Bold, bright and unforgettable: Experience the Hong Kong magic at this hotel

Where: 8A Hart Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

How much: From $HK1440 ($277) per night for an entry-level superior king room

After a two-year transformation (read: full gutting) of the former Panorama Hotel, China's first Mondrian opened in December 2023.

One of the hotels in a brand partnership between hospitality lifestyle brand Ennismore and French company Accor, it brings together luxury, art, design and an overwhelming sense of fun.

Walking the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon at night - all neon lights and fading glamour - feels like roaming through a Wong Kar-wai film. During the day, it's a bustling 'hood filled with tailors, jewellery stores, dive bars and hole-in-the-wall eateries.

But just a short walk from the Mondrian, you'll be surrounded by designer stores and upmarket restaurants. Even better, the hotel is a short walk from the MTR and Star Ferry, and a quick taxi ride to the attractions of the West Kowloon Cultural District.

From the moment you see the two-storey glass mosaic rendition of one of underwater photographer Christy Lee Rogers' works in the lobby, you know you're entering a hotel with a vision.

Karin Krautgartner of byKK Design has brought in whimsical, boldly coloured postmodern furniture flirted with elements relating to the area's history and culture, and worked with local and international artists to create a gallery's worth of site-specific work.

There are 324 rooms and suites, across 31 floors, although the unusual shape of the building means short corridors - all decorated with wallpaper featuring imaginary animals - that give the hotel a more boutique feel. The lower floors have a neighbourhood outlook; more captivating are the epic views of Victoria Harbour from the higher floors.

The design features of the room - walls that look as though they're made from pleated fabrics, lacquered sewing boxes filled with mini-bar snacks, light fittings with "sails" like that of the junk boats - all relate to Hong Kong's history. My spacious Harbour King Suite has a stylish living room with curved red sofa, a small table in front of the bedroom window for morning coffees with a view, and two washrooms.

On level 38 is Avoca, which goes from a breakfast venue to a cocktail bar as the day progresses. The 10 signature cocktails that put an Asian spin on the classics are presented to the undecided in chic spray bottles for spritzing. There's also a menu of pleasing share plates - from beef belly baos to lobster pasta - available. But it is Carna by Dario Cecchini, up on the next floor, that has foodies frothing.

Cecchini, from Netflix's Chef's Table, is an eighth-generation Italian butcher who only took on the family biz after deciding to treat the animals he raised humanely. His nose-to-tail Hong Kong eatery is all rich velvets and mood lighting, with classic Italian dishes and specialty cuts of beef cooked on the charcoal grill and carved tableside. The Italian Bistecca Toscana, a huge 45-day dry-aged Carima (the Italian version of wagyu) rib-eye, is a must-devour.

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With no pool in the hotel for guests to relax beside (there is, however, a spacious gym), most spend the day exploring the bright lights of this big city.

You'll take memories of the incredible vistas home with you. But art lovers have one more aspect to discover. The Mondrian took over a money exchange across the road and has turned it into a gallery called the Corner Shop. Look through the windows to see the latest installation.

Explore more: accor.com

The writer was a guest of the Mondrian.