Welcome to wonderland
The more I travel and the older I get, the more jaded I am about where to stay.
There are nice hotels and posh hotels, but there are hotels that are an experience all their own.
Some people view hotels as a place to sleep and park their things. Some people choose hotels based on price or location. Me, I like hotels that offer something out of the ordinary, a place you would enjoy staying in just as much as going out to explore.
It was my first time to stay at a W Hotel. I’ve heard of it as a chain of luxury boutique hotels in the US, so the thought of it coming closer to home in Hong Kong sounded very exciting.
A product launch hosted by La Prairie of Switzerland brought me to this place. Launches and events are part of the regular programming here.
Last week alone the hotel continued their ”We Wuv Warhol” exhibition and hosted an art discussion featuring Chinese contemporary artist Zhou Yi and film director Oliver Stone.
While I was there I became aware of Kylie Minogue and her entourage occupying 25 rooms in The W, which sponsored the Hong Kong stop of her KYLIEX2008 tour. This explained all the hip people walking in and out of the elevators.
Opened last August, W Hong Kong features designs by Australian firm g+a (nicholas graham + associates) and renowned Japanese design house Glamorous on alternate floors and individual spaces.
Some of the more memorable sights for me were the LCD screen at the welcome desk, created by American video installation artist Jennifer Steinkamp, and the quirky, faux bookcases with Margielic white objects camouflaging the path to the elevator.
The room I had was modern, minimal and clean. More importantly, I love the bathroom! My standards for bathrooms are very high, and this one gets an A+.
I have to admit the room and hotel’s features seemed a bit too techie for the average person—this coming from a fairly techie person.
So a less-techie person may be intimidated or frustrated trying to work out a new kind of elevator system, room key, flat-screen TV and Internet connection.
These come with no instructions, so either you figure it out or press “Whatever/Whenever®” on the phone service to connect you to a person who will help you with whatever you need—from a lighter to private jet service—“as long as it’s legal!”
Located on Austin Road, Kowloon, it’s not quite in the center of Hong Kong shopping, but there’s a newly opened luxury mall called Elements connected to The W.
Alternately a free shuttle leaves every 30 minutes to drop off guests at the touristy Harbour City mall and nearby stops like Nathan Road.
W Hong Kong is also conveniently connected to the Kowloon Station, so subway rides are just a walk away.
Besides the fabulous rooms and common areas, The W also features Hong Kong’s highest swimming pool, an 896-square-meter Bliss spa, a W-style Living Room bar where guest DJs spin regularly, and two dining destinations called Fire and Kitchen.
From now until Jan. 30, 2009, the W Hong Kong offers special rates ranging from HK$1650 for a 40-square-meter Wonderful Room to HK$1,750 to 1,850 + 10 percent service charge for a Fabulous Room.
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For more information visit www.whotels.com/hongkong.
