36 IHong Kong hotels
JUNE (^2016) businesstraveller.asia
surprised when they do.“It doesn’t feel like Hong Kong
to frequent travellers, yet it’s not that far away from the
centre. On the bus, it’s two stops to Causeway Bay, but
we’re also close to [picturesque beachside area] Stanley,”
he says. Southside’s corner room overlooking Ocean
Park and Deepwater Bay is one of its most popular,
while the corner deluxe with coffee table and sofa gives
business travellers a bit more space to spread out.
Carry on along the main road and you reach the
one-time fishing village of Aberdeen, where trawlers
moor when they’re not fishing the South China Sea.
These days the whole area is surrounded by residential
high-rises, but Ovolo has another hotel in the area,
Ovolo Aberdeen Harbour(ovolohotels.com), which
like Southside has a 24-hour gym and flexible
check-in/out – and Aberdeen’s town centre is compact,
easygoing, and well connected to all the city’s main
districts by a plethora of buses.
Heading west towards Pokfulam is the Cyberport
mixed-use,“creative digital cluster”complex. Here
you’ll findLe Meridien Cyberport(starwoodhotels.
com/lemeridien), where the PSI bar is a great spot
for watching the sun set over the South China Sea
with a pint of locally brewed Gweilo ale, according
to marketing communications manager Connie Tam.
Those concerned about Hong Kong’s air pollution can
book into one of the hotel’s 20 Pure rooms, whose air
purifiers and hypoallergenic bedding give comfort to
asthma and allergy sufferers. Another health-related
concept is the recent changing of minibar contents,
which forego the Ferrero Rochers and Pringles for
healthy organic snacks.
Cyberport is home to big IT names including IBM
and Microsoft, and the hotel is popular with those
looking to host team-building activities in a resort
environment, with coffee-making classes among the
options, says Tam. With bohemian Lamma Island just
30 minutes away by boat (from Aberdeen), business
travellers with a free window could even kick back at a
beachside bar before returning to the airport.Q
Finally, on Kowloon City Road near the entrance
to the old Kai Tak airport,Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees
(harbour-plaza.com) offers serviced suites from its
location in To Kwa Wan, as well as a free shuttle bus to
Hung Hom and Tsim Sha Tsui.
HONG KONG ISLAND SOUTH
We now hop across the harbour to Hong Kong Island,
but instead of the crowded north shore, our route takes
us through the 1.9km-long Aberdeen Tunnel to Wong
Chuk Hang, location of the marine-themed Ocean
Park and another fast-growing district, filled with
old factory buildings that are being refurbished and
upgraded alongside new-build tower blocks like One
Island South. The neighbourhood is gearing up for the
arrival of the South Island MTR line this December,
when Wong Chuk Hang will connect to Admiralty in
four minutes.
Here you will findOvolo Southside(ovolohotels.
com) on the left andL’hotel Island South
(lhotelislandsouth.com) on the right. Both hotels
are popular with fashion retail corporates as luxury
department store Lane Crawford has a showroom
and home store in One Island South. L’hotel’s Chung
says,“Guests can go hiking in Aberdeen Country Park
or visit the Aberdeen fishing village nearby, while
shopping hub Times Square is only a 15-minute bus
ride away. L’hotel Island South is not like a city hotel
- it’s an oasis with views of lush green slopes and a
tranquil atmosphere.”
A converted warehouse where raw concrete and
exposed pipes are part of the design, hip property
Ovolo Southside is currently hosting the Mojo Nomad
initiative, which provides local and international
start-ups with a co-working space in its Lo Lounge
and affordable room rates in partnership with start-up
incubator Nest.
General manager Tim Alpes admits that one of its
biggest challenges is getting people to make the trip
through the tunnel, but says that they are pleasantly
From left:Ovolo
Southside; L’hotel
Island South