This Upper House Hong Kong hotel review is part of a round the world trip report including first class and business class flights, luxury hotel stays in London and Asia, and restaurant reviews.
For the prior posts, please see:
Review: British Airways Concorde Room Lounge NYC JFK Terminal 7
Review: British Airways Business Class on the 747-400 JFK-LHR
Best Seats in British Airways New First Class 747-400
Review: British Airways Arrivals Lounge in LHR and Heathrow Express to London
Launceston Place London Restaurant Review
London Tips: British Museum with Kids
Review: Rivea at Bulgari London Hotel
Review: British Airways First Class Lounge London Heathrow Terminal 3
Qantas First Class A380 Review London to Dubai
Review: Atmosphere Lounge at the Burj Khalifa Dubai
Armani Hotel Dubai Photos and Virtuoso Client Review
Dubai Fountain by Burj Khalifa Photos and Video
Review: British Airways Galleries Lounge in Dubai (DXB)
Cathay Pacific Business Class Review A330-300
Review: Lung King Heen at Four Seasons Hong Kong
The clients I've booked at The Upper House Hong Kong have loved it, so I was very excited to experience this luxury design hotel firsthand. Designed by Hong Kong design prodigy Andre Fu when he was just 30 years old, The Upper House's sleek design is warmed by natural wood, soft earth tones in the comfortable bespoke furniture, and by the sweeping views of Victoria Harbour and mountain.
TravelSort clients may book The Upper House Hong Kong with these Virtuoso benefits:
- Daily full breakfast, for up to two in room guests
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- A $100 USD Resort or Hotel credit, to be utilized during stay
- Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
The Upper House Hong Kong Location, Lobby and Check-In
The Upper House is located in Admiralty, just a 7 minute walk from the Admiralty MTR station. We definitely should have used the MTR instead of a taxi from the IFC Mall, since the Hong Kong protests were in full force during our visit and road traffic was snarled.
Once we arrived, we were ushered inside, quickly checked in, and were soon being escorted on an escalator then an elevator to our Upper Suite on the 43rd floor.
The Upper House Upper Suite
We were originally booked in a Studio 70, which themselves are incredibly spacious at 730 square feet–the largest entry level rooms of any luxury hotel in Hong Kong. The Upper House was kind enough, however, to upgrade us to an Upper Suite, with 1230 square feet to relax in and a separate living room and bedroom. This would be ideal for celebrating a special occasion as a couple, or for a family stay, since children could go to bed earlier in the living room.
The entrance was into a foyer with a view of the living room:
On our right was a minibar, featuring a variety of complimentary bottled waters, sodas and milk (there is a charge for alcoholic beverages), as well as an espresso machine.
Snacks such as M&Ms, Milano cookies, Blue Diamond almonds and mentos were also complimentary, but fortunately I they were high up enough that the munchkin didn't spy them!
At any rate, he was soon enjoying a kids' program on the large flat screen TV, while I caught up on some work. I don't feel too guilty about him watching TV on airplanes or at hotels, since we don't even have a TV at home.
It was hard to stay focused, however, given the view out the window:
The Upper Suite living room is separated from the bedroom by a sliding wood door, so at night, after putting my son to bed, I was able to finish my work at the table in the living room without disturbing him. Here's the view out the living room at night:
The bedroom features a king bed that we both slept well on:
Out of the bedroom window we had a mountain view from the side window, which was a serene counterpart to the busy city and harbour view from the other bedroom window and from the living room.
Behind the bedroom was the bathroom, which at 400 square feet was larger on its own than many entry level hotel rooms in Hong Kong. I'm always happy to see dual vanities with his and hers sinks, which mean that no one has to wait to wash up or brush their teeth.
Up a couple stairs was the piece de resistance, a deep soaking tub big enough for two, with a spectacular view out two windows. Just remember, as a hotel note discreetly advises, that at night in particular, people can see you, especially if you have the lights on. No worries, just close the electronic blinds for privacy.
There were some lovely REN bath products to choose from: soap, bath salts, and Moroccan rose oil:
Just to the right of the soaking tub was one of the largest walk in rain showers I've seen, also accompanied by REN bath products from its Bio Actives line: Oat and Bay Conditioning Shampoo, Pro-Vitamin Hair Conditioner, and a refreshing Neroli and Grapefruit Zest body wash:
Plus, just in case you'd forgotten any essential toiletries, there was dental floss and a toiletry bag with additional REN amenities, mouthwash, a shaving kit, etc. The Upper House really thought of everything, with no need to call Housekeeping.
Breakfast from Cafe Gray
I'll review our dinner at Cafe Gray separately, but I have to mention the delicious breakfast that was delivered promptly at 6:30am by room service, since we had a morning flight to catch. I've heard great things about Cafe Gray's “Upper East Breakfast” with its dim sum offerings, such as char siu bau, har gau, sui mai, turnip cake, corn and crabmeat congee, fried egg noodles and chrysanthemum tea.
But since this breakfast was mainly for the munchkin, I ordered his favorites: a Blueberry Dutch Pancake with maple syrup and Devonshire cream, some strawberry yogurt, fresh berries, and fresh squeezed orange juice.
The breakfast, and particularly the pancake, was, simply put, fantastic. Immaculate fresh raspberries and blueberries, creamy yogurt, and nice and pulpy fresh squeezed orange juice. The Blueberry Dutch Pancake was actually better than our usual NYC favorite from Prune–light and cake like, adorned with plump blueberries and an ample serving of maple syrup plus a generous dollop of cream. The munchkin was in pancake heaven, yet the pancake was large enough that even he couldn't finish it, so I was able to get in quite few delicious bites.
The Verdict
Normally I go into design hotel stays with a bit of trepidation, concerned that it will be more style over function. That's not the case at The Upper House, which is easily the best luxury design hotel in an urban environment that I've ever stayed at. Hong Kong, as anyone who's been there can attest, moves at a frenetic pace. The Upper House is a haven of peaceful tranquility, yet the spectacular views bring Hong Kong to you.
There was great attention to detail, from the padded window seats to the intuitive lighting and privacy blind controls to the amenity kit and toiletries in the bathroom. Our room service breakfast was impeccable, from its timing to its quality. If I had to find something to criticize, I'd say that there's unfortunately no swimming pool, and the complimentary snacks of M&Ms and Milano cookies were somewhat at odds with the refined surroundings and REN bath amenities; perhaps some organic snacks and even a canister of housemade treats would be more in keeping with the rest of The Upper House's superb quality.
If you've stayed at The Upper House in Hong Kong, how was your stay?
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Disclosure: My family and I were guests and enjoyed a complimentary stay at The Upper House, however the views expressed in this post are my own.
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