Located off the beaten tourist path in Kowloon's Kwun Tong neighborhood (better known for factories and small office buildings), Nina Hotel Kowloon East fills a gap in the market for upscale digs in the neighborhood.
The modern, minimalist hotel has 254 rooms, each decorated in muted tones with a streamlined Japanese aesthetic. The airy lobby similarly uses natural stone and metal materials, with a lacquered bird-shaped concierge desk and an interactive tourist guide.
The modern decor and freebies are where the hotel shines. Reception is on the 35th floor, with angular desks, neon lighting and a fantastic view of the surrounding industrial neighborhood and harbor through floor-to-ceiling windows.
An all-day presentation of coffee, tea and water is complimentary for guests, across from an open-plan gym that includes a punching bag and wooden martial arts dummy. Also in plain view is the small rooftop pool, visible from reception through a glass wall, but with a great vista of Hong Kong Island.
The modern, minimalist hotel has 254 rooms, each decorated in muted tones with a streamlined Japanese aesthetic. The airy lobby similarly uses natural stone and metal materials, with a lacquered bird-shaped concierge desk and an interactive tourist guide.
The modern decor and freebies are where the hotel shines. Reception is on the 35th floor, with angular desks, neon lighting and a fantastic view of the surrounding industrial neighborhood and harbor through floor-to-ceiling windows.
An all-day presentation of coffee, tea and water is complimentary for guests, across from an open-plan gym that includes a punching bag and wooden martial arts dummy. Also in plain view is the small rooftop pool, visible from reception through a glass wall, but with a great vista of Hong Kong Island.
Our Inspector's Highlights
- All rooms are furnished with an iPad on the nightstand, from which guests can browse the pillow menu, order room service (with photos of each dish on the menu included) and check their email.
- All rooms come with complimentary beverages in the mini bar, including Fiji water, glass-bottled Coca-Cola, Schweppes cream soda, pocari and green tea.
- A more unusual offering for buffets in the city, dinner at Forte includes an antipasti section at the buffet, including roasted mixed peppers and roasted mushrooms.
- While the concierge team on the ground floor lobby is always happy to help, guests also can browse through the interactive guide screen nearby, which offers helpful information and maps on local nightlife, restaurants, leisure activities and geoparks.
- It’s may be strange to include flooring as a hotel highlight, but the rooms include a unique combination of semi-rough woods in the bedroom and gray stone flooring in the bathrooms, with wooden planks for the shower floor. The effect is calming and sure to be cleaner than the average hotel carpet.
Things to Know
- Those hoping to host colleagues or friends in a buzzy hotel lobby won’t find that atmosphere at this property, which has only two sculptural chairs on its ground floor and a few café-style tables and chairs on the 35th floor reception level.
- The Hong Kong hotel has a lovely small pool with comfortable loungers, open during the summer months. Shy guests might feel uncomfortable by the proximity to the reception desks, visible just beyond a glass wall.
- The property offers a complimentary shuttle from the hotel in Kwun Tong to Tsim Sha Tsui, where tourists can shop their hearts out, as well as to the Airport Express Kowloon Station, offering an easy way for you to make your way to and from Hong Kong International Airport.
The Rooms
- Stone flooring is used in the entryway and bathroom, while the bedroom features a semi-rough wooden floor, textured beige walls, high ceilings and clean-lined wooden furnishings, creating a calm and tranquil space.
- A floor-to-ceiling brown leather backdrop frames the king-size bed, which is opposite a 40-inch flat-screen television inset in the wall, while the mini bar, glassware and snacks are all hidden in a wooden credenza, minimizing clutter in the room.
- In a city like Hong Kong, the bathroom size at Nina Hotel Kowloon East is more than adequate, with an open setup that includes a glass-walled shower, a double-wide sink on a marble vanity with plenty of counter space, a toilet and a sliding door.
- The window dividing the bathroom from the bedroom can be frosted or transparent at the flick of a switch, while stone flooring, gray marble walls and a wooden-plank floor in the shower serve as additional unique touches.
The Look
- The hotel looks distinctly 21st century, with a combination of white-veined gray marble, extensive glass walls and windows, and an array of sculptural furniture, such as the giant lacquered white bird that serves as the concierge desk.
- The hotel has a sense of vibrancy in its public areas, with copper paneling, neon up lighting and video screens present in the ground floor lobby and the amenities area on the 35th floor.
- Furnishings are carefully curated (which does mean seating is limited for guests in the public spaces), with only two high-backed sculptural chairs in the ground floor lobby and a few café-style tables and chairs on the 35th floor.
- Copper paneling, extensive glass walls and the reflective marble surfaces lend an overall open atmosphere to the space, with large metal art sculptures on display, offer a chic and stark contrast to the factory district outside.
- A floral tea scent permeates the hotel’s lobby and hallways, while displays of fossils in the public areas and rooms lends a sense of history.
Getting There
38 Chong Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong
TEL852-3968-8666
NEARBY AIRPORT(S)
HKG
