Hip digs in Hong Kong
Free continental breakfast and wine in the evenings. No charge to do your laundry in the washer and dryer. Wi-Fi and local calls? Gratis. And go ahead and help yourself to a bottle of water or a self-made cappuccino from the lobby.
These are a few of the perks you can expect at Hong Kong's first -- and one of its only -- boutique hotels, JIA.
Designed by Philippe Starck, JIA mixes uber-cool decor with a down-to-earth staff happy to point you to the best spot for dim sum or shopping bargains.
The four-year-old property, which has a sister location in Shanghai, has 54 rooms that feel more like an apartment than a hotel. The 28 studios, 24 one-bedroom suites and two duplex penthouses all come with kitchens and marble bathrooms.
An Italian restaurant is scheduled to open in the hotel this month. While there's no fitness facility on site, guests get free access to a nearby gym.
JIA has a central location (1-5 Irving St.) in the bustling Causeway Bay area of Hong Kong Island.
Check the hotel's Web site, jiahongkong.com, or send an e-mail to rez@jia hongkong.com for seasonal specials. Studios currently are going for as little as $140 (plus a 10 percent service charge) -- less than half of the regular published rates.
hip digs in hong kong