The ‘anti-Trump hotel’ opening in Hong Kong for guests, artists, activists and non-profits
A business venture of Katherine Lo, daughter of the Hong Kong hotel billionaire Lo Ka-shui, Eaton HK will be a hotel like no other with its focus on social change and community engagement
It is not surprising to discover that the artist drawing on the walls of Eaton HK, the soon-to-open concept hotel by Eaton Workshop, is Jan Curious, a Hong Kong-born illustrator and member of indie rock band Chochukmo.
Curious aligns perfectly with one of Eaton Workshop’s missions: to support the creative arts. His funky black-and-white mural is one of the many local touches added to the hotel in Kowloon’s Jordan neighbourhood.
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But what makes Eaton HK stand out from the local hospitality crowd is its focus on social change and activism. In the United States – where Eaton Workshop will open its flagship hotel (Eaton DC) in Washington this summer, followed by hotels in San Francisco and Seattle in 2019 – the press has labelled Eaton Workshop as “anti-Trump hotels”.
“We didn’t promote ourselves as anti-Trump hotels – that was the US media,” laughs Katherine Lo, founder of Eaton Workshop, as she settles into one of the Jordan branch’s retro beige couches. “But it’s true that our ideology goes against the Trump grain.”
