The Luxe Manor

Description:

• The entrance to this boutique hotel is so discrete, you could walk right by the proverbial looking glass and never know it leads to one of the most whimsical hotels I've seen, with rooms looking like something Salvador Dalí might have dreamed up if asked to design the set for Alice in Wonderland. In other words, things are not as they seem: wall-mounted LCD TVs framed like gilded mirrors above faux fireplaces, picture frames framing nothing, and fun furniture such as desks with four totally different leg shapes. The six suites, each one different, are even more exaggerated flights of fantasy: The Safari room gives the illusion of being inside a tent, for example, while the Mirage is like being in a carnival fun house with dysfunctional furniture (like a lampshade disappearing into the coffee table). In short, hoteliers from all over the world guilty of selling boring rooms should take lessons here, but visitors will have to decide for themselves if this is the Hong Kong they've come to see. My only quibble is that rooms have only showers instead of tubs, robbing me of a relaxing bath after a long flight. Still, you could do far worse than this unique hotel, especially if you can snag one of its discounted Internet rates.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010