After spending most of my nights in this neighbourhood, I have fallen in love with Wan Chai. I love the character and the balance of the new and the old. I love the HK Island side. I have been looking to check out The Hari for the longest time but my trip keeps getting cancelled with the suspension of the bubble. The Hari is one of the hotels that open up during the pandemic. That is extremely brave of them. The hotel is the vision of Dr Aron Harilela, Chairman and CEO of Harilela Hotels Ltd. This is the second location under the ‘The Hari’ brand. They have another property in London which open a couple of years ago. The Hari offers bespoke and luxury accommodations in the heart of HK. It feels very intimate and like a luxury residential apartment. The boutique independent hotel is a refreshing take jam-packed with warm spaces where contemporary art adorns the walls. Home is the message that they are trying to convey.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
The Hari is located in Wan Chai. The location is very convenient. It is about a 10 mins walk to Causeway Bay. You have good public transportations links. There are tons of restaurants, bars and shops. It is a location that will never go wrong. For business travellers, a couple of stops take you right into the heart of the business district. I will recommend solo guests transfer from the Airport Express with a taxi ride. It will not cost more than 50 HKD to Hong Kong Station. Seeing The World In Steps stayed as a guest of The Hari. I was booked into their Corner Room. Do check out their rates directly as they are currently running some promotions. If you are looking to stay more than a night, you can also consider booking a special rate under The Hari Program via a travel agent. You will enjoy extra benefits such as a 100 USD credit, breakfast and room upgrade when you pay the same rate as the Flexible Rate. The Hari features 210 guest rooms and suites spread across 7 categories. They are the work of renowned interior designer, Tara Bernerd of Tara Bernerd & Partners. They have three unique suites featuring timber panelling, natural linen wallpaper and plush velvet upholstery. You can find some detailed information on the rooms and categories below.
| Rooms | Bathtub | Room Size |
|---|---|---|
| King / Twin | No | 25 Sqm |
| Corner | No | 30 Sqm |
| Premium Corner | No | 30 Sqm |
| Family | No | 55 Sqm |
| The Chesham Suite | Yes | 77 Sqm |
| The Library Suite | Yes | 77 Sqm |
| The Hari Suite | Yes | 80 Sqm |
Checking In
I arrived at the hotel at around noon. it is just a short ride away from The Park Lane HK where I stayed the night before. I took a cab which cost me around 40 HKD. It will be simpler if you are in a group or have baggage. As we pulled up, the concierge guys immediately came over to help me with my bags and ushered me to the first floor for check-in. Service is very attentive here. The ground floor is simply a reception area. It feels very intimate and pretty. I love the finishing and the furniture here. You have some seats here just in case you are waiting for your ride or something. A special mention to the concierge. They are good with guests and polished. Whenever I return, they will always make the extra effort to press for the lift and hold it open for me.
Check-in is on the first floor. I love the look of the place. Check out how gorgeous this place is. It is intimate and feels like a luxury apartment instead of a hotel. There is plenty of seating by the lobby. Here at the Lobby Lounge, you can get some drinks and afternoon tea. The area also acts as the overflow area for breakfast. I will share more about this later on. Check-in is a sit-down affair here. The staff were excellent and spoke great English. I was given the details of my stay. The staff also extended a late check-out till 3pm given my flight timing.
Corner King Room
I was assigned room 2901, a Corner King room on the 29th floor. This is the second highest floor of the hotel. The Corner room is one category above the base-level rooms. Located on the corner, it has a better view and offers more space. They had these cool leather kind of materials on the doors. I love the look of the room. It had this retro luxury feel without feeling over the top. The white marble, warm lighting and bronze finish are right up my alley. You have an L-shaped entrance as you enter the room. You then have an open-concept wardrobe.
It is so nicely designed and appropriate. The finishes feel so classy. It is equipped with some hangers and incorporated with the luggage storage area. Bathrobes and bath slippers are also provided and of good quality. You can also find a safe and hairdryer in the drawers. The bathrobes and towels provided are super plush and high quality. They are from Kashwere. An ironing kit is missing from the room but one is available on request. I would love to see them provide a portable luggage rack for larger suitcases.
Look at how lovely the bathroom is! I love all the white marble, silver trimmings and even the little green tissue box that adds up a little contrast. It comes with a single sink. All sorts of toiletries and amenities are provided. They had toiletries from La Bottega with a signature scent that is specifically created for The Hari. They lather well and had a lovely jasmine scent.
The shower room is spacious. You have both a handheld showerhead as well as a rainforest one. Water pressure is excellent but it does take a while to adjust to your ideal temperature. Heated flooring will be nice as the marble flooring tends to get quite cold in this season.
The entrance and the bathroom area are separated from the room by the door. I love this design. The antique brass crittall doors add so much flair and a touch of class to the room. When closed, the entire vibe feels elevated as you have a little cosy bedroom area.
The room is squarish in configuration. It is elegantly decorated. It feels luxurious but in a designer and thoughtful way. I love the dark wood colour, warm lighting and crisp white sheets look. The little white marble mini bar chest brings out the whole concept and design. Add in those ceilings to floor window panels which allow plenty of natural light in, it is such a cosy place.
Mounted on the wall, to the left of the room is a 49-inch 4K ultra HD flat-screen TV. Despite it being located at an angle away from the bed, it is actually mounted on a bracket that allows you to adjust it to face the bed or the seating area. The TV comes with plenty of cable and local TV channels. It also supports casting from both Apple and Android platforms. It is a joy to watch from.
The king-size bed is definitely the centrepiece of the entire room. It is so comfortable and I slept like a baby every night. It has a nice balance between being plush and yet having good back support. The same goes for the pillows which offer great neck support. You can also request harder contour pillows. They use Mühldorfer’s bedding & luxury linen. This is one of my favourite brands and it is also what Kempinski Capitol Singapore uses.
Nights stands are located on both sides of the beds. You can find the controls conveniently located. They had power outlets, USB ports as well as electronic controls for the sheers and blinds. Full marks on this aspect.
Facing the bed you have floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the surrounding area. You can even get a little harbour view at an angle. The banquette sofa is a great spot to relax on, read a book while enjoying the view. You can also find a rather large coffee table here that also works as the working desk. Outlets can be found within reach.
Later in the day, the staff came over with a lovely welcome amenity consisting of a bottle of champagne, some chocolate-covered strawberries and sweets.
In the corner, you have a little mini bar chest. It is equipped with a coffee machine and a kettle. Plenty of capsules and packaged tea can be found. I appreciate them offering a proper coffee machine. With the lack of an executive lounge, this is even more crucial. I do feel that the chest is not well designed as you have to bend over and stretch in to get the items and equipment that you would like to use. Complimentary bottles of drinking water are provided and these are replenished during turndown service as well as daily housekeeping.
Twin Room
I had a chance to tour a few other room types at The Hari, including one of the base-level Twin Rooms. This is the entry-level room category with a Twin or King configuration.
I will like to point out the thoughtful design they have. Given that there might be a possibility that you will be sharing the room with family or friends in a Twin configuration room. They had these privacy glass settings on the doors separating the bathroom from the bedroom area. This increases privacy. Very well thought design unique to this room category.
Fitness Centre
The fitness centre is located on level 6 and opens round the clock. You can simply access it with your key card. It is on the smaller side but well-equipped. There is also an outdoor area which will be quite nice in the warmer months. Great spot for practising yoga or some meditation. I love the vibe here. Everything is well-maintained and clean. Water and towels are provided for guests’ use. The 24-hour operations allow you to get a workout at any time of the day.
The Lounge
The Lounge is the area beside the reception counter. It is very gorgeous and cosy. It kinda gives out an upmarket residential apartment feeling. This will be a great spot for some drinks, relaxing, a business meeting or perhaps even to work out if you would like a change of scenery from your room. Here are some pictures of the place. They also have happy hour from 3pm to 8pm.
The place is designed to bring in plenty of natural light. It offers a lovely view of the Wan Chai neighbourhood. The area also showcases some of the art pieces that the hotel collects. The ceilings are intentionally designed to curve up nearer to the window panels to focus on the large window panels.
Zoku & The Terrace
Zoku & The Terrace is located on the second floor. Zoku which means “clan” in Japanese offers Japanese cuisine. The intimate restaurant is perfect for a date night. This is another great place to wind down the evening.
I love the outdoor terrace area. It offers a comfortable escape from the busy streets. How chic is this! In the evening, they have some lights on the building and by sitting in the outdoor area and looking up, you have a great view. Perfect for drinks.
Breakfast at Lucciola
Breakfast is served at Lucciola Restaurant located on the first floor, just next to the reception and the Lobby Lounge. Breakfast service is from 7am to 11am. I appreciate the generous hours. Lucciola is such a pretty and fancy restaurant. This is The Hari signature Italian restaurant. It is a rather intimate one with roughly only 12 tables. It might get rather full, especially during periods of high occupancy. Thankfully the lobby lounge will be a good overflow area. Here are some pictures of the restaurant! Ain’t it pretty?
Breakfast is in a semi-buffet concept and costs 218 HKD if not included in your room rate. You can have unlimited helpings from the buffet lineup consisting mainly of continental items as well as a couple of hot dishes, juices, sparkling wine and fruits. Hot drinks are included. You can choose one hot main that will be freshly cooked upon order. They have a total of 12 different mains that you can choose from. I love the selections. This will work very well for long-staying guests with a plethora of options. You can find the menu here.
I was down for breakfast at around 8.45am on a weekday. It isn’t too busy at this time of the day. I was warmly welcomed in and shown to a table! Staff service was attentive and drinks orders were taken. I love their coffee drinks and appreciate that they are made from a proper espresso machine. Nothing of those instant coffee crap! Quality coffee and fresh orange juice are the basics for any Italian place.
Here are some pictures of the buffet line. The selection isn’t huge but everything is high quality and delicious. You can find a selection of freshly cut fruits, cereals, full, skimmed, oat or soy milk, pastries and fruit juices. They also have two hot dishes. I love their congee. Their fresh juices were great and they also had some sparkling wine on offer. You could whip up a little mimosa to kick-start those vacation vibes. They also offer BEURRE D’ISIGNY BUTTER! One of the most amazing offerings in the world! I love the ham. Offerings also change slightly from day to day.
On my first morning, I had the Eggs Benedict. It was served with Canadian bacon, English muffin, hollandaise sauce and chives.
On my second morning, I tried their Sourdough avocado toast with tomatoes and green peas.
I have always preferred freshly cooked food over a huge buffet line. The breakfast here is up my alley. You have a small but high-quality buffet line where you can help yourself to some pastries and juices. The main is freshly cooked. That is the best hotel breakfast for me. I appreciate the high-quality offerings. The environment is very cosy and comfortable. It would be nice if they could incorporate one or two of the local HK delights on the menu. Perhaps a Chinese set? Add in some fresh local pastries like Polo Bun and Egg Tart.
Conclusion
One of the best and great additions to the luxury hotel market in Hong Kong Island and the Wan Chai neighbourhood. Kudos to them for making a mark on the map, especially during this difficult period. They are brave to open up during the pandemic. I have no qualms recommending them to anyone that is travelling to Hong Kong. Everything is top-notch here. I love the vibes and the decor. It exhibits a luxurious and posh environment in a classy way. I would love for them to join programs like Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts and Virtuoso to drive occupancy given the lack of a chain. I am looking forward to seeing more The Hari around the world and trying out The Hari London! While I love staying at chain hotels to rack up points and enjoy extra benefits, it can be rather refreshing to stay at boutique properties like The Hari from time to time.
This was a hosted media stay, all views expressed are my own.
Seeing The World In Steps 
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