Join the Club
WHEN IT COMES to the bright lights of the big city, Hong Kong is up there with the best of them. But despite the large number of clubs and bars on offer, it has always struggled to compete with the nightlife of London and New York, due in part to a lack of space and also because of its relatively weak music scene. With the opening of the SCMP/Harper's Bazaar StyleAwards Nightspot of the Year nominees Lotus, Adrenaline and - the winner - Club No. 9, however, the city is finally catching up.
'I think people are starting to realise that you can't just open a club and expect people to go in,' says Nick Willsher, director of Entertaining Asia, an entertainment consultancy. 'It's all about having a unique selling point. In other cities, this is usually the music. But Hong Kong people tend to be less interested in the music and more interested in the decor and special features of clubs and lounges.'
Rocky Wong, founder of the Hei Hei group of nightclubs and the brains behind Club No. 9 (3/F, The Galleria, 9 Queen's Road, Central, tel: 2973 6899) agrees that decor and atmosphere have become the most important factors in differentiating one club from another. 'With Club No. 9, I wanted to design a place that fit both club-lovers and non-club-lovers,' he says. 'I wanted to merge the excitement of clubbing with a relaxing mood. The club offers a unique experience that often doesn't feel like Hong Kong at all.'
The expansive 6,800 sq ft space is certainly a rarity in Hong Kong, as is the 2,000 sq ft outdoor balcony that boasts a view to die for. But Wong managed to stay true to his Hong Kong ideals by kitting out the venue in a style that can only be described as decadent. Clubbers are greeted with an illuminated staircase and hydraulic elevator, walls are delicately decorated with 200,000 Austrian crystals and the terrace is decked out with 20,000 14-carat gold-plated bricks.
'But what makes the club really stand out from others is the Sky Dome - it's a piece of art,' says Wong. The 12-metre-high dome doubles as a screen, with the latest music videos projected onto it using state-of-the-art video-mixing equipment.
On the other side of Central, Australian-style bar and restaurant Lotus (37 Pottinger Street, Central, tel: 2543 6290) has quickly established itself as one of the trendiest eateries in town.
Fashionable it may be, but Lotus is not in a high-profile location. Lawrence Matthews, managing director of Genesis Group (the company that manages Lotus), says the restaurant has a certain 'best-kept secret' appeal for regulars. 'The objective with Lotus was to create an atmosphere that people could relax in and consider it to be their third living environment, after work and home,' Matthews says. 'It doesn't have an aggressive, intimidating feel, which I found most other bars and restaurants in Hong Kong have. It doesn't have the pretension often associated with other venues.'