Jia Boutique Hotel, Hong Kong, Review
Written by Olivia Richardson: 21-June-2010
Near the elevators
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The vibe
Clean, crisp, minimalistic, modern, white, hip, stylish, self-contained apartments (bedroom, lounge room, dining room; kitchen with fridge, stove, cutlery, plates, cups, etc.; bathroom, and sitting room). Great for long-term stays and trips with families where you want a stylish ‘home’ away from home ("Jia" means "home" in Mandarin).
Love
*The security swipe cards to enter Jia from the street.
* Free drinks, lollies, light breakfast, afternoon tea, and wine (in the afternoon) downstairs in the lobby.
* 5-minute walk to/from Causeway Bay station; and SOGO department store.
* The eclectic look and feel downstairs in the lobby.
* Special deals and perks in Hong Kong ('Insider Access Card') – e.g. ‘happy hour’ drinks all night as select bars, access to exclusive private clubs, complimentary wine and champagne, harbour cruises, cash coupons and dining, shopping and spa discounts.
Not so keen on…
Key-locks on your apartment’s front door… A swipe card would be better, but I guess they’re going for the ‘homely’ touch. You have to lock the door from the outside with the key every time you leave – just a little fiddly and old-school.
It was hard to identify the hotel – it’s on a corner but there’s no big sign. The sign is probably 10cm high and in purple on a silver background – hard to see, but maybe that’s their aim, to keep it discreet, secure and homely instead of hotel-y. (So FYI: It’s directly opposite the Regal Hong Kong hotel… Here’s a map.)
Accommodation choices
Studio (380 sq ft); one-bedroom suite (780 sq ft); and 2-bedroom duplex penthouses (1,570 sq ft). There are 54 apartments in total.
Prices per night
They change (so check the website for updated prices), but at the moment, they’re:
Studio: HK$2500
One-bedroom suite: HK$3500
Penthouse: HK$6000 (all + 10% service charge).
Visit www.xe.com for current exchange rates for Australian dollars.
Our ratings
Service: 4/5. There’s someone at the front desk downstairs 24 hours a day, but other than that, it’s more of a self-service place (like your own home – no-one bugging you, etc.). You can also order 'room service' for meals from local restaurants, plus from the hotel's 'The Drawing Room' restaurant and bar (which serves Italian cuisine and is '1 Michelin Star'. You you can dine in as well); or eat at the hotel's new 'Madera' wine bar and restaurant.
Design: 4/5 – funky-hip.
Cleanliness: 5/5.
Chic-ness: 4/5.
Overall: If you want to ‘rent’ a serviced apartment in Hong Kong – this is for you. 4/5.
But if you’re a solo traveller – you may feel a little lonely. It doesn’t have the ‘I’m on holiday’ exciting vibe hotels have, as it’s not a ‘hotel’. 3/5 for you.
Awards
JIA was the only Hong Kong hotel listed on the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler Hot List 2006. Other awards include: One of the 5 best boutique hotels in Greater China by the Independent (London) newspaper; Hong Kong’s Leading Boutique Hotel by World Travel Awards 2007; Best Design Boutique Hotel in China by Starlight Awards 2007; Best Design and Citywide/Regional Awards by International Restaurant and Hotel Awards 2008, and listed in top 3 for Best Boutique Hotel Brand Experience by Ad Asia Readers Survey.
More
www.jiahongkong.com
The Luxe Manor, Hong Kong, hotel review
Pictures, top to bottom: couches near the elevators near the lobby; the lobby sitting area (a public 'lounge room'); one-bedroom suite (study, living room, dining area, and sitting lounge behind the sheer white drape); one-bedroom studio apartment bedroom; complimentary breakfast in the lobby/public lounge room; bathroom; and Madera.