The hard to find J Plus Boutique Hotel (formerly the JIA), owes its chic new design to the ubiquitous Philippe Stark. He designed this cool, conceptualised Hong Kong haute spot as his first venture into the Asian hotel market and his clever, cool and playful style is apparent from the moment you slip inside its somewhat unremarkable exterior. On entering the low-lit marble lobby you’re immediately met with glossy teak flooring, luminous Louis ghost chairs, overstuffed silver sofas and super-attentive staff.
A series of studios and suites make the room count up to 54, and each is a pristine white space with teak floors and flashes of metallic. They’re all decidedly on the diminutive side, so opt for the one or two-bedroom apartments if you can. Bathrooms are also small but the toiletries are not; full-size bottles of sweet-smelling lotus and white tea toiletries more than make up for the lack of space, as does the surround sound high-tech music system.
But then you’re probably not going to spend much time in your room when visiting a city as dynamic as Hong Kong… And with the lovely Victoria Park, the stellar shopping of Jardine’s Bazaar, the SOGO department store and the shoe shops of Happy Valley – along with everything else Causeway Bay has to offer - all pretty much on the doorstep, the location is probably its strongest suit of all.
What’s hot?
- Lots of foodie extras: Continental breakfast, free coffee, tea and juice 24-hours a day, and complimentary afternoon cakes and evening wine in the lobby
- Private members access to the hottest clubs in town, Dragon-i and Kee
- The winning location
What’s not?
- Rooms are small (but perfectly formed, as the saying goes…)
- No spa but the hotel has negotiated discounts at a few first-rate spas in the immediate area
Need to Know: J Plus Boutique Hotel
Number of rooms: 54 studios and suites
Check-in/check-out times: 2pm and 12noon
Room service: Yes. 24-hour room service is available as are tasty treats from an assortment of nearby restaurants
Swimming pool: No
Spa: No
Dogs welcome: No
Eating and drinking: The Drawing Room serves delectable Italian delicacies and the classy crystal glass bar area is a seductive spot for a cocktail or two. It livens up considerably on Wednesdays and weekends when the town’s hottest DJs swing by to up the musical ante.
Near to? You don’t get the views here, but you couldn’t be better positioned to explore the island. Causeway Bay is a buzzing energetic metropolis and design-lovers will adore the wide variety of shopping opportunities. The eclectic Jardine’s Bazaar is right outside and is ideal for accessories and clothing alterations. Hip Hong Kong lifestyle store G.O.D. is nearby, and if you head towards the Happy Valley racecourse you’ll find a selection of independent shoe shops, that for less than the price of decent dinner will run you up beautiful bespoke footwear in any design of your choice. The ten-storey SOGO department store is also on the doorstep along with about a billion other shops.
Getting there: The easiest option is to take the 25-minute journey on the Airport Express to Central, then catch a cab to Causeway Bay. The MTR (subway) station is just a street away, and there you’ll also find loads of quick and efficient little yellow mini-buses to take you to the beach and beyond.
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