Rosewood Hong Kong and The St Regis Hong Kong add a sense of place to stays in the city through stylish design and delicious cuisine.
With all pandemic restrictions dropped and borders opened, Hong Kong, the city of ever-lit neon lights, delectable dim sum and better-than-ever fine dining is back in business. For stylish stays with a sense of place, the Rosewood Hong Kong and The St. Regis Hong Kong are the epitomes of home, storied by tales of resilience through protest and pandemic.
The 413-key Rosewood Hong Kong, located in the vibrant Victoria Dockside cultural district, is steeped in artistic vibes yet firmly planted in heritage. It is owned by the illustrious Cheng family, whose late patriarch Cheng Yu-tung made his fortune mostly through jewellery and real estate businesses.
The city’s colourful mien is locally captured in framed prints and paintings alongside art pieces by international artists, creating the feel of a private home gallery as one walks through the hotel corridors. Snuggle down at night in the spacious, cosy guestrooms, the best of which are the suites overlooking Victoria Harbour. All 91 suites are serviced by a butler.
Rosewood’s eight bars and restaurants are a reflection of the city’s dedication to feed people well, coupled with stunning floor-to-ceiling harbour views in every space. Among its gems are one-Michelin starred Indian restaurant Chaat, which serves street food fit for royalty with flavours authentic to the last fiery dollop of pork cheek vindaloo, and Cantonese restaurant The Legacy House, which serves flawlessly executed Cantonese dim sum, roast meats, and rice and noodle dishes. Cocktail bar Darkside, ranked 49 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list, may be a nod to Kowloon’s historical moniker but its daily live jazz performances, well-balanced tipples, and an extensive library of premium rum, whisky and calvados will lighten up any night out.
Discreet Luxury
The beauty of the 129-room St Regis Hong Kong is its discreet presence in Wan Chai among mom-and-pop eateries and shops, high-rise office buildings and a growing presence of fine-dining restaurants. Hong Kong architect and interior designer André Fu has thoughtfully blended the original St Regis New York’s stately residential atmosphere with nostalgic vestiges of Hong Kong’s history, creating a contemporary residential haven.
In the rooms, art tomes and pieces on open shelves and deep soaking tubs in marble-clad bathrooms with bronze accents evoke a sense of home with floor-to-ceiling windows offering glittering city and harbour views. Butler service is just a WhatsApp message away and the staff are always happy to share their favourite foodie haunts and shops in the neighbourhood.
Two Michelin-starred L’Envol offers top-notch French cuisine served as tasting menus, including the caviar-themed Prestige. The flavours and plating are refined, the service is stellar, and every meal ends with the ultimate happiness expressed in a trolley of mignardises. One Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant Rùn is equally adept at the classics as it is with special items such as dishes made with Ping Yuen chicken, which is raised without hormone, steroids or antibiotic injections in the city’s northern New Territories. The St. Regis Bar’s signature Bloody Mary is expressed as a “Canto Mary” with a secret recipe of local spices, tangerine peel, and locally produced soy sauce while afternoon tea in the main dining area, The Drawing Room, is served on a trolley in the traditional way.