Design-led heritage hotel opens in Hong Kong
A new design-led, all suite heritage hotel that occupies the upper floors of Hullett House has opened in Hong Kong, offering guests a refined and elegant experience that is reminiscent of the area’s vibrant past.
Conveniently located on Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, in a magnificent white-stucco colonial building dating from 1881, Hullett House provides a collection of bespoke, individually hand-crafted suites that join the property’s five popular dining and entertainment venues in this elegant celebration of old Hong Kong.
The suites, which range in size from 800 to 1,100 square feet, feature spacious private terraced balconies and breathtaking views of Hong Kong’s famous skyline, with sweeping lawns and gardens below. Each suite is individually designed to reflect a distinct period in Hong Kong’s history and is named after one of Hong Kong’s numerous bays, in homage to the building’s history as the former Marine Police headquarters.
Owned and managed by aqua restaurant group, the hotel and suites were personally designed by David Yeo, the group’s founder and managing director. Yeo says Hullett House is the group’s “passion project” and one which he describes as a “gift of old Hong Kong, for the people of new Hong Kong.”
Particularly inspired by Hong Kong’s colonial influences and the Regency Era where King George IV first explored the concept of Chinoiserie, Yeo designed each of the suites to be conceptually distinct but evocative of the blend between Hong Kong’s Chinese and English past.
“I want to offer our guests a truly unique Hong Kong experience in one of the city’s most stunning heritage buildings; one they won’t get in a modern business hotel and one they’ll want to tell their family and friends about when they go back home,” Yeo explains. “Since each of the suites is individually designed to reflect a different period in Hong Kong’s rich and colourful history, every time a guest stays with us their experience will be different and unique.”
The Casam Suite, a contemporary ode to Hong Kong’s growing pop art market, draws upon boldly coloured paintings and larger than life statues to deliver a high energy and invigorating visual experience. A painting sequence of Mao Tse Tung chewing bubble gum and a large white sculpture of a handstand-holding pig are just a couple examples of the many modern Chinese art-inspired pieces that lend to the whimsical feeling of the room. Over 800 sq ft in size, and featuring the largest bathroom of all the suites, Casam offers a progressive, imaginative feel that contrasts distinctly with the elegant, colonial exterior of Hullett House.
Soft green walls, birdcages and delicately hand-painted bamboo and birds feature on the walls of the Stanley Suite, creating a warm feeling reminiscent of the English countryside. The bedroom leads directly on to the suite’s private verandah, with views across Hong Kong’s skyline and harbour. The room itself houses a preserved fireplace. The birdcages reflect old Hong Kong teahouse culture, and the birds represent 26 species native to Southern China and Hong Kong. The bathroom of this suite is an elegant blend of soft green and white, with a large bathtub and standing rain shower, contributing to the suite’s idyllic pastoral landscape.
Inspired by David Yeo’s first impressions of Hong Kong’s antique shops found along Hollywood Road, the Shek O Suite is entirely outfitted with Chinese red lacquer furnishings with delicate gold accents. An allusion to the classic Hong Kong Chinese antique furniture found in well-to-do Hong Kong homes, the rich pairing of gold and red in Shek O is found in one of the House’s impressively large corner suites. Located on the second floor, this room also features striking red lacquered floors and a spacious bathroom with a claw foot freestanding bathtub and a large rain shower.
Billowing white lace curtains, elegant Louis XIV white furniture and hand-crafted wood paneling make the Silvermine suite one that oozes romance and sensuality, making it perfect for newly weds and others who are seeking some romance. The suite has two private sunny terraces that overlook the harbour, the city skyline and the lawns below.
The largest suite, Lido, is an indulgent manifestation of bold black and gold, and is fashioned with classic Chinese black lacquer furniture, balanced by fine gold accents. This elegant corner suite, which has access to three balconies, has an impressive bathroom where a claw foot, free standing bathtub sits atop a shimmering gold tile floor.
Even with its colonial exterior and historically inspired design, the hotel has all the modern and technical in-room facilities of a contemporary hotel including large LCD TVs, DVD players, iPod stations and wireless broadband. Suites also feature modern and spacious bathrooms featuring large-head rain showers and chandeliers hanging over the bathtub, summed up by Yeo as “the ultimate luxury.”
Rates range from HK$9,000 to HK$12,000 per night (plus 10% service charge), including Continental Breakfast for two at The Parlour. However, to celebrate the opening, Hullett House has created a series of Heritage Offers which bring added luxury and value to guests who want to experience this unique property from now until 30th June this year. See website for more details: hulletthousehotel.com
