Rod Mackenzie has been surrounded by spectacular views wherever he has lived, including the vast open space of native bush land he owns in Auckland, New Zealand. He has also enjoyed panoramic views at his former home in California, and his present 65th-floor Central Plaza office has spectacular views overlooking the old Kai Tak airport. In addition, his home at Gateway Apartments looks down on Victoria Harbour.
The breathtaking views of the harbour first drew Mackenzie and his wife to the 1,900 sqft apartment above Harbour City, in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui. 'We never draw the curtains because the view is just so amazing,' says the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise's group managing director for north Asia.
Although this is the first time they have lived in a serviced apartment, over the last three years, they have adjusted to their new set-up, which they say is not dissimilar to living in a hotel, except that there is much more space and greater flexibility to make it their own. 'We have done enough to make ourselves feel at home here,' Mackenzie says, noting that they have personalised the fully furnished flat with their own wine fridge and a variety of artefacts gathered from their travels.
Mackenzie's job, promoting his country's goods and services to north Asia, requires regular travel. His schedule underscored his decision to live in serviced quarters.
'I prefer living in a place like this. Whenever we travel, we can just tell the concierge we will be gone for a week and know that everything will be taken care of. From a security perspective, that is key because you can become somewhat of a target if people know you are away, but it is much safer if you know someone is always keeping an eye on your apartment. We can be assured that, upon our return, everything will be as we left it,' he explains.
A serviced apartment, with its range of concierge and housekeeping services, can also cushion the cultural shock of relocation, gently easing newcomers to the lay of the land.