The Upper House

Rooms and decor

Picture a luxury hotel that makes zero effort to look luxurious — no grand chandeliers, no gold leaf, just a restrained polish that has you relaxing the moment you step into the room. That's the charm of The Upper House, a boutique of around 117 rooms tucked into the top of the Pacific Place complex in Admiralty. It has been open since 2009, with interiors designed top to bottom by André Fu, the Hong Kong designer whose name is a guarantee of understated luxury. The thing everyone agrees on is the size — entry Studios start at roughly 68 sqm and up, well beyond the average for a hotel this central. Walk in and it feels open and easy, more like a private apartment than a typical room, wrapped in warm-toned oak, travertine and earth-tone fabrics that feel soft on the eye. The bathroom is roomy with a separate tub and shower, there's a walk-in closet, and a desk sits by the floor-to-ceiling glass. Harbour-side rooms open onto Victoria Harbour and the peak of The Peak in full. If you like a clean, warm look that doesn't shout, you'll probably fall for it on the first night.

Food and amenities

The heart of the food here is Café Gray Deluxe on the 49th floor, a contemporary European room that André Fu designed to feel open and airy, with a long stretch of glass framing a panoramic Victoria Harbour view. Breakfast by that window draws the heaviest praise in reviews, and in the evening the harbour lit up is striking enough that many call it one of the best restaurant views in Hong Kong. Beside it, a bar and lounge make an easy spot for a cocktail or afternoon tea. A small detail guests especially love is the free in-room minibar — non-alcoholic drinks and snacks, refilled fresh every day, a little touch of warmth. For anyone who likes to work out there's a 24-hour fitness room, and you can call in treatments and massage to your room. Another highlight not to miss is the Sky Garden, a green lawn in the middle of the building where you can sit out in the breeze above a busy city, plus a contemporary art collection spread along the corridors and lobby that makes it feel more like staying in a private gallery than a hotel.

Location and getting there

The location lands exactly where Hong Kong visitors want it. The hotel sits on top of the Pacific Place complex in Admiralty, which means a short walk down from the lobby puts you inside a luxury mall with brand names, a supermarket, a cinema and restaurants — without ever meeting sun or rain. From the mall you connect straight into MTR Admiralty in about 5 minutes, a major station where several lines meet, so getting anywhere in the city is easy. The next stop is Central, the financial and shopping core of the island, while the South Island line runs straight to Ocean Park. If you want the city view from The Peak, the Peak Tram is a short walk away, and come nightfall the Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo party scene is a quick taxi or a walk. In short, if you want a calm base that still gets you everywhere easily, this location is a ten out of ten.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide — the biggest thing to weigh is that The Upper House has no pool and no full spa, because it deliberately positions itself as a calm, restrained luxury hotel, more like a private home than a full-service resort. There's only a fitness room and in-room treatments. If the trip in your head has to include a sky pool or a full spa, you may feel the gap (when guests need one, they tend to use the fitness club inside Pacific Place instead). Next is the price, which sits at the luxury end, and some entry-rate rooms face the city or a building rather than the full Victoria Harbour view from the promo photos. If the harbour view is what you're coming for, ask specifically for a harbour-view room when you book. Last, the entrance runs through the Pacific Place mall and the lobby is upstairs, off the main street — some reviewers say it's a little confusing to find the first time, though it's very easy once you know. Save a map of the entrance before you arrive.

Our take

After working through several hundred real reviews, The Upper House is a hotel that sells quiet luxury that never shouts — apartment-sized rooms, André Fu's warm, easy design, a fine harbour view, and staff who earn near-unanimous praise. If the trip in your head is coming back to an open room, looking out at Victoria Harbour, sipping a drink from the free minibar, then heading up to dinner with a view at Café Gray Deluxe on the 49th floor, this is about as good a fit as it gets — and it's easy to reach through MTR Admiralty. If you're expecting a sky pool and a full spa like most luxury hotels, its calm restraint may feel like it's missing something. Overall we give it 9.3/10, best for couples and luxury travelers who value calm, generous room space and warm service over having every amenity ticked off.