The hectic pace of Hong Kong is both exhilarating and exhausting.

One of the biggest draws of this incredible city is the adrenaline rush which can be felt just by wandering through the streets, weaving through the traffic and hawkers and insanely fit old aunties who march up the slopes at an improbable pace.

But to cope with such energy we must also find periods of respite. I recently found mine at The Upper House.

The 49 floors of the skyscraper which houses this extraordinary hotel once numbered fifty. During the conversion from luxury apartment block to a hotel whose rooms feel like luxury apartments (entry-level rooms begin at 68 square metres; average 2-bed apartments in the city are around forty) one floor was removed to allow for higher ceilings on the top floor.

It’s a place filled with light and designed by interior architecture legend André Fu to be calm and soothing. It succeeds.

Why Stay Here?

You could come for the location – directly atop the Admiralty transport hub and within easy taxi or metro ride from pretty much anywhere. I wanted to hike one morning and was at the start of the trail suggested by the concierge after about 10 minutes in an iconic red cab.

I also wanted to drink that evening and was at a cocktail bar in Central after just one stop on the MTR. Tsim Sha Tsui is also just one stop in the other direction. A short walk to the water’s edge will deliver you to the Star Ferry terminal for a slow-but-scenic drift to the mainland for those who have a little more time.

You will probably stay for the beauty. The building begins on a hill and rises tall, so all rooms are at an excellent vantage point for views across Victoria Harbour. The nighttime panorama of the lights on both sides is mesmeric, and it’s well worth being in your room for sunset at least once. The public areas are also worth lingering in.

From the entrance an escalator glides upwards through a corridor inspired by the Todi temples of Japan, blond wood and lanterns creating an atmosphere which is immediately removed from whatever is going on outside. A small Tea Room and outdoor terrace, named The Lawn, open at the top of the escalator and serve light refreshments from early til late.

From here, a sense of ascension continues through the property. Elevators to the upper floors all drop at a soaring atrium, anchored by a reflection pool which mimics the harbour outside and adorned by artworks which evoke streams all the way up. A modest fitness suite is found at the summit, but most Wellness practices take place just across the road in a separate collection of apartments and suites, allowing Upper House to offer not only the usual massages and facials but also more in-depth treatments like chiropractic (which was a godsend for my aging back after a long-haul flight) and hi-tech longevity.

How’s the Food?

Salisterra is the Mediterranean restaurant perched at the top of the hotel, in the area now benefitting from those double-height ceilings.

In the evening there is a clubby energy to the space, with guests and well-heeled locals mingling first for cocktails in the Green Room then an expansive tasting menu in the main dining space.

The menu is worthy of note for being truly Mediterranean: burrata comes alongside Persian roasted cauliflower; focaccia is reimagined with spices from Morrocco. The result is inventive and delicious.

In the morning the same space delivers a broad breakfast offering, with European favourites found alongside local specialties like congee. There’s a similar bustle as is found in the evening, with just as many locals, but this time it’s wealthy multi-generational families who have made the journey down from the hillside mansions to be spotted in the chicest breakfast spot in town.

What Are the Rooms Like?

As mentioned, enormous. There’s a palpable sense of Bond Villainy as you stand at the window of your living area, watching the traffic silently snake through the roads below and the residents of smaller nearby buildings play basketball on their rooftops. All the décor is in the same pale wood and white stone as the public spaces, making them feel even larger and lighter.

Special attention has been paid to the bathrooms, with each taking up a huge percentage of the total floor space and featuring a signature bathtub with wide Harbour views. This is intended to increase the relaxation possible in each accommodation, but also to ensure that each room becomes a private spa for any beauty or massage treatments to be arranged in, without any disruption to the main living space.

Beds are large and comfortable.  Lounges are homely and extremely usable, not just designed to look pretty. The sense of living here, rather than just stopping by to sleep, has been deliberately sought after and delivered with aplomb.

There are many reasons to visit Hong Kong, and many wonderful places to stay while you do. If you’re looking for one which makes you feel like you truly belong here, no matter how fleeting the opportunity, The Upper House is the one for you.

Find out more at www.upperhouse.com