City Slickers
Stylish, urban hotels for the perfect weekend getaway
W Hong Kong, Hong Kong
1 Austin Road West, Kowloon Station, Kowloon, (852) 3717 2222,
www.starwoodhotels.com.
Urbane yet intimate, the trendy W is known for high sophistication and the finer things in life. This design-driven, innovative address is known for its wow factor the world over and its Hong Kong branch is among its best. The rooms and suites come stylish decked with designer furnishings, high-end toiletries, rainfall showers and snug bathtubs in spacious bathrooms and ultra comfortable beds. Granted, the location leaves a little to be desired (although, we hear Kowloon’s where it’s at these days) but once you get here you’ll not care too much about that.
Amenities/facilities: Spa, WiFi ($20 a day in rooms), business center and a kickass pool. The W’s renowned Whatever/Whenever service also allows you to request anything you want at any time.
You’ll remember it for: Its extraordinarily modern design, dreamy suites and stunning views of the harbor.
Rates start at: HK$3,300 ($550) per night.
Elsewhere in Hong Kong: for a funky 4-star boutique hotel experience try the Jia Boutique Hotel (1 Irving St., Causeway Bay, (852) 3196-9000, www.jiahongkong.com), which has the distinction of being the first Philippe Starck-designed boutique hotel.
Ma Maison, Ho Chi Minh City
656/52 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, Ward 11, District 3, (84) 8384-60263,
www.mamaison.vn.
With bright pastel walls and gorgeous French windows, this feels more like a rural Provençal country home than a contemporary, metropolitan Asian boutique hotel. Barely two years old, it’s one of Saigon’s better kept secrets and we almost feel guilty letting le chat out of the bag. The rooms have a Laura Ashley-esque quality to them (no, not necessarily a bad thing) and their wooden floors and antique-styled furniture further accentuate the summer cottage feel. The showers are a little small (we know boutique hotel fiends love their dinner plate showerheads and all), but that would be nitpicking. The view from the roof terrace is another feather in this hotel’s cap. Although it overlooks a busy street, Ma Maison manages to retain a quiet, calm feel and, needless to say, the service here ranks among the best found in the country.
Amenities/facilities: The Art & Souvenir gallery has a collection of evocative black and white photos; and the Little Bistro cafe serves up some decent meals. Rooms come with simple mod cons, like flat screen TVs and free WiFi. There’s no elevator, so you better come prepared.
You’ll remember it for: A slice of France amid the hubbub of one Southeast Asia’s most bustling cities. A few foreign residents have even moved in long-term.
Rates start at: US$70 ($90) per night.
Elsewhere in Vietnam: Tired of the city? Then head for the picturesque harbor town Hoi An mid-way up the country’s east coast and check into the fabulous The Nam Hai (Hamlet 1, Dien Duong Village, Dien Ban District, Quang Nam Province, (84) 510 394-000, www.ghmhotels.com), where you can enjoy expansive views of the South China Sea from your villa. Stunning in every sense of the word.
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