The Murray, Hong Kong, a Niccolo Hotel, opened this month after being reimagined as a luxury hotel by British architects Foster + Partners. Built in 1969, the building’s windows are designed to avoid excessive sunlight to cut energy costs for cooling and in 1994 the hotel won a Certificate of Merit of the Energy Efficient Building Award. Formerly home to a Chinese government office, the new hotel has 336 guest rooms and suites. Unusual for the cramped island of Hong Kong, guest rooms average more than 500 square feet and suites range from 800 to 2,400 square feet. The energy-efficient recessed windows have been expanded to give floor-to-ceiling views of the Central Business District without increasing the amount of direct sunlight.
Meeting space includes The Arches, a unique, 6,835-square-foot terrace with access via a sweeping ramp that can be used for automobile launches or as a fashion show catwalk. There is also a 4,574-square-foot Niccolo Room which features LED screens covering two walls and the ceiling for presentations, and six boardrooms ranging from 376 to 430 square feet.
There are five onsite restaurants including Popinjays, an 88-seat rooftop restaurant, and three garden-level eateries with indoor/outdoor dining.
The hotel is located inside Hong Kong Park, which features jogging trails and outdoor tai chi areas. It is within walking distance of a subway station and adjacent to the Peak Tram Terminal, giving guests easy access to the funicular railway up to the top of Victoria Peak for breathtaking views of Hong Kong and the harbor.
