JIA Boutique Hotel travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises, spa and resorts

Jia means ”home” in Mandarin, and this Philippe Starck-designed boutique hotel, the first in Asia, certainly offers a welcome respite from the buzzing hustle and bustle of Hong Kong. Situated in the Causeway Bay area of the city, Jia has been styled using nature as its central theme, creating an ultra-chic yet supremely comfortable environment. 

With fifty-four rooms in a twenty-five-story former office block, this hotel may look unremarkable from the outside, but once inside, you find yourself in a contemporary oasis; all white walls, teak floors, and tasteful objects d’art. If you are really pushing the boat out, book into one of the one-bedroom suites or two-bedroom penthouses, which offer breathtaking views over the city and outstanding furnishings. If you want to catch up some sun, head to the sundeck on the second floor, where you can relax quietly with a complimentary glass of wine at cocktail hour.

Although Hong Kong offers a huge diversity of eating opportunities, from swanky restaurants to stalls in the streets, rooms at the Jia come kitted out with well-equipped kitchenettes, so you need not leave your room if you do not want to. That would be a pity, though, because there is so much to see in the local vicinity. Across the road is a traditional Chinese medicine shop that sells birds’ nests and more, whereas next door is Jardine’s Bazaar with its lovely afternoon vegetable and flower market and its heaving night market. The famous Sogo department store and Causeway Bay subway are just a street away, and Victoria Park is a short stroll to the east. Location: New Territories, Honk Kong, China. Photos by: designsbyyoo