Hotel VIC on the Harbour review: Hong Kong hotel with sublime views from the top

THE LOCATION

With its bustling streets and flyovers, gritty public housing blocks and construction sites, North Point isn't the most glamorous neighbourhood in Hong Kong. But it's one of the most up-and-coming, with billions of dollars being spent sprucing up a district with a prime waterfront location, hugging Victoria Harbour on the north side of Hong Kong Island. Unveiled in July 2018, Hotel VIC sits between a new landscaped harbour-side promenade – where you'll see folk doing tai chi – and aromatic back-streets laced with traditional Cantonese shops, markets and noodle joints. There are also traces of Shanghai, as many middle-class Shanghainese families emigrated here in the 1950s, giving North Point the nickname "Little Shanghai".

THE SPACE

Billed as an "affordable luxury lifestyle hotel", Hotel VIC is atop a shiny mall sprinkled with high-end brands and comprises two V-shaped towers linked by a lobby that leads to reception (including self check-in desks), co-working zones and a smattering of eateries. The higher you go in the hotel, the more gob-smacking the views of the harbour, which is much wider here than the famous stretch between Tsim Sha Shui and Central. On the 23rd floor of the east tower there's an outdoor infinity pool, spa and gym with cardio and weights equipment, plus the VR Experience – two mind-bending, torso-twisting machines that are said to help you burn 30 per cent more calories than a regular workout.

THE ROOM

All 655 rooms face the harbour, though from some, such as the Urban Harbour View rooms, you might see more concrete than water. We stay in room 740 – a Premium Harbour View room that spans 31 square metres – bigger than many Hong Kong apartments. The design is smart and elegant, with lots of soothing wood and marble and beige, grey and black and white tones. The headboard behind our king-size bed features a Google Maps-style illustration of the local area. There's a large LED TV, a desk and chaise lounge, Nespresso machine and small complimentary mini bar that includes iced milk tea and San Miguel beer. For more space and uninterrupted harbour panoramas book a Club Deluxe Harbourfront King (36 sq m) or a Harbour View Suite King (62 sq m).

THE FOOD