The Upper House Hong Kong Review

Hong Kong is a city which TLE knows well and its fast pace energises us each and every time we visit, but getting away from the buzz of the city is equally as important and on our latest trip to Hong Kong we found the perfect place to achieve this, The Upper House in Admiralty.

The Upper House offers contemporary refined luxury in the heart of Hong Kong Island and we were kindly asked along to discover why this hotel is such a popular option for so many well travelled jet setters. Read on to find out more about why we have listed The Upper House as our number one favourite luxury hotel in Hong Kong

Background & Concept

Sitting on one of the most lavish addresses in Hong Kong; Pacific Place in Admiralty, The Upper House combines ultra-sleek minimalist interiors, designed by celebrated Hong Kong designer Andrew Fu, with out of this world rooms and suites and a level of service that goes above and beyond a normal 5 star hotel experience. One word to describe a stay here is perfection!

The Upper House name is derived from the design philosophy of an upward journey through Pacific Place above the bustling city to a serene house of intriguing spaces, natural materials, and subtle yet playful lighting and it achieves just that! Located over the upper floors in the JW Marriott building the hotel is boutique in size at just 117 studios and suites, all guest rooms offer beautiful views of the city and given its smaller number of guest rooms than other hotels in Hong Kong it feels relaxed.  Combine this with a discreet customer service and it does achieve a home from home feel.

Art is a big focus at the hotel with 400 pieces of artwork throughout, which range from painted art and sculptures in sandstone, ceramics, marble and bronze all chosen to compliment Andre Fu’s concept of serenity.

Lobby & Check In

If you are arriving from Hong Kong International Airport, then choose the airport meet and greet  – guests are picked up in the arrivals hall at the airport and driven directly to the hotel in one of a well kitted out limousine which comes complete with WIFI, magazines and refreshments.

You enter the hotel from the ground floor at Pacific Place and the initial escalator with red-hued ambience takes you to the second floor. The escalator is inspired by a Japanese red ‘torii’ gate and it reflects a slow and meditative transition into the next space. From the second floor you take the elevators up to the hotel which sits on the top floors of the building.

One of the beautiful things about the hotel is it’s paperless and the traditional reception check-in is replaced with completing all paperwork via an Ipad in your guest room.  A member of the service team guides you through the whole process, your bags arrive in your room and you are shown around the finer details of your guest room. The whole process from arriving to being in your room is done in under ten minutes, so no hanging around waiting at the check in desk here.

One other thing that really elevated my experience with the hotel was that before our stay at the hotel the guest relations contacted me by email and asked my preferences during my stay with them. From this they then created a bespoke suggested dining itinerary for my stay in Hong Kong. One other thing I loved was they took my Whats app number and were in contact with me before I arrived in Hong Kong airport and I was able to speak to them when I arrived in the airport which made it so easy and straightforward. It was these little finishing touches with regard to service that I haven’t seen in other hotels and they really added to the experience.

YOUR PREFERENCES

• Have you been to Hong Kong before?
  Are you coming for a special occasion or celebration?
  Any favourite activities in Hong Kong that excite you and will make your stay more memorable?
  Any special dietary preferences that you would like us to know about?
  Any cuisines that you would like to try during your stay?
  When shall we expect to welcome you to our House?
  We may be able to make your travel more convenient by making advance arrangements.
  Could you share something special about yourself with us?
  We’d like to get to know you more so we can make our House feel more like home for you.
  If you have arranged for our meet & greet service at the airport, please provide us with your mobile number. Our representative will be in touch via text message upon your arrival.

Location

The Upper House is located in Admiralty on top of the Pacific Place shopping complex and next to the Conrad Hotel and above JW Marriott. Pacific Place is connected to the MTR and in one stop you can be in Central or across Victoria Harbour to Tsim Sha Tsui. If you are looking for some greenery Hong Kong Park is a short stroll away and the night life of Wan Chai and shopping district of Causeway Bay are close at hand too

Studio, Suites & Penthouses

The guest rooms and suites at the hotel are incredible, not only for their size which start at 730 sq ft, which is a rarity in Hong Kong, but also their overall aesthetics and views are just incredible. Of the 117 rooms 21 are suites and there are two penthouses, all guest-rooms feature a maxi bar which is packed full of snacks and drinks all of which is free apart from the wine and champagne. There is free wi-fi throughout, a turn down service and if you love relaxing in the bathroom you are in for a treat as they all include a spa-inspired bathroom with walk-in rain shower, dressing area and limestone-clad bathtub.

Upper Suite

We stayed in one of their beautiful upper Suites which is huge at 1,230 sq ft and had an incredible harbour view. The space comprises of a living room, bedroom, bathroom and dressing room. You can see a full video tour of the Upper Suite we stayed in over on our Instagram profile

Living Room 

The living room has an L shaped sofa, coffee table, office desk and 42” TV and a remote control in living room controls the lights and curtains which close with the flick of a switch. Design books sit on the coffee table as does a game of backgammon.

We checked in from our room and alongside the checkin ipad were a selection of welcome gifts for us. Another little finishing touch I loved was at the airport the driver asked if we wanted a refreshment for our arrival at the hotel and it was waiting on the desk when we checked in. I also mentioned that I had heard their bar was one of the best places in Hong Kong for an Espresso Martini and they even organised complimentary cocktails for us once we had checked in too.

By day and night the views from the hotel transform, and the views of the city are something I could gaze at for hours.

Bedroom

Leading from the lounge you walk directly into the bedroom (you can also access it from the hallway of the suite too). Like the lounge the view offers incredible views and don’t worry you don’t have to be an exhibitionist to stay here as the glass in the windows allows you to look out, but not look in.

You can control all the lighting from the bed and unlike some hotels where you need a degree in electronics to turn everything off, it was super simple to use. Leading off the bedroom there is large space with built-in wardrobes and safe.

Bathroom 

A good bathroom in a hotel room is as important as the rest of the room as far as I am concerned and The Upper House bathrooms really do have the WOW factor. A Marvin Minto Fang, Cocoon art piece takes pride of place drawing your eye along to the window behind the bath and what a bath it is!! Then those views! It’s such a unique experience having a bath here, the bath is gigantic compared with standard bathtubs in Hong Kong and there are bath salts to add which you scoop out using the little bamboo spoon next to the bath console table.

There is a separate rain shower all finished in marble.

Toiletries are by glorious British spa company Bamford  and there is even a Bamford wash-bag full of goodies in the dressing room for you to take home.

Dressing Room

The dressing room sits separately to the bathroom is very generous in size, features twin sinks and packed with amenities.

Food & Drink

The Upper House is known through out Hong Kong and Asia as one of the places to visit for great food and drink which is thanks to its Cafe Grey Deluxe Restaurant and Cafe Grey Bar which are both very popular with guests, locals and non residents.

Café Grey Deluxe

Café Gray Deluxe on level 49 of the hotel is a 21st century ‘grand café’ with stunning views of Victoria Harbour. Chef Gray Kunz offers a menu of European classics and signature dishes inspired from a lifetime of leading the very finest kitchens in Europe, Asia and America, which favours organic seasonal ingredients.

Breakfast

Breakfast is served in Cafe Grey Deluxe and offers an à la carte selection of Western and Asian option. We stayed for two nights and tried a mix of their breakfast options and they were all beautifully presented and creative.

This is the Upper East Breakfast, a selection of Asian delicacies, with such pretty presentation.

This is the Upper West Breakfast which comes with brioche topper with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, and caviar and a side selection of granola, chia pudding and fruits.

This is the Upper West Breakfast which comes with brioche topped with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, and caviar and a side selection of granola, chia pudding and fruits.

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I also tried their Avocado Poached Eggs too!

Views from Café Grey Deluxe don’t disappoint either and depending on how busy it is made sure you get a window seat.

Café Grey Bar

On the same floor as Café Grey Deluxe is Café Grey Bar which serves seriously good cocktails and wine, head in the evening when the music is on point and the atmosphere is buzzing.

Lounge

On the same floor as Café Grey Deluxe and Bar is the hotel’s lounge, which looked like the perfect place to hide away in, post dinner or during the day.

The Lawn

On the second floor of the hotel above the lobby is the lawn where you can have a cocktail or beer in the summer months, or enjoy one of the hotel’s free yoga classes.

Spa Treatments

The hotel does not have a spa or swimming pool, but they offer a comprehensive menu of in-room massages, facials and spa treatments. They also have a small gym in the hotel which is well equipped with a range of cardiovascular and weight training machines and views of the city that are guaranteed to keep you inspired!

Final Thoughts

The hotel is flawless, it is a masterpiece in contemporary luxury and is the perfect example of how a 5-star hotel experience should be. I loved my stay here, I didn’t want to leave and it is our number one choice for any luxury traveler staying in Hong Kong. We stayed in an Upper Suite for two nights, which is priced at £1800 per night.