One of Asia’s finest luxury hotels, Regent Hong Kong, is back after a stunning transformation by a top designer, writes Andrew Conway.
Sequels are always hard things to pull off. Countless books, movies and TV shows have tried to recapture the magic of their original concepts, but few have succeeded. The same goes for luxury hotels, especially beloved icons which have captured the hearts of a generation of travellers. Can they be reborn and return better than before?
If the reimagined Regent Hong Kong is anything to go by, the answer is a resounding yes. One of the world’s legendary harbourfront hotels is back in business after a multi-million-dollar transformation by leading Hong Kong-born, Milan-based architect and interior designer Chi Wing Lo, and the result is spectacular.
Regent Hong Kong reimagined
Interior designer Chi Wing Lo has three decades of exclusive residential design in the US, Greece and Italy to his credit. The acclaimed design guru agreed to take on Regent Hong Kong, not only as his first-ever hotel project but the most extensive in the hotel’s 43-year history.
His challenge? To create a contemporary, cutting-edge sanctuary for a new generation of local Hongkongers and discerning travellers that also appeals to a previous clientele who loved the original hotel. Rest assured, Lo has pulled it off in style – and then some.
While the palm-lined driveway leading from Kowloon’s bustling Salisbury Road to the hotel’s fountain and main entrance remains largely unchanged and reassuringly familiar, everything that follows is a window to the future of Asian luxury, design, style and hospitality.
First impressions
Regent’s iconic doormen greet guests under a striking porte-cochère. It has 18 golden domes atop oversized palace-like doors trimmed with pale wood, glass strips and metal bolts opening to the hotel’s sleek linear lobby.
A low perforated ceiling, 16 vertical glass-brick screens, a 36-metre dark granite floor, and a long check-in counter made of backlit translucent onyx allow Lo to play with light and reflection, while cinematic artwork by Hong Kong new media artist Hung Keung delivers a cool visual backdrop.
There’s a calm aura throughout the lobby, complemented by the ‘Spirit of Regent Retrospective’ montage, a custom artwork paying tribute to the hotel’s history – a long scroll-inspired screen crafted from pieces of the original art collection.
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Guestrooms and suites
The lobby’s serene quality continues through the low-lit corridors leading to the guestrooms and suites. Some overlook the outdoor pool deck and gardens, others with breathtaking panoramas of Victoria Harbour and the towering Hong Kong Island skyline.
Each guestroom is a masterwork of contemporary Asian design and style. Airy and spacious layouts blend with pale-tone carpets and handcrafted furnishings in wood, leather, glass and stone with a window-side daybed to take in the expansive views.
The chic ‘Oasis Bathroom’ design features flamed and brushed granite, natural oak and honed Calacatta vanity counters teamed with sensuously curved soaking tubs. Attention to detail abounds; even the tub’s amenities tray comes with a niche to position an iPad or tablet.
Dining at Regent Hong Kong
Regent’s culinary highlight is its ‘Dining Destination’ concept featuring four restaurants – The Steak House; Harbourside, inspired by the world’s local markets; Lai Ching Heen, serving exquisite Cantonese dishes; and The Lobby Lounge – where high-octane cocktails, Asian and international menus and fine wines have to vie for attention with head-turning city and harbour panoramas by day and night.
Lo’s reimagined Lobby Lounge is once again the place to be seen in Hong Kong, a social axis where languid days extend from breakfast to lunch and classic afternoon tea through to sunset cocktails and decadent desserts, all enjoyed in a kaleidoscope of city lights through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Regent Hong Kong is back and better than ever – a blockbuster sequel for the ages.
For more information and reservations, contact Regent Hong Kong via +852 2721 1211 or email regent.hongkong@ihg.com or visit the Regent Hong Kong website.
This article originally appeared in volume 45 of Signature Luxury Travel & Style magazine. Subscribe to the latest issue today.
