Tsim Sha Tsui / Victoria Dockside

Rosewood Hong Kong

★★★★★

Rosewood Hong Kong opened in March 2019 and immediately became the hotel everyone wanted to see. It occupies a soaring tower in Victoria Dockside, the redeveloped harbourfront district on Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, beside the Avenue of Stars and the K11 Musea arts mall, and it brought a new idea of luxury to the city: residential, art-filled and relaxed rather than formal. Rooms are among the largest of any luxury hotel in Hong Kong, designed like elegant apartments with warm woods, art from Asian artists, deep bathtubs and, in the harbour-view categories, floor-to-ceiling windows framing the island skyline. The culinary program is extraordinary, with eleven restaurants and bars. The Legacy House serves refined Shunde and Cantonese cuisine inspired by the family history of the hotel's owner. Holt's Cafe does all-day comfort food with an Asian twist, CHAAT serves modern Indian cuisine, and HENRY is an American grill. Bayfare Social, Marmo Bistro, BluHouse and Bar Camillo cover the Mediterranean and casual Italian, and the bars are destinations in their own right: the DarkSide, a moody jazz and cocktail lounge with a deep list of rare spirits, and The Butterfly Room, for afternoon tea. Asaya, the hotel's wellness concept, includes Asaya Spa by Guerlain, a fitness centre and the Asaya Pool, an outdoor pool with harbour views. The service is warm and personal, the Manor Club offers a private lounge for suite guests, and families are well looked after, with spacious connecting rooms and family suites.

The location gives you the best of Kowloon. You are a few steps from the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade and the Avenue of Stars, a short walk from the Star Ferry, the MTR and Nathan Road, and next to K11 Musea, a mall with art installations, design shops and restaurants. West Kowloon's museums, M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, are a short taxi away. The hotel's harbour-view rooms look directly across at Central and Wan Chai, and are perfect for watching the sunset and the skyline lights; the views from the higher floors are among the best in the city. City-view rooms are more affordable but lose the main reason for staying.

Choosing a room: the Harbour View rooms are generous and well worth the premium; Manor Club rooms and suites add club lounge access, with food and drinks through the day; and the suites, including some very large family and residential-style suites, are among the city's best. Ask about connecting rooms for families. Eating in is part of the stay: try dim sum at the Legacy House, breakfast at Holt's Cafe, and a nightcap at the DarkSide, which has live jazz most evenings.

Who it suits: couples and design lovers, food-focused travelers and families who want space and service. The trade-offs: prices are at the top end, the hotel is large and busy, especially at weekends when locals come for brunch and the bars, and the surrounding area is commercial rather than charming. But for contemporary luxury, harbour views and dining under one roof, the Rosewood is one of the best hotels in Asia, and our pick for travelers who want the modern face of Hong Kong.