Another Dimension

By Lindsay Andrews | China Daily | Updated: 2017-06-10 07:10

Kerry Hotels' new urban resort in Hong Kong promises more room for life, Lindsay Andrews reports.

If it is in those moments when time and space are intimately experienced as the here and now that we are best able to appreciate their value, then Hong Kong, where it can seem that life is being lived on permanent fast forward and less than 0.01 centimeters apart, would appear to be an unlikely setting for a heightened awareness of the time being.

However, the first new hotel to open on the Kowloon waterfront since 1995 belies that notion, as its unique design and attentive service create the distinct impression that space and time have been somehow stretched relative to the rest of the city.

There is nothing quite like time traveling beyond hour-marked differences of a journey to make a trip away from the familiar more engaging, something the Kerry Hotel, Hong Kong accomplishes with some panache, offering as it does "a different dimension" for experiencing the city, in the words of Madhu Rao, acting president of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.

The third and flagship property of the Hong Kong-based hospitality company's vibrant young Kerry brand, the apparent ability of the hotel to warp space-time is the consummation of both its design and location, as elevated above the waterfront promenade by Hung Hum Pier it is detached from the usual clamor and commotion of crowds and traffic.

However, that doesn't mean it is divorced from the lifebeat of the city. It connects seamlessly with the adjacent public spaces along the waterfront, and its unique multilevel podium design and landscaped gardens not only offer unimpeded views of the harbor but also break the distinction between private and public areas enabling the hotel to "fully embrace the local community and culture", as Nicholas Smith, the hotel's general manager, says.

Indeed, the hotel is both a manifestation, and to some extent a driver, of the area's transformation, helping to give a new lease on life to what was previously considered a sleepy and no-reason-to-visit residential area.

The goal, as designer Andre Fu explains, was to create a hotel that would appeal to a broad range of guests and users, offering not only a pragmatic stay for business travelers and a lifestyle stay for contemporary globetrotters, but also an urban-resort-inspired experience for the local community.

For visitors, the hotel also acts as an appealing portal to the less well-known yet intriguing haunts of this part of the city, where legacies of the past - for instance the oldest cinema still running in the city - rub shoulders with intimations of the future, such as a site devoted to a zero carbon world.

The aptly named, The Bay Area Guide, presents some selected highlights in Hung Hom, Kowloon Bay and To Kwa Wan to inspire your own exploration of the area's vibrant character and food culture.

An expression of the changes revitalizing the area, the hotel has already established itself as a wining and dining destination in its own right. All five of its restaurants, as well as its bar, offer outdoor terraces and casual and relaxed environments where family and friends can enjoy each other's company, as Darren Hilditch, director of food and beverage, says.

While the hotel's outdoor spaces set the tone for its urban resort character, they also facilitate the hotel's dedication to offering distinctive venues not only for large-scale conferences, exhibitions and events, but also for more intimate celebrations of special occasions.

Meanwhile, the hotel's air of relaxed luxury is fully evident in the guest rooms, which are fashioned for both comfort and convenience and range from 42 square meters for a Deluxe Sea View Room to 294 sq m for the Presidential Suite, which comes with its own private bar and terrace.