An ethos of concern for community and environmental sustainability runs through Swire Properties' work. And the property development and management company stayed faithful to those ideals in the Parkside renovations.

It kept significant portions of the apartments' bathroom fixtures, marble and kitchen tiles. It also retained about 80 per cent of the original teakwood flooring and the marble architraves in the lift lobbies. All of this contributed to about 1,600 cubic metres of avoided waste - enough to fill two 747-400 cargo planes.

Swire also auctioned off much of the removed fixtures, furnishings and appliances to third parties for re-use in other developments across the Asia-Pacific. Materials that are typically considered demolition waste, such as steel, copper pipes, light boxes and fan-coil units, were also re-used or recycled.

Parkside's purchasing decisions, too, were influenced by environmental concerns. Swire said it chose furniture made from white oak and walnut veneer that came from sustainable forests, and bought adhesives and chipboard that had low emission formaldehyde content.

The result of this holistic redesign is 270 'Contemporary-Oriental' serviced apartments that, according to Swire Properties leasing manager Jeremy Lamburn, have been well-received, with demand outstripping supply.

The renovation, carried out after 14 years of operation, created more apartments in the one-bedroom category which, according to Mr Lamburn, are in high demand, and it created a new three-bedroom category that addressed a perceived market need.

Parkside's one-bedroom apartments start at a generous 1,260 sqft and the three-bedroom suites span a luxurious 2,650 sqft. Prices range from HK$57,500 a month for one-bedroom units on lower floors to HK$140,000 for three-bedroom units on higher floors.

'There is a limited supply of true, family-sized and deluxe-facility serviced apartments,' said Mr Lamburn. 'We want to create a contemporary, comfortable fully sized home for our residents.'

Many touches have been put in by Hong Kong interior design firm AB Concept. Mirrors are used to make the rooms brighter. Storage space is hidden in the most unlikely, yet useful, places. There is an abacus artwork in every room, each a different size, each with a unique background.

The use of coloured bed linen also gives the apartments a greater sense of a personal abode. Ms Wong said coloured bed linen had traditionally been avoided in hospitality environments because it was difficult to identify material and colour tones resilient enough to stand up to regular laundering.

'We have an excellent housekeeping team. The overall aim is to provide a calm, peaceful environment that is very much like home,' she said.

So as not to detract from this calm, AB Concept concealed the 42-inch plasma TVs behind big art pieces in the living areas - an astute move that should find favour with both the pro-TV and anti-TV camps.

Mr Lamburn said Parkside had built in a certain flexibility which allowed long-stay clients to blend their personal decorative items with the rest of the apartment.

'This allows the residents to complement the ambience with their personal taste, the way a true home should be,' he said.

Technology has been brought up to speed with the latest infrastructure for internet access wired in. Every apartment is now equipped with broadband TV and broadband internet access, and a Bose surround-sound home entertainment system.

For first-timers to Hong Kong, Parkside staff provide an orientation service and advice to help them settle in. 'As a result, many of our customers build up a friendship with our staff and keep in touch even after they have left Hong Kong,' Mr Lamburn said.

Ms Wong said an Australian woman who was leaving Hong Kong bought air tickets for the housekeeping staff who serviced her apartment so that they could visit her Down Under.

While most Parkside clients stay for two to three months, a handful have been resident since 1989, when the serviced apartments opened for business. Ms Wong remembers a tenant who moved in as a couple with no kids, and moved out as a family of six.