In short… Chic and refined, with breathtaking views in a very vibrant part of the city, this hotel is a favorite of many, which is reflected in the number of awards it receives
The surroundings… Directly on the harborfront in the Tsim Sha Tsui neighborhood of Kowloon, you have the most amazing views of the Hong Kong Island skyline, which is mesmerizing day and night. The hotel is a part of the Victoria Dockside mixed use development, a 3 million-square-foot art-and-design district that opened in 2019, which has a lot of interesting retail (Fortnum & Mason, MoMa Design Store, and Moda Operandi) and art (Hong Kong Museum of Art and K11 Musea). You can also get the Star Ferry right there for a 10-minute ride across the harbor to Central.
The vibe…The hotel feels very residential—in a very good way. Maybe it’s because it’s so vertical, maybe it’s the circular driveway at the entrance… but it doesn’t have a lobby vibe with guests hanging around sitting in chairs—the reception and concierge desks are off to the side, and when you enter, you go straight to the elevators and head to your room.
Staff are very smartly dressed—I love that they wear a silk ascot and not a tie: chic but relaxed. A friend of mine suggested I have a look at their Carlyle & Co private club, which is within the hotel but completely separate. It’s super chic—very inspired by the Carlyle in NYC, but also very much its own thing: great restaurants, bars, programming, a barber shop, The Armoury, an amazing wine cellar, and 8 guest rooms. It’s very cool, and I love that there is this layer of a private club within the hotel.
The rooms…The star of the show is the floor-to-ceiling view of Victoria Harbor and the skyline of Hong Kong Island. Our room was so comfortable—no big design moves that make you feel like you’re in a space that isn’t your own. Tony Chi, a renowned interior designer, created these rooms with his signature “invisible design” philosophy—the room feels and works great. And while we normally don’t like art in hotel rooms, the painting in our bedroom, a modern expressionist cityscape by local artist Wilson Shieh, was so good I looked him up. The bathroom had a giant shower and a good tub. We only wished for more space in the closet area so we could both leave our suitcases out and didn’t have to unpack them.
The food & drink… We had lunch at their Michelin-starred Indian restaurant, Chaat, which was delicious. Still thinking about the Bengali-style lamb chop and the Goa fish stew. Our friends who live in town say this is one of their favorite places to eat Indian—it isn’t dumbed down at all. We had dinner one night at The Legacy House, also Michelin starred, which serves classic Cantonese—pre-reserve the roast goose so you don’t have to wait 45 minutes for it! They also have an excellent wine list, and make great cocktails. One night we had an after-dinner drink at the Dark Side, their cocktail bar, which has a speakeasy meets jazz club vibe—very cool. We absolutely loved the Manor Club, the 40th floor that you can access if you have a suite or pay a surcharge. Everything there is free, from the food to the drinks. We had breakfast there, as well as lunch one day—the Thai beef salad was phenomenal, as were their daily noodle and rice dishes. Still dreaming about the BBQ pork over scrambled eggs on rice. But they also have plenty of Western food, too, if you’re after a charcuterie board. It has incredible views, and you can sit outside.
The wellness… The Asaya Spa by Guerlain is an oasis, and has excellent therapists. We had a deep-tissue, 90-minute massage in a couples’ room, and prior to that, access to their Bath House, which has a marble dry-heat sauna and a jacuzzi. Next time, I’m curious about their signature “Spirit of Calligraphy,” in which they use brushes on your face and body. The gym is great—with all the Technogym equipment you can imagine, looking out over the harbor. There’s a sauna, jacuzzi and steam in the gym bathrooms as well. And the outdoor infinity pool that looks out to the harbor is beautiful.
The activities… We didn’t organize anything through the hotel, but I heard from my very in-the-know friend who lives here that they can arrange really interesting bespoke private tours, like visits to calligraphers, artist studios, as well as cultural/ food tours. Next time!
Is it family-friendly? Yes! Especially if you book a room that includes access to the Manor Club! They also have a Rosewood Explorers program, which has five themed play rooms. And they create Explorer Passports for the young guests to collect stamps and document their experiences throughout the property, which will include a traditional Hong Kong cooking lesson and locally inspired craft session. Lastly, any hotel that has an outdoor pool is a winner in the family category.
Be sure to…Check out their gift shop on the spa/gym floor. It’s called Beauregard’s, and it has an excellent curation of clothing and accessories, but also books, and not just the Assouline usual suspects: cool cookbooks and photography tomes. I can’t stop thinking about the collection of malachite they have for sale!
Date of stay… February 23-25, 2026
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