A nondescript door in a narrow high-rise, among many other unremarkable buildings on a crowded block across from Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Hong Kong leads to the sleek, modern, new Hotel de Edge by Rhombus.
Once in the foyer there is no obvious lobby as it is located one floor up, reached via elevator. The small, yet chic, lobby was manned by two helpful staff members who spoke English and efficiently checked us in the evening of our arrival. Two elevators are available to reach guest rooms, relieving some of the pressure of busy mornings.
Rooms
Our room, which was characteristically small in the space-challenged northern shore of Hong Kong Island, where more than 1 million people are crammed into 16 square miles, turned out to be extremely well appointed. More than that, much thought went into planning every square inch of space. We were surprised to find a mini-bar, glassware and a coffee-maker tucked into a corner cabinet, a luxurious feather comforter, feather pillows, guest robes, plenty of horizontal spaces to place suitcases and a window seat with a sweeping view of Victoria Harbor. A 40 inch flat screen TV swung out from the window seat, and there was a DVD, MP3 player and free Wi-Fi, providing several entertainment options. Finding a newspaper hanging in a bag on the door when we went to breakfast in the morning was a nice touch.
In the compact bathroom the shower boasted outstanding pressure and spray, providing a refreshing bathing experience to wash away the jet lag after a long flight across the Pacific. A drawer was well stocked with amenities such as toothbrush, razor and hair dryer. The top half of the wall separating the bathroom from the bedroom is glass, with no privacy screen, which could be an issue for some.
Our traveling companion booked a larger room, which, in comparison to ours, was very spacious with a large open area between the bed and the bath, and a bathtub, and is shown on the hotel website. The larger room would be better suited for one or two people with a lot of luggage, or if you’re going to be there a few days and want to spread out. We were only staying one night so the smaller room was perfectly adequate for us.
Glo Restaurant
On the same floor as the registration desk, Glo Restaurant is wedged in at the back of the building. Eschewing the typical buffet breakfasts that are common in Hong Kong hotels, the breakfast offerings include a variety of options, including Eggs Benedict, Parma Ham Omelet and Contadina Frittata, all cooked to order, and Salmon Bagel, yogurt and granola. A simple order of fried eggs and potatoes turned out to be uncommonly savory, with bright, fresh flavors from first class ingredients, from the perfectly stewed tomato that retained firmness and texture, to the very thin slices of bacon, plump, grilled sausage, reminding me of "Full Irish" breakfasts that fueled us through Ireland years ago.
We didn’t partake of any other meals but did enjoy a fine glass of Australian Shiraz one evening from the well-stocked wine list.
Getting there
One challenge is that the Hotel de Edge can be a bit hard to find since it is represented by a doorway in a narrow building among other narrow buildings. Located in the bustling Western District, dominated by purveyors of dried seafood, one might easily miss the Hotel de Edge, especially as it is awkwardly located on a confusing part of Connaught Road West that forces drivers onto Des Voeux Road, which parallels Connaught Road West. In addition, it is new, so cab drivers may not be familiar with it. Go armed with directions provided by the hotel and spend some time with a map before you arrive for best results. During our visit we eventually exited the cab and carried our bags one block as it was easier to navigate on foot.
Value
The Hotel de Edge offers good value in the notoriously expensive city of Hong Kong, ranging from $120-220, depending on the time of year and day of the week, which compares favorably with other hotels in the area.
Summary
This stylish hotel offers a cosmopolitan experience for good value. Just be sure to have good directions to get you from the train station to avoid frustration on arrival.
Information:
Hotel de Edge
94-95 Connaught Road West
Hong Kong
852-3559-9988
www.hoteldeedge.com.hk
Recommend downloading the map of the hotel location from the Hotel de Edge website, located under the Location tab.
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