In December 2023, I checked into the Harbour King Suite at Mondrian Hong Kong, which opened its doors that same month. Located along Hart Avenue in Kowloon, the 324-room hotel is just steps away from Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station and K11 Art Mall, while the Avenue of Stars and the buzzy K11 Musea near Victoria Harbour can be accessed within 10 minutes on foot. Hong Kong International Airport is less than an hour away from Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station via Airport Express (with a transfer at Central Station) or around 30 minutes by car.
Nearby hotels include Rosewood Hong Kong, Regent Hong Kong, The Langham, Hong Kong and Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui. For the uninitiated, the Mondrian brand (under the Accor Live Limitless loyalty programme) has presence in cities such as Singapore (i.e. Mondrian Singapore Duxton), Los Angeles, New York and London, with the launch of the hotel marking Mondrian’s debut in Greater China.
The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Chic, stylish lifestyle hotel in Kowloon with great harbour views.
The must-dos (if any): Take in the harbour views from your room (if you have them), enjoy the lovely breakfast and playful cocktails at Avoca, indulge in a lovely dinner at Carna by Dario Cecchini.
MONDRIAN HONG KONG
Primarily designed by Karin Krautgartner (who was part of the team that gave Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht its distinctive brand of chic whimsy), the property offers uber-stylish interiors with eye-catching art installations and Instagrammable elements at every turn. The lobby boasts soaring ceilings, colourful mosaic walls and a reception desk with suspended halo lights against a white curtain backdrop, while the guest room floors remind me most of Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht with their quirky underwater animal kingdom stylings.
Cocktail bar Avoca has floor-to-ceiling windows offering beautiful views of Victoria Harbour, with the space offering different vibes during breakfast as well as after hours. The expansive space offers different seating set-ups, from cosy banquette seating to even a private daybed concealed with curtains area tucked away at the far end. Elsewhere, contemporary Italian steakhouse Carna by Dario Cecchini’s stunning interiors comes courtesy of Joyce Wang (The Berkeley Hotel, London; The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong; Mott 32 Singapore), with the bathrooms resembling luxurious confessionals (I am not kidding).
While there is no swimming pool, a snazzy fitness centre with Technogym equipment is located on the 2nd level. The rooftop level was closed during my stay, but sources tell me there are very exciting plans for the space in the coming months.
HARBOUR KING SUITE
With oversized windows offering panoramic views of Victoria Harbour from both the living room and the bedroom, the 49sqm Harbour King Suite (there are only 12 in the hotel) offers plenty of surprises, not just in terms of how intimate the views are (despite the property not being that close to the waters) but also the gorgeousness and expansiveness of the space which plays like an urbanite expat’s party-friendly abode (the suite even has a powder room). In many ways, the design of the suite reminds me of The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon, with which the hotel shares similar lifestyle DNA.
The living room has a plush, velvet-red banquette sofa which can seat seven folks easily, while the dining table sits window-side in the bedroom for a lovely harbour view meal experience. The pantry comprises a filtered water tap, a L’OR Barista coffee machine and TWG tea-making facilities, while the minibar is stocked with a range of snacks, beverages and beers along with wines and prosecco.
The bedroom has a dresser area perfect for the use of your Dyson hairdryer, while an open-concept wardrobe space connects the bedroom and the bathroom. The bathroom has a light-up vanity and an enclosed rainfall shower space with attached bathtub, with bathroom amenities from MALIN+GOETZ.
DINING
Breakfast is served at Avoca, the stylish cocktail bar located on the 38th level with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the harbour. Guests can either go for one of the three breakfast combos – the American-style Big Man Breakfast, the veggie-based Green Booster or the Japanese-inspired Asian Club Breakfast – or customise their meal by combining various elements from the “Build Your Own Way” menu. From the latter, I selected the Pan-fried Chinese Pork Bun, Acai Bowl, Omelette, Fried Egg Noodles with Scallion and Shredded Yunnan Ham, Steamed Pork Dumplings and Plain Congee with Pork Floss.
You would need to analyse and strategise before choosing your breakfast destiny, because some items from the breakfast combos such as the Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon and Spinach and the brilliant Asian Omelette with Shrimp and Mixed Vegetables (they managed to make broccoli taste amazing with the help of some char) are not available if you Build Your Own Way.
After dark, the space morphs into an intimate cocktail space with gorgeous harbour views. The playful cocktail menu draws inspirations from Hong Kong’s delicacies – think Mango Pomelo Colada (mango sago), 3:15PM Martini (yuenyeung), Claypot Negroni (claypot rice), Sesame & Peanut Butter Sour (rice rolls) and Haam Neng Mung (honey lemon). Elsewhere, the food menu comprises dishes such as Crispy Chicken Waffle, Lobster Pasta, Barbeque Pork Spare Ribs, Lamb Curry and Beef Empanadas.
Contemporary Italian steakhouse Carna by Dario Cecchini is located on the 39th level. The restaurant’s stunning interiors comes courtesy of Joyce Wang (The Berkeley Hotel, London; The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong; Mott 32 Singapore), with the bathrooms resembling luxurious and naughty confessionals. In keeping with the restaurant’s nose-to-tail concept, my dinner comprised of many different beef experiences, from the juicy Polpette Ripiene Di Midollo: (deep-fried beef meatballs, rich bone marrow, homemade orange sauce) and comforting Insalata Di Tenerumi (warm beef shin salad, carrot, celery, onion, salsa verde) to the indulgent Rigatoni Beef Cheek with Truffle and showstopping Italian Bistecca Toscana (COSTATA DI MANZO Italy, Grain-fed Frisonat, Carima, 45 Days Dry-aged).
CONCLUSION
I had a fantastic stay at the Mondrian Hong Kong, although a large part of it is attributed to me having stayed at one of the best rooms in the property. That being said, the dining venues have commendable offerings and are beautifully appointed, and I foresee Avoca and Carna being popular destinations in the coming months.
I for one would love to return for the other Hong Kong cuisine-inspired cocktails.
Mondrian Hong Kong
8A Hart Avenue
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
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