One96

Worth getting out of bed for

There’s little to do in the hotel but luxuriate in your apartment, whip up a light snack at your kitchenette or get all misty-eyed over the view. Or, let off some steam in the Putman’s fitness centre next door, where guests of One96 have unlimited access during their stay. Once you’ve exhausted those options, Sheung Wan will entertain you. This harbourside neighbourhood was once a site for sailors flogging antiques from their expeditions, and you can still nab old-school trinkets along Cat Street (for Communist Mao-morabilia, jade jewellery, kitsch homewares) and Hollywood Road (for carved icons, curvaceous vases, masks and musical instruments) – serious collectors should be wary of fakes. These days Sheung Wan draws in Hongkonger hipsters with its diverse dining scene, third-wave coffee shops, appreciation for the arts, and complex cocktails. Tradition is evident in Man Mo Temple, with its ceiling of many incense coils, Sai Ying Pun’s dried seafood stores and Chinese medicine markets. Then step back into the present: muse on the works at Sin Sin Fine Art and Over the Influence gallery, stock up on designer and vintage pieces at PoHo’s Château Zoobeetle and InBetween, then pose on the Jervois Rainbow Steps. 

Further out, hit up the tea houses, dim-sum joints and street-food stalls in SoHo, then flex your plastic some more at PMQ, a 10-minute walk from the hotel. This shopping centre gathers local artisans under one roof to fuel a creative surge encompassing painting, ceramics, fashion and crafts, with a number of frequent hands-on workshops. There are coffee and tea stops, sweet shops, bakeries and a sake bar, too. Formerly a police station, the Tai Kwun Heritage Centre (also a 10-minute stroll from your stay) is dedicated to keeping the past alive and showcasing the best contemporary arts, from painting to performance. And, no trip to the city is complete without a vertiginous ride on the Peak Tram to get a view from the top.

Local restaurants

Kickstart your day with a steaming cup of single-origin coffee at Fineprint on Peel Street, paired with jam and ricotta on sourdough or something avocado-ey. On Hollywood Road, seek out Chachawan’s green doorway; within, delicious Issan dishes from northern Thailand are served in a coolly outfitted space. Mix and match mouthfuls at Man Mo Dim Sum, where foie-filled xiao long bao and truffled-brie dumplings share menu space with burger and kebab buns. Yardbird’s chicken yakitori skewers run from breast and thigh to more outré offal: ventricle with shichimi, anyone? And, a little further afield, Catch in Kennedy Town cooks up inventive scrambles, smoothies and smashed hits for brunch.  

Local bars

Can’t get enough of that neon-flecked view? Ascend to the Peninsula Hotel’s Felix Bar to ogle the island’s iconic skyline from the Peninsula. Or, go way, way up in the world at the Upper House, which also has an advantageous aspect from its Pacific Place perch. Inspired by Hemingway and given a lovable old-school look (hello, moss-green velvet banquettes), the Old Man earnt a spot in the World’s Top 50 Best Bars 2018 for its suitably strong classic cocktails. Quinary on Hollywood Road promises a multisensory drinking experience involving unique textures, flavour combos and sounds, too. And J Boroski in Central have cocktail concierges who will make something brilliantly mad with your pick of poison.