J Plus Boutique Hotel

Class: First

Style: Cutting edge

Rooms: 57

J Plus is Hong Kong’s first boutique hotel, and, surprisingly, the first in Asia for celebrity designer Philippe Starck—who, one presumes, was too busy opening hotels on three other continents to have got round to Asia any sooner. And though it’s a boutique, it’s anything but fluff; when the competition consists of prim old colonial hotels, an upstart, however flashy, must offer something of substance.

In fact to measure this hotel against other boutiques would be apples and oranges; these are serviced apartments, with reasonably equipped kitchens, complete with sexy (though unfortunately named) Smeg appliances, and the thoughtful convenience of dining-room tables. Of course the prevailing tone is white, but teak floors and golden yellow overtones make the decor more livable, long-term, than the average theatrical Starck hotel room.

Laundry service is available, but if you want to really feel like it’s your apartment, you can do it yourself, in what must be one of the world’s only outdoor terrace laundromats. The location is a bit of a departure for Hong Kong hotels; Causeway Bay is the shopping and entertainment district on Hong Kong Island, and though filled with shoppers and revelers, it’s got an authentic edge as well. Sure, the Bentley and Ferrari dealers are around the corner, but the neighborhood is densely populated, and you’re as likely to see locals hanging up laundry as tourists clutching shopping bags. There’s no in-house gym, but you’ll have a complimentary pass to the California Fitness Club a few blocks away, or you can get your exercise by shopping vigorously—and relax in the jacuzzi on the sundeck when you return.