want to hang around the trendy executive crowd.
But most importantly, there is no shortage of lifestyle hotels in which to rest your weary head. One of the latest to open in Hong Kong is the hip W Hotel (1 Austin Road West, Kowloon Station, Kowloon). Its slogan, 'Whatever, Whenever' reflects its playful, can-do attitude, which was established some 10 years ago when the first W opened in New York. A similar vibe can be found in its 393-room luxury, waterfront Hong Kong establishment, where there's lots of energy, cleverly conceived artworks, cutting-edge design, whimsical touches and pulsating music. Some would call it a sensory overload in a surreal environment, but W considers this quirky mix an integral part of the DNA that adds to its 'wow' factor.
You step into lifts with floors displaying moving digital images and check in at a counter whose backdrop is a dazzling video work featuring gently swaying vines. The normally boring wait for the lift on the guestroom floor becomes a rather amusing exercise of 'search for the call button' as it is set amid bookshelves with fake books and intriguing decorative items.
In fact, the hotel is filled with all sorts of interesting distractions, many of which play on your sense of proportion - a giant mosquito perches on a massive tree-like column, while 'butterflies' flit across ceilings and walls. A life-sized horse is made up of speakers while another is crafted out of mannequin parts; a wall in one of its restaurants is decorated with funny little 'hooks' in all kinds of shapes, and a Mao silhouette holds his little red book with a 'W' on it as he towers over Hong Kong's major buildings in the foreground.
One imagines W's unconventional style will not make it the hotel of choice for your typical uncle, auntie, or even staid businessman. But they'll still approve of its spa. Run by the New York-based Bliss, it enjoys a lofty perch on the 72nd floor, from where you get breathtaking views of Victoria Harbour and nearby luxury condos - including The Arch, whose penthouse apparently sold for a top price of HK$41,000 psf, the most expensive apartment per square foot ever, in Asia.
The biggest 'wow' factor - literally and figuratively - is in the hotel's 2,160 sq ft Extreme Wow Suite (which others call their Presidential Suite) on the 38th floor. Here, a Swarovski crystal-studded toilet bowl, LED-lit black glass dining table, aquarium, spa tub the size of a wading pool, walk-in wardrobe with mock croc wallpaper, mirrored walls and glittering shower-cum-steam room, are all yours to savour for HK$45,000 a night. This is a cheeky, over-the-top suite that's more rock star than CEO - but then, again this is the W, not The Westin.
It helps that the hotel is located in the up-and-coming West Kowloon area - slated to be the new financial and cultural district - which boasts spectacular harbour views, and is directly linked to the label-lined Elements luxury mall, MTR station and Airport Express. Based on current promotional rates, a night at the W will set you back at least HK$2,000 for an entry-level standard room - which is, incidentally, quite generous at 430 sq ft, and comes complete with plush bedding and hi-tech fittings, including a flat screen TV in front of your bathtub.
For those on a short visit, Hong Kong may not bring out the aggression in you, but it's quite likely to leave your wallet considerably lighter.
· The writer was a guest of W Hong Kong, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon Station, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel:-(852)-3717-2222.
website:www.whotels.com/hongkong
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