Faye Bradley
A Trendy Stay at Ovolo Central—Where Pooches are also Welcome
Lan Kwai Fong is known for its party district reputation, yet up in the highest hilltop of the bustle, Ovolo Central offers a trendy respite away from the noise. The urban sanctuary is a design-led boutique hotel, part of Hong Kong-born Ovolo group, and has recently been praised globally for its implementation of vegetarian-only menus across all its hotels—the first hotel group in the world to do so. Taking a short one-night break away from downtown crowds, we drop by the swanky hotel where complimentary minibars and Hong Kong’s first hotel vegetarian restaurant await.

Image courtesy of Mr Ping | Cha Siu Papers Times
Central location
As the group’s flagship out of its three Hong Kong properties and several Australian outposts, Ovolo Central is where it all began. Conveniently located on Arbuthnot Road, between Lan Kwai Fong and Soho, guests can be at a chic bar or Michelin-starred restaurant within a mere few minutes’ walk from the hotel. Tai Kwun is also adjacent to the hotel, an arts and culture hub worth visiting for those new in town.

Image courtesy of Mr Ping | Cha Siu Papers Times
Design-savvy boutique
The hotel boasts a contemporary interior design, using vibrant murals and retro furnishings—when you enter the lift lobby, eighties music fills the halls. Suited to business and leisure travellers, the hotel is surprisingly wallet-friendly given its Central location and is the perfect stay for local residents too, who can bring their pooches on the stay.

Image courtesy of Mr Ping | Cha Siu Papers Times
Facilities
Designed to be as guest-friendly as possible, Ovolo Central hosts a range of benefits included in the room rate. The complimentary breakfast to kickstart the day, high-speed WiFi for working guests, self-service laundry for convenience, and 24-hour gym access to work up a sweat any time of the day. Meanwhile, the minibar is complimentary where one can make in-room cocktails before heading to the bar to savour sundowner drinks at social hour.

Image courtesy of Mr Ping | Cha Siu Papers Times
Simple yet chic
There are 42 rooms at Ovolo Central, spread over 24 floors. Guests can choose between three types of accommodation—the Gold Room, Platinum Room and the Radio Suite. We stayed in the Platinum Room, a spacious and modern studio space with a king bed, work desk and dining table. Décor in the bedroom is simple yet trendy with the colourful murals while the bathroom is minimal and clean. The room is equipped with a Nespresso machine and coffee and tea making facilities.

Image courtesy of Mr Ping | Cha Siu Papers Times
Vegetarian dining
VEDA is Hong Kong’s first hotel vegetarian restaurant, a milestone for the local dining scene. Derived from the Sanskrit word “vid”, meaning “to know”, VEDA is a cosy restaurant below the lobby area, serving all-day dining and a mini cocktail bar. There’s also an outdoor area for guests bringing their dogs—non-staying-guests are, of course, also welcome to dine. We had the four-course dinner, which included the Silk Road Momos and Cashew Naan Pizza as highlights. For breakfast, we devoured Veda’s Breakfast, although there were, unfortunately, no hash browns or baked beans on that day.

Image courtesy of Mr Ping | Cha Siu Papers Times
Ovolo V.I.Pooch Package
Ovolo offers dog-friendly staycations for pooches to soak in the best of the city too. The V.I.Pooch Package includes:
A doggy bed where your furry buddy can snuggle and relax like a real boss
An eating/drinking mat and food bowl so they can feast in style
A doggy bag with specially designed dog toys and treats, and…
Dog-friendly staff on hand to provide assistance when you need it
Ovolo Central, 2 Arbuthnot Rd, Central, Hong Kong, +852 3755 3000, ovolohotels.com