Hullett House

Hong Kong

Situated at its south-eastern tip, at the mouth of the Su-Kiang River, Hong Kong occupies a surface of 1,104 square kilometers of which 80 make up the island of Hong Kong. This strategically located island, once an almost deserted rock, was ceded to the British in 1842 by the Qing dynasty at the end of the first Opium War. In 1860, the British conquered Kowloon and, in 1899 obtained the governance of 263 islands and a small part of the northern territory of Kowloon which they named New Territories taking in the totality of Hong Kong as it is called today.

It very quickly became an important international trade center, and today, Hong Kong whose name signifies ”Port of Perfumes”, is a major player in the world of finance and commerce as well as being the wealthiest city in China. This tiny patch of land where barely 30,000 inhabitants once lived now has a population of seven million, primarily from Canton and Shanghai.

Returned to China in 1997, it continues to be identified as a city for businessmen and inveterate shoppers.

From the island of Hong Kong to Kowloon, the territory it faces, and the New Territories, we find a multi faceted atmosphere with luxurious skyscrapers, avenues with bright neon lights, but also temples and fishing villages, giving the territory its unique and complex personality. As a symbol of Asian success, Hong Kong is spectacular but not inaccessible.

Hullett House

Located in a magnificent white stucco colonial building, Hullett House is one of Hong Kong’s most glamorous boutique-hotels. Opened in 1881, this historical monument, former headquarters of the maritime police, bears witness to the Hong Kong’s rich heritage. Its atypical Victorian silhouette stands out among the towers of Tsim Sha Tsui. Created by restaurateur David Yeo, the Hullett House now possesses 10 suites as luxurious as they are different and no less than 5 restaurants.

The suites, which are named after different sites along the bay, all have balconies with a magnificent view of the island of Hong Kong. In each suite, David Yeo “revisited” the history of China, and reinvented its colonial past in accordance with the building. The Casam suite has a pop art ambiance, decorated with paintings of Mao Tse Tung making bubbles with chewing gum. Art deco permeates the Aldridge suite, with eggplant colored carpets and wall panels in hand embroidered velvet. The Tsing Lung suite is imperial in style with hand painted frescoes from the Qing dynasty and a bed with columns and a pagoda like dais. Finally, the Silvermine suite represents the French “Grande Siécle” of Louis the XIVth and is decorated entirely in white with an imposing crystal chandelier.

A restaurateur first and foremost, David Yeo is the impetus behind the Hullett House’s 5 restaurants. The Loong Toh Yuen, under the leadership of the well-known Chef, Marcus Yeung, proposes an updated imaginative and modern version of traditional Cantonese cuisine. There are a number of musts on the menu including “steamed prawns flavored with rosé champagne” and the delicious “fried shrimp rolls with a hundred year old egg”. If however, you’re nostalgic for western cuisine, try the St. George whose atmosphere invokes that of an English club and is headed by the one star Michelin Chef, Philippe Orrico, formerly with Pierre Gagnaire.

The chic and hype Hullett House is a must place to visit in Hong Kong.

This former Hong Kong maritime police headquarters was renamed Hullet House in honor of the19th century English professor closely associated with the Far East, Richmond William Hullett.