The Murray, Hong Kong, a Niccolo Hotel

Rooms and decor

Picture a stately white 1960s office building that once housed the Hong Kong government, taken in hand by an architect and brought back to life as a 5-star design hotel — that is the first piece of charm at The Murray, Hong Kong, a Niccolo Hotel. The original tower was designed in 1969 and opened as a hotel in 2018 under the Niccolo group. What makes it easy to recognize is the row of deep curved windows running across the whole building, shaped to keep out Hong Kong's tropical sun and giving it a look clearly different from the usual clear-glass skyscraper. Inside, the roughly 336 rooms and suites run a modern, warm tone. The thing reviews agree on most is the size of the rooms — surprisingly large by Hong Kong standards, with high ceilings and an airy feel, a direct result of converting an office tower with taller ceilings than a normal hotel. Beds are soft, bathrooms are roomy, and many rooms look out onto the green trees of the parks next door. If you like quiet luxury with room to breathe, this place will land well.

Food and amenities

If one thing gets talked about most, it is the Popinjays rooftop bar on the top floor, which opens onto the city and the green parks all around. In the evening the golden light over the city makes it a popular spot for a photo and a drink, paired with a sky pool where you can soak and take in the view. Down at the front of the hotel is the Garden Lounge, set under the shade of an old preserved Cotton Tree — a leafy, unexpected spot for an afternoon tea in the middle of the finance district. For food there is the Cantonese restaurant Guo Fu Lou, serving dim sum and contemporary Cantonese, along with the Murray Lane bar-lounge to sit back in. There is a full spa and fitness center too, and the public areas lean toward easy, open luxury rather than anything stiff, which makes it feel more private than the bigger, tourist-packed hotels. A lot of people say it is a hotel that feels relaxing to stay in, even though it sits in one of the busiest city centers on earth.

Location and getting there

The Murray's location has a character that is hard to find in Hong Kong. The hotel sits on Cotton Tree Drive in the heart of Central, but instead of being boxed in by a wall of skyscrapers, it has green parks on either side — a few steps takes you to Hong Kong Park, with its waterfall, conservatory, and aviary, and a little further on are the Hong Kong Botanical and Zoological Gardens, a shady oasis made for an early-morning walk before the city wakes. Getting into town is easy too: about a 5-7 minute walk to MTR Admiralty, which links several lines across the city, then a little further to Central and to Lan Kwai Fong, the well-known eat-and-drink district, plus the Star Ferry that carries you across to Tsim Sha Tsui for a harbour view at a tiny fare. The one thing to know is that the hotel is on a small rise, and parts of the walk to the MTR have slopes and stairs — on a really hot day or with luggage, many guests just take a taxi, which is handy and not expensive. In short, if you want to be in the middle of Central but with a leafy, private feel, this location fits beautifully.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First is that hillside location — you can walk to MTR Admiralty, but the route has slopes and stairs in places, and on a hot, humid day or hauling a heavy bag it can be more tiring than you would think. If climbing the rise is not for you, budget for a taxi or ask about the hotel car. Second, Central is an office-and-finance district, so by evening many shops close early and it is quieter than Tsim Sha Tsui or Mong Kok, which buzz all night. If night markets, street food, and shopping late are the heart of your trip, you may be taking the MTR across to the Kowloon side fairly often — though it is only a few stops. Third, the rooms are big and good-looking, but the hotel is not on Victoria Harbour, so there is no full harbour view from the rooms the way a waterfront hotel gives you. If the bay view is the thing you want most, this may not deliver, and some reviews feel the in-hotel dining choice is not as varied as the big city hotels. Overall these limits are more about style and expectations than real flaws.

Our take

After our team read through several hundred real reviews, The Murray, Hong Kong, a Niccolo Hotel earns its keep on the charm of a 1960s landmark tastefully renovated, rooms that are spacious by Hong Kong standards, a location pressed up against green parks in the middle of Central, and the well-liked Popinjays rooftop bar. If your mental image of the trip is waking up for a walk in Hong Kong Park, coming back to the sky pool, then dim sum at Guo Fu Lou and a rooftop cocktail over the city — all while still being able to walk to the MTR and Lan Kwai Fong — this is a fitting choice with real character. But if you want a Victoria Harbour view straight from the room, or your trip is built around buzzing nightlife and Kowloon street food, the quiet-after-dark, on-a-hill Central location may not be the most fun fit. Overall we give it 9.0/10, best for couples, design lovers, and travelers after a big room, a calm and refined feel, and the story of a building in the heart of the city.