Yes, There is Such a Thing as Hong Kong Hotel Room Large Enough for an L-Shaped Sofa!

Oh The Sheer Size of It!

Let me detail the specs of my previous Hong Kong hotel room adventures: brushing my teeth in a peanut, waking up in a drawer, getting dressed in a tea cup. Essentially living in a shoe box. Even so-called luxury hotels in the city such as the The Peninsula or the Mandarin Oriental, offer tiny rooms in comparison with The Upper House.

If Swire's revitalised Pacific Place - and the subsequent "Jewel in the Crown" that is The Upper House capping this prestigious Admiralty destination - isn't a potent symbol of Hong Kong's hold on the luxury market I don't know what is. This high-concept, über-modern hotel, captures the spirit and optimism of a new age. Much like its sister hotel in Beijing, The Opposite House, this is a venue that celebrates much more than great hospitality. Swire's properties are tributes to civic culture and international creativity.

The deliciously large suites, laid out with the precision of a ship's cabin, are rich with utterly seductive luxury touches. Gifted designer Andre Fu's ingenious talent transforms a simple block into an idyllic slumber chamber where everything slots into place and no space is unexploited. Everything is bespoke and special to The Upper House - plush armchairs, mannered ottomans, big feathery beds, crisp white linen, woven wool and polished wood, flat-screen TVs, huge shower heads, giant soaking baths so much to revel and delight in. The stunning bathroom suite feels like a different planet to the manic streets outside.

And then of course, there's the view. This is clearly a hotel that celebrates the harbour it perches upon. From my 38th Floor suite I gazed down at the tiny landscape, across to sleek surface of the water and beyond into the towering monoliths of this great waterfront city.

I still remember the adrenalin rush I felt when I got my initial glimpse of the Hong Kong skyline at the tender age of nine. I got the general Bladerunner gist of it at first sight. The density was overwhelming. The technicolour fusion of lights a fantastical display bordering on garish.

As I grew older, subsequent trips to Hong Kong didn't let me down, and for two decades there was little I wouldn't do in order to visit, including, to my shame, some dubious dining and dating choices.

In a city where standard room rates are sky high, The Upper House is well worth the price - the thought management has put into guest experience is exceptional. Central to many of the city's top nightspots, all of Hong Kong can be experienced from this hotel. The hotel even boasts its own small leafy garden - the Holy Grail in Hong Kong. The grand spaces are beautifully spare, with not an unnecessary ornament in sight, just stone, light and a seamlessly curated piece of sculpture.

Hong Kong's 21st Century Grand Cafe

Cafe Grey Deluxe, the crown jewel atop The Upper House, is bathed in a mellow glow reflecting off the polished surfaces. The decor of the rooms is beyond elegant; smooth-skinned leather armchairs, clean creams and mints and deep browns. Dubbed as a '21st Century Grand Cafe' overlooking Victoria Harbour on the 49th rooftop floor, Cafe Gray Deluxe marks Chef Gray Kunz's return to Hong Kong. He's spent over 20 years in New York where he has earned numerous awards, including a Michelin star at Cafe Gray, at the Time Warner Center.

Café Gray Deluxe boasts stunning views of Victoria Harbour, and equally stunning dishes to match. My dinner experience at Cafe Grey Deluxe was exceptional. The menu is infused with the freshest ingredients, organic meats, exotic delicacies, and inspirations from the heartland of America to the food capitals of Europe, to the islands of Asia.

To prepare for the launch of Café Gray Deluxe, Chef Kunz scoured the wet markets of Sheung Wan and Wan Chai for the freshest ingredients, organic meats, and exotic delicacies and perfecting his menu in a test kitchen in Sheung Wan.

Must Try Dishes: I especially adored the braised beef short ribs with grits and the steamed sea bass in ginger bouillon.

Though relatively new on the scene, The Upper House has arrived fully formed - it's already an institution, buzzing with big shots. This hotel embodies the Hong Kong I remember at the forefront of urban life and brimming with personality.

The Upper House

Pacific Place

88 Queensway, Hong Kong

+852 2918 1838

By Si Si Penaloza, Editorial Director, WOMAN.ca