Source:
https://scmp.com/article/681784/kowloon-has-plenty-offer-serviced-apartment-dwellers

Kowloon has plenty to offer serviced-apartment dwellers

'Kowloonside? Hongkongside? Which one?' That was the question one was always asked by taxi-drivers at the old Kai Tak airport's taxi-stand, thereby revealing the fundamental fault line dividing the two main components of our splendidly schizophrenic city.

Then, depending on one's answer, the cabbie would either set off for Hong Kong Island (by means of a couple of tunnels) or some location in the part of Hong Kong that is in fact a peninsula attached to the Eurasian landmass.

If you had all the right visas and enough shoe leather, you could walk from the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry terminal, all the way to Paris, Gibraltar, Moscow, Stockholm or Venice, without making one sea-crossing. That alone makes 'Kowloonside' quite special. But for the overwhelming majority of readers whose eyes glaze over at such insights, there are dozens of other excellent reasons for choosing 'Kowloonside' over Hong Kong Island, and especially good reasons for that famously busy person - the serviced-apartment guest.

Doris Li, director of sales and marketing Harbour Plaza Hong Kong, said: 'There's more space and opportunity to be exposed to local culture in Kowloon.

'Kowloon is markedly less westernised in many areas, and guests find the authenticity quite thrilling. We also enjoy proximity to the mainland. There is direct accessibility via the railway system. All this is most important for our many guests who have businesses across the border to oversee.'

Above all, the chaotic, exciting, heady cosmos of Kowloon is eminently inclusive to members of the 'home is a serviced apartment' fraternity, as plastics industry-insider and business owner Wolfgang Splettstoesser explained: 'I always feel welcome here. I first stayed at a serviced apartment in the SoHo area, but I didn't like it. Hard to relax in a place where being cool is so obviously part of the game, a game I'm too old for.

'I [now] stay in a serviced apartment near Nathan Road, which is a great place for getting my twice weekly treat of food like my mother makes from the German restaurant in the basement of the Holiday Inn. It does not take much to keep this old Berliner happy.'

With the West Kowloon Cultural Centre back on track and work on the International Commerce Centre (ICC) proceeding steadily, the city's centre of gravity is gradually shifting northwards across the harbour. The ICC complex will bring in scores of flagship clients.

A gargantuan development featuring huge swathes of commercial space and a massive luxury residential development, it will even feature two six-star hotels. One of them is the Ritz-Carlton, which used to be on Hong Kong Island. In its new destination the hotel will at the top of the ICC, and will duly be the 'highest' hotel in Asia.

Also giving Kowloon the edge these days is Canton Road, which certainly gives Central a run for its money for luxury-brand products.

Ms Li said: 'The future of serviced apartments is promising in Kowloon. Premium prices on Hong Kong Island coupled with the constant hustle and bustle makes Kowloon an ideal choice.'

Mix in an abundance of little-known historical sites, awesome nightlife that looks and feels like it's from a Wong Kar-wai movie, and a world-beating public transport grid, and Kowloon is quite a draw for the short-term visitor who wants a convenient alternative to a hotel.

In Kowloon, one's never too far from the old Kowloon Walled City, which is now a landscaped park with archaeological digs and reconstructions of traditional Chinese walled house enclosures.

Another Kowloonside gem is accessible by a short bus or taxi ride from Kwun Tong MTR station. The charming traditional old fishing village of Lei Yue Mun, partly built on waterfront stilts, used to be a lair of pirates and smugglers, but is now an offbeat destination for seafood lovers.

Visitors can saunter down covered precarious plank walkways above the jade-green waters, buy their own live seafood from the many market stalls, and take it into nearby restaurants to be cooked according to their specifications.

It's an awesome experience, and there is nothing like it on Hongkongside.

The Jade Market is a better-known Kowloon location. Sprawling across the junction of Kansu and Battery streets, this casual, open-air market has more than 400 stalls. Traditionally, jade is very highly valued in Chinese society.

When carved into certain shapes, it can represent wealth (deer), good fortune (tiger) or power (dragon). Don't buy expensive jade unless you know what you are doing. And it is really best to go with a local old-timer, especially a jade aficionado.

Kowloon is home to arguably Hong Kong's most life-affirming market. The Temple Street Night Market surges into frenetic action after 6pm and offers an amazing range of items for the shrewd shopper. There are also scores of fortune tellers, Chinese opera performers, and dozens of food vendors offering traditional Chinese-style cooked snacks.

Fortunately for serviced apartment guests who want a more authentic Hong Kong experience in its cultural heartland, there's a great variety of serviced apartments to choose from in Kowloon, including Excellent Court in Jordon, units at the Royal Plaza Hotel in Mong Kok, Gateway Apartments and New World Apartments in Tsim Sha Tsui and Harbour Plaza Hong Kong.

'Harbour Plaza Hong Kong's serviced suites offer premium and spacious accommodation,' Ms Li said. 'They feature unobstructed panoramic views of Victoria Harbour, and patrons can enjoy the same facilities offered to our hotel guests, including a rooftop infinity swimming pool and outdoor alfresco Waterfront Bar & Terrace. Also, because we are situated on the waterfront, guests may enjoy a soothing stroll along the exterior promenade away from the hustle and bustle of the city.'

And, as an added bonus, it's in Kowloon.