Hotel and Inn Review: Ovolo Southside (Hong Kong)

Date of Stay: December 11-14, 2016

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: ******

Rooms: *********

Condition and Cleanliness: ********

Staff Performance: *******

Room Comfort: ********

Food and Beverage: ********

Other Amenities: ********

Value for Money: ********

Ovolo Southside

Main entrance along Yip Fat St.

Ovolo Southside, designed by visionary award-winning Hong Kong-based British architect Paul Kember (director and founding partner of K Plus K Associates), is Hong Kong’s first warehouse-turned-hotel.  

The very nice and trendy hotel maintained the formerly unused factory warehouse’s (acquired in 2008) original structure and exposed concrete and brick façade, a design that references the area’s industrial past. 

The decor of the hotel’s public spaces is deliberately industrial, with plain grey concrete walls and exposed pipes that are decorated with a burst of vibrant colors from modern graffiti, cutting edge graphic motifs and art installations, all specially commissioned works from a striking anthology of both local and international artists.

Reception Desk with machinery parts

Reception Area

This 23-storey, smoke-free (violators are fined HK$1,500 per occurrence) hotel has 162 modern-style, tastefully decorated and clean, open-plan airconditioned rooms (Mini Queen/Twin, Queen De Luxe, Corner De Luxe Queen, Corner Queen and Long Loft Queen), all of different sizes and shapes and thoughtfully spaced to maximize comfort and functionality.  

The Long Loft Queen room (Room 1504) that we stayed in, with its own living area with woven jute carpet, had a Minimalist feel, with a complex but disciplined maze of steel water pipes and foil-wrapped air-conditioning pipes overhead, all balanced, well ordered, clean and aligned at the exposed, high slab ceiling (with paint of pale grey and dark earth tones), plus 1950s-inspired steel furniture, vinyl timber flooring and heavy-duty fixtures.

Long Loft Room

However, the facilities are anything but industrial as they cater to modern tech demands, with two wall-mounted flat-screen LG 3D Smart TVs (Blu-ray DVD players available upon request), magnetic key card door locks, track lighting, a safety deposit box, a minibar and mechanically-operated retractable blinds. 

The private bathrooms, accessed by a sliding door, have rainfall shower and also comes with a hairdryer and free toiletries (soap, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.). City or mountain views can be enjoyed in rooms. The corner rooms have great views towards Repulse Bay. 

The flat-screen 3D Smart TV

Laundromat

View from room

Entrance to the hotel is along Yip Fat St..  Room rates include a handy, stylish utility bag; free super-speed Wi-Fi access (including Apple Air, with  access to over 11,000 WiFi hot spots across Hong Kong); free self-laundry (including washing powder, iron and ironing board available upon request) at its lovely laundromat; complimentary minibar (restocked every day, there are some items that are marked as "take with you”); direct telephone lines; power adapters; slippers; coffee/tea making facility; a loot bag full of special treats (offered once per stay), and flexible checkout (subject to availability), all nice unexpected additions.  Some rooms are smaller than others, so it would depend on what you need it for and how much time you will spend in your room. The rooms are not big but they are very clean.

Cirqle

The 4th floor Cirqle, Ovolo’s most sought after restaurant/coffee shop with a buzzing open-view kitchen (you can watch the chef work at full speed) and an expansive outdoor terrace, serves Western-style grill, tapas-style lunch, delectable full-course dinners and a sublime selection of sharing desserts and wines.  Their selection of East Asian-inspired Mediterranean cuisine was very simple but really good and done with style. 

Spatchcocked Spring Chicken

Orecchiette Pasta

Pellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water

Breakfast, 6:30- 10 AM on weekdays (10:30 AM on weekends), was principally Continental fare of a good quality - sliced bread, croissants, muffins, jam, ham, cheese, fresh fruit, muesli, corn flakes, fresh fruit, orange juice, apple juice, coffee, tea, milk, etc..  This "modern alternative bistro" is open daily, 12 PM – 3 PM and 6 PM – 11 PM.

The hip and chic Above roof deck bar

The hip, chic and edgy Above, the hotel’s iconoclastic roof deck bar at the 23rd  floor, is great and very relaxed, with a wide range of exquisite drinks and wild and modern specialty cocktails, a stunning street art mural behind the bar as well as other edgy street artwork; specially curated funky DJ sets to dance with; intimate spaces; and beautiful and stunning views of Wong Chuk Hang and the cable cars of Ocean Park from its expansive terrace. Open daily, 5 PM – 1 AM (Mondays-Fridays) and 2 PM - 1 AM (Saturdays-Sundays).

The sleek and versatile Lo Lounge

Alternatively, at the 4th floor, the sleek and versatile Lo Lounge, a multipurpose social area with sleek industrial and utilitarian design, guests can grab coffee in the morning, work, network, relax, savor all-day nibbles and sodas, enjoy a game of pool and indulge in free happy hour (6 to 8 PM) of free-flowing wine, beers, spirits, coffee (brewed, expresso, cappuccino, etc.) and tea plus finger foods  such as tortilla chips, Nachos, baguettes and vegetable spring rolls with tomato salsa or mayo dip).  

The incredible and dynamic G.I.G. events place

G.I.G., the incredible and dynamic events place and multipurpose space with a tall ceiling, within a cool converted car park at the ground floor, features full audio-visual and staging technology including a centerpiece revolving stage (originally a truck turntable), state-of-the-art sound system and an exquisite 18 m. long video projection wall ideal for concerts, fashion shows, private parties, art exhibitions, corporate functions, cocktails and product launches and presentations.  

The Mao-style B.i.G. conference room

Instead of boardroom style seating, the Mao-style but modern, animated and eclectically-designed B.i.G conference room offers plush, reclining leather armchairs against an exotic Chinese fabric wall (no stodgy center table), white boards, projectors, surround sound, and PlayStation 4, making it a perfect spot for meetings, brainstorming, creative exchanges and entertaining. 

The hotel's onsite fitness center

Punching bag and
boxing gloves

Ovolo Southside has a 24-hour front desk and 24-hour onsite fitness center (fully equipped with cardio, weights, TRX Suspension Training, yoga mats, punching bag, boxing gloves, etc.). The hotel offers free luggage storage service; room service; airport transfers; dry cleaning and laundry (if you fancy someone else doing your dirty laundry) service; and concierge service.  

They also have some iPad tablets, packed with movies and apps, available for free hire. Video game consoles (Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii), along with games and controllers, are available from the Reception.  

Corner Room with a great view towards Repulse Bay

Mini Twin Room

Location-wise, the hotel is near Ocean Park (a 5-min. drive) but not close to the city center. However, there's a bus station nearby so it is very easy to travel to Causeway Bay (a 10-min. drive) or other central areas on Hong Kong Island.  

A trip to anywhere would require a trip on a bus first but the transportation systems are excellent and shouldn't deter you from staying at this hotel. Get an Octopus travel card and that’s sorted out. Moreover, in 2016, once the Wong Chuk Hang MTR Station opens direct to Ocean Park, this hotel will be incredible.

De Luxe Queen Room

Wong Chuk Hang Road

The Southern District, formerly a rundown industrial zone but now a "gentrified village" with an artsy vibe, has undergone urban revitalization, with art galleries; shops; hip furnishing stores, reclaimed heritage buildings, boutiques; fancy restaurants, cafes and swanky cocktail places and bars; and surrounded by the sports facilities (Aberdeen Athletic Field and Wong Chuk Hang Recreation Ground), is a great choice for travelers interested in sightseeing, shopping for clothes and Hong Kong Disneyland as well as a springboard for exploring one of the last bastions of authentic Hong Kong.

This unique gem, hidden in an industrial area close to Aberdeen, is somewhere between an art gallery, a private club and a friend's house.  The great concierge staff was also very professional, very helpful and friendly. Definitely a great hotel where one can get some peace and quiet away from the hectic city life. I would definitely recommend staying in this hotel to others if they don't mind that the location is far from the city. 

The author at  nearby Ocean Park

Ovolo Southside: 64 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Southern District, Hong Kong. Tel:+852 3460 8100 and +852 5808 2759. Email: info@ovologroup.com.  Website: www.ovolohotels.com. Gen. Manager: Mr. Tim Alpe, Front Desk Manager: Mr. Stefan Borm.

How To Get There: The hotel is located 42.6 kms. (about a 1 hour and 20 min. drive) from the airport.  From the Airport Station, take the 32-min. subway (3 stops, HK$80/pax) towards Hong Kong Station.  From there, walk to the Exchange Square Bus Terminus and take the No. 70. 590, 75 or 90 Bus (Hk$4.70/pax) towards Aberdeen (15 mins., 5 stops).  Upon reaching the Aberdeen Athletic Field, walk towards the hotel. You can also take the Red taxi from the airport (HK$300-400, depending on traffic)