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The Upper House, Hong Kong’s most luxurious hotel! Video review of our 5 star suite.

upper house hong kong view

One of the perks of travel writing: you get to stay in a lot of nice hotels. At this point, it takes a lot to knock my fishnets off.

But Hong Kong’s modern luxury hotel, The Upper House, left me speechless. I can’t stop thinking about the Zen interior design, and attention to “guest experience” that goes far beyond 5-stars.

And boy did we have fun, partying in our mega-suite overlooking the harbor! We hope you smile at our video about the Upper House, and Miffy-madness below.

upper house hotel suite window

The seamless service began as soon as Yukiro and I arrived at Hong Kong Airport. A driver welcomed us with a “La Carmina” sign, and drove us straight to the Upper House hotel in a luxury black car. Instead of having to wait in a check-in line, our “Guest Experience Manager” immediately took us up to our upgraded suite on the 41st floor. After he gave us a tour, we fell over on the floor, dazed by the unpretentious yet majestic treatment we had received!

5 star hotel, admiralty hong kong

Death rang the doorbell (aka John Skeleton). Outside, Hong Kong is humid, aggressive and stifling. But here, we felt like we were floating in a Zen cloud, far above the madness.

upper house free standing bathtub, sculptures

The bathroom is as large as an apartment in Japan (400 sq ft), and stocked with every amenity imaginable. Tweezers? Check. Eye cream? Check. The star of the show is the limestone free-standing bathtub, fronted by a curved, abstract sculpture made of sandstone.

pacific place, hong kong lobby

The Upper House is located at Pacific Place in Admiralty — an ideal location, only a few stops from Central and Causeway Bay. The staff knows every guest by name, and greeted us as we entered and exited. Yukiro was easy to remember, with his rockabilly hair and fiery disposition!

We were so inspired by our heavenly suite that we made a video about it. Watch our funny Upper House shenanigans above and on YouTube. (And check out more of my travel videos here.)

swire hotels, upper house hk

An epic view requires an epic pose. My dress is a present from Nanette Lepore: it’s this exact Runaway Stripe design, which is great for traveling since it can be dressed up or down. The crochet top is by Liz Lisa.

hotel gifts, travel bloggers

The Upper House staff goes out of its way to make guests blissfully happy, and left these thoughtful gifts in our room. During our room orientation, Yukiro mentioned that he wanted to buy Chinese tea. The next day, there was a complimentary tea box in the room, along with a handwritten note!

upper house hotel floors, balcony

The Upper House is under the Swire Hotels umbrella, and designed by young architect Andre Fu. He received international accolades for his work here, and deservedly so.

hong kong luxury hotel, andre fu architect

At first glance, the interiors are minimal. However, the longer you stay here, the more you’ll notice subtle elements that convey a warm and peaceful feeling. Such as symmetry, rounded shapes, and natural materials (ceramics, wood, sandstone).

hail satan drink coffee, black craft tshirt

Case in point: the elevator has no “Close” button, to encourage guest to slow down and breathe. Yukiro decided to push “Yes” on Death’s t-shirt instead.

upper house garden, art

The 6th floor has a secret garden with a grassy lawn. Guests can relax and join yoga classes in this oasis.

The Upper House Rooms, Accommodations

We couldn’t keep our 1230 square foot Upper Suite to ourselves. So we invited over a few friends…

large hong kong suite

Once again, an example of the glorious guest service: the manager heard we were having a get-together, so he sent up a bottle of champagne!

Have you noticed that at my parties, someone always ends up on the floor, getting kicked?

hong kong instagrammers

Soon, we had a fabulous mix of fashion bloggers, designers, models, photographers, illustrators, Instagram stars…

hong kong gay lgbt parties

Hong Kong doesn’t really have an underground or alternative clubbing scene. The best parties tend to be private get-togethers, like ours.

china fashion bloggers

Everyone enjoyed relaxing on the bespoke furniture. Each room has an iPod touch and stereo set-up, so Death plugged in and DJ-ed.

chinese fashion bloggers

Erm… things got a bit crazy…

hong kong style blogs

How spooky, the far left face! Our guests ate up everything in the complimentary Maxi Bar: free coconut water, juices, beer, sweets, cookies.

chinese goth makeup

We put the big bathtub to good use. I think we fit about 10 people in there!

hong kong street style instagram

The lighting and design make the Upper House an ideal place for Instagramming.

male lap dance

Want to see our Italo Disco dancing and shenanigans? Check out our silly video.

miffy bunny balloon

The next day, we discovered Miffy in the comfy bed. She refused to move from the 400 thread count linen.

upper house hotel bathroom, tub

She worked off her hangover by taking a bath, while gazing at the skyline view.

miffy statue, balloon

Oh Miffeh… that’s enough beer for you! And don’t try to leave with that robe!

upper house entrance, escalator

One of my favorite parts of the Upper House was this dark entry tunnel. As guests ascend, they enter into a serene mindset, leaving behind the bustle and noise of the city.

My Cream Skull top and pink dress with Goth crosses are from Hyoma, Izzue / I.T store.

upper house design, designer andre fu

Andre Fu designed the space to feel like a private residence, hence the absence of a check-in counter and other typical “hotel” elements. Tranquility is the key here…

zen circular sand drawing

… communicated thorugh subtle design elements. We didn’t notice this Zen sand arrangement by the escalators until a few days later.

upper house architecture

A peaceful pool, to encourage reflection.

light, shadow swire hotels

I particularly loved the choice of contemporary art. Light and shadow near the restaurant, a “cocoon” in the elevator, all integrated naturally into the design.

cafe gray deluxe breakfast, truffle egg crossant

I’m still thinking of my breakfast at Cafe Gray Deluxe. Yukiro enjoyed berry pancakes with creme fraiche, while I had truffled eggs on a croissant. Everything is made fresh to order.

Sky Lounge 奕居

I wish I could have spent more time on the 49th floor Sky Lounge, which has a fireplace, snacks, and reading materials. How about this view of Wan Chai and the Peak?

upper suites, penthouses

This photo says it all: we didn’t want to leave the Upper House Hotel! The most basic rooms are $700 US a night, but the numerous perks and attentive service make it worth the value. The staff cares about your experience, and doesn’t nickle-and-dime you for extras. For a special occasion, this is a splurge that is truly memorable. At the very least, come for dinner with a view, at Cafe Gray Deluxe restaurant (we reviewed it in this post.)

hong kong hotel with harbour view

Thanks to the Upper House for this unforgettable stay. I felt rejuvenated, and renewed my appreciation for my friends and Hong Kong. It does’t get better than that.

PS: Don’t forget to watch our funny video about how we enjoyed our suite!

32 Comments

  1. Petal
    Posted September 20, 2014 at 12:29 am | Permalink

    Miffffffy..lol

  2. Lip
    Posted September 20, 2014 at 12:36 am | Permalink

    (=^ω^=)

  3. Shou
    Posted September 20, 2014 at 12:37 am | Permalink

    I laughed til I peed!

  4. nadine
    Posted September 20, 2014 at 12:44 am | Permalink

    sweet! thanks for doing more videos

  5. Gothflower
    Posted September 20, 2014 at 3:44 am | Permalink

    ahaha

  6. Kitty
    Posted September 20, 2014 at 5:36 am | Permalink

    mifffeehhhhhhh! Such a fun night. Hope to see you and some more helium pals soon xx

  7. Craig
    Posted September 20, 2014 at 5:37 am | Permalink

    where did the guy get those cool t-shirt from

  8. yukiro
    Posted September 20, 2014 at 5:42 am | Permalink

    Upperhouse clearly is the best hotel Ive ever stayed at ! So much fun memories and fanatic luxury. The Mifffuueee video fuck my head over with laugh attacks XD

  9. Alicia
    Posted September 21, 2014 at 2:53 am | Permalink

    What a gorgeous hotel.

  10. Xian
    Posted September 21, 2014 at 2:53 am | Permalink

    Can’t wait to see your China post.

  11. Kessi
    Posted September 21, 2014 at 2:54 am | Permalink

    Hello Gorgeous,

    I came across your channel this morning and loved what I saw!

  12. Elaine
    Posted September 21, 2014 at 2:56 am | Permalink

    Oh my, that looks like a comfortable bed. The croissant <3

    • lacarmina
      Posted September 26, 2014 at 6:35 am | Permalink

      I know Elaine, I am still thinking about that croissant

  13. Aimee
    Posted September 21, 2014 at 5:51 am | Permalink

    Drooooooool

  14. Lucid
    Posted September 21, 2014 at 6:11 am | Permalink

    Fancy. Nice view~

  15. Eye pack
    Posted September 21, 2014 at 8:25 pm | Permalink

    Amazing shots!

  16. shiek
    Posted September 21, 2014 at 8:26 pm | Permalink

    You get to go to so many beautiful places!

  17. Aleph
    Posted September 21, 2014 at 8:26 pm | Permalink

    <3

  18. Alia
    Posted September 21, 2014 at 8:27 pm | Permalink

    Droooool

  19. Lucid
    Posted September 21, 2014 at 8:27 pm | Permalink

    Fancy place. Nice view. ~

  20. Christopher
    Posted September 21, 2014 at 8:28 pm | Permalink

    Funny video. Makes me want to stay at the upper house.

  21. Haru
    Posted September 24, 2014 at 4:09 am | Permalink

    So jealous you got to stay here. How do you like the Philippines?

    • lacarmina
      Posted September 26, 2014 at 6:34 am | Permalink

      I love it here! Everyone is so nice and the food rocks.

  22. Ape
    Posted September 24, 2014 at 4:10 am | Permalink

    Is great

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