Staying on top: select serviced apartments in Hong Kong offer best connection to MTR stations
Location, price and quality are prime considerations for serviced apartment occupants, according to global surveys
As the global hospitality sector increasingly focuses on the guest experience, including for serviced apartment occupants, convenient location becomes pivotal. As market research company Gallup has found in its global surveys, location is one of the top three considerations – along with price and quality – for all customer segments in repeat booking, from luxury to economy and across all levels in between.
Hong Kong providers are in the fortunate position of operating in a well-connected city. It’s hard to imagine a transport network more efficient and reliable than the city’s, the star of course being the ever-expanding MTR system. If you live or stay near an MTR station, you have access to trains which run every two to three minutes, linking to most parts of Hong Kong, mainland China border, and airport.
You can’t get closer than apartments physically connected to an MTR station, which is the case for a small but select number of Hong Kong properties.
Sun Hung Kai Properties has three of these in the portfolio of its luxury residential leasing arm, Signature Homes. Two properties – Four Seasons Place in Central and The HarbourView Place in Kowloon – have the rare duality of connectivity to both the MTR and Airport Express lines.
Four Seasons Place, above Hong Kong station, is part of the IFC, an international landmark and prestigious development including A-grade offices for major multinational companies. The upscale IFC Mall offers shopping, dining and entertainment in the one location. This property also has a rooftop heated pool, jacuzzi and sauna, 24-hour gymnasium and sky lounge, reading room and children’s playroom. Apartments range from 547 sq ft to 699 sq ft studios, all the way up to penthouses of more than 3,500 sq ft.
The HarbourView Place sits atop Kowloon station in the International Commerce Centre. Commuting distance via the integrated public transport network is estimated at five minutes to Central, 22 minutes to Hong Kong International Airport, and 14 minutes to Shenzhen.
Choose from studios, deluxe studios, one, two or three bedroom layouts, or one of the extravagant presidential suites. The property’s 76th floor rooftop pool with outdoor jacuzzi offers sky-high views across Hong Kong and the Kowloon peninsula.
Vega Suites sits above Tseung Kwan O station, around 30 minutes’ train commute to Central, and even closer to the business districts of Kowloon Bay and Quarry Bay. Residents of its 176 modern luxury apartments can utilise a garden terrace and barbecue area, along with the pool, spa, and gym.
Pacific Place Apartments, operated by Swire Properties, is positioned at the Admiralty MTR station, interchange for the Island and Tsuen Wan lines. Residents gain undercover access to the entire MTR and Airport Express networks, the shops and restaurants of Pacific Place mall, and proximity to the fashionable Starstreet dining precinct.
Further east on Hong Kong Island, Taikoo Place Apartments are adjacent to two MTR stations, Taikoo and Quarry Bay. Also operated by Swire Properties, Taikoo Place forms part of an integrated community with various office towers, Cityplaza retail complex (encompassing some 170 branded shopping and dining outlets, supermarkets, a cinema, and an indoor ice rink) and the nearby waterfront. Quarry Bay Park and promenade provides a pleasant waking/jogging route virtually on the doorstep, while the nearby mountains offer walking and hiking opportunities in natural surroundings.
Opened in late 2015, Taikoo Place Apartments targets the office tenants and business travellers working in this rising commercial hub. All one- and two-bedroom suites include balconies overlooking Victoria Harbour and the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, or offer views of the city.
Back on Hong Kong Island, The Bauhinia Apartments at Sheung Wan MTR station put residents at the heart of the urban action, including Lan Kwai Fong, SoHo and IFC. Apart from convenience to the Airport Express and Island line rail services, this property is also close to the Macau ferry terminal.
