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While in Hong Kong recently we stayed at one of my favorite luxury hotels, The Upper House, part of Swire Hotels. The Upper House is located in the center of it all, situated above Pacific Place, Hong Kong’s premier shopping mall in the Admiralty area between the Central and the Wan Chai business and shopping districts.
The Upper House designer by Hong Kong architect Andre Fu is quite unique for a Hong Kong hotel, while it caters to an international business professional it shies away from being a typical business style hotel and more like urban Zen residential retreat. A place to escape the chaotic city streets, to relax and de-stress, albeit in the lap of contemporary luxury!
The Upper House Entrance
The well-trained uniformed staff welcome you (or welcome you back in our case) and swiftly lead you up a long escalator to the main hotel elevator banks – the journey has begun as you smell the House’s signature scent of “ginger verbena” one thinks they have entered an upscale spa, but better yet this is our home for the next five days!
Escalators - Upwards Journey
The guest rooms start on the 38th floor and upon arrival to your room you are checked in via iPads. No waiting in the lobby here!Its hard to describe in words the rooms – but lets just say these are no ordinary sleeping quarters, but contemporary residential suites that evoke the new Asia, one of fusing modern luxury with Asian aesthetics. The bathrooms or should I say the spa are beyond!
Studio Guest Room Harbour View
Studio Guest Room City View
Bathroom Harbour Day View
Bathroom
I’m surely fixated on the hotel rooms, but the entire hotel is one of chilled luxury from the Sky Lounge on the 49th floor to the adjacent Café Gray Deluxe where you can lounge or dine while viewing a forever changing dynamic Hong Kong!
Sky Lounge
Cafe Gray Deluxe
We flew back to NYC on Cathay Pacific Airlines (one of the worlds best and part of One World!), not realizing that it’s owned by Swire, who owns Swire Hotels and thus the Upper House. Some 31,000 miles up over the ocean aboard CX Flight 846 in First Class (cashed in my AA miles!) the superior inflight service made us fee like we were still at The Upper House.
Cathay Pacific First Class Flight Crew - Amy, Loretta & Len
The Swire team understands that service and environments are key to a great experience and that is not only found in their hotels, but continues aboard their flagship airline. As a recent Cathay Pacific advertisement states People. They make an Airline… and I must add great hotels! Our flight attendants, Loretta, Len and Amy were phenomenal as were the team at The Upper House!
One day I would like my home to be designed by Architect Andre Fu, but until then I can’t wait for my next trip to The Upper House!
Architect Andre Fu
(images: All Upper House except Cathay image shot by Takuya Suzuki)
