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HONG KONG
If you have yet to venture out to Hong Kong Island's quieter eastside, then EAST, Hong Kong should be on your next-visit list for an urban escape. With its direct access to Cityplaza and Taikoo MTR station, the hotel has no shortage of eateries around, including its very own iconic rooftop bar Sugar and café Domain (which have recently joined forces to create the BAO Beer, inspired by both menus). We checked in to experience the interactive art programme “City Symphony" followed by a cocktails evening at Sugar.
Gathering creativity, community and urbanism elements, Art at EAST is an initiative to explore sustainability and urban living in artistic form. In the latest interactive exhibition, City Symphony, the hotel teamed up with local artists and brought in five 'sound monsters' to the hotel lobby, marrying the visual of an imaginative sculpture with sounds recorded from the Taikoo neighbourhood. Activate the monsters with a group of five and you'll hear the full City Symphony – and head over soon, it's open to the public until 29th September 2021.
We stayed in the corner room which offered stunning night views from the king-sized bed. There's a small but well-equiped spacious bathroom separated from the bedroom with a sheet of dark glass, allowing you to grasp a full view of the landscape from your shower. In a bid to reduce waste and plastic, the hotel replaces bottled water with its distillation taps in the newly renovated rooms. In-room amenities included a Nespresso machine for your morning coffee, desk and lamp for work, TV for a late-night movie, and even a speaker to get your staycation beats going.
Adhering to the sustainability commitments of Swire Hotels, EAST, Hong Kong launched its very own BAO Beer, collecting surplus bread from their café Domain and working with local breweries like H.K. Lovecraft to transform them into an amber German beer. The craft beer is available at Sugar while the bottled take-home version is available for purchase at Domain and MR & MRS FOX.
Images courtesy of Yoyo Ho | CSPTimes
Lucky for cocktail-lovers, Sugar regularly updates its seasonal cocktail menu and the latest one – 'Take A Shot' – highlights Hong Kong's most-photogenic spots and collaborates with celebrity Hong Kong bartender Alvin Ching. Highlights include the fruity rum-based 32/F, inspired by the colourful Choi Hung Estate, and Ming Pier, a tribute to the iconic Victoria Harbour – a Sichuan Baijiu-based drink garnished with blue salts drawn as waves from the sea. The menu is only available until December 2021 so enjoy your night with these special concoctions while you can!
With the holistic offerings of chic dining, a gym and outdoor pool and friendly hospitality, EAST, Hong Kong has established itself from simply a business hotel, to a well-rounded one-stop urban leisure destination.
EAST, Hong Kong, 29 Tai Koo Shing Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, +852 3968 3968, reservations@east-hongkong.com