Regent Hotels & Resorts has shared a first look at its reimagined Regent Hong Kong, set to reopen in June 2023. Sitting upon the edge of Victoria Harbour since its original launch in 1980, the hotel will be returning with fresh designs from Hong Kong-born Chi Wing Lo.

Revered for a meticulous approach to balancing tactile materials, Chi Wing Lo and his team are set to bring over 30 years of experience in architecture, interiors and furniture to their first hotel project. The design language crafted will see a juxtaposition of serene interiors and harbour side views with textured materials and quietly decadent touches.

Guestrooms in the re-designed property will draw inspiration from the creative and contrasting tension between serenity and stimulation. In-keeping with the brand’s usual approach to framed views, the splendour of the harbour will be augmented with textured ceilings, custom-design furniture and careful compositions. Layered scenes will be carefully crafted, for instance mirrored sliding doors will be incorporated to reflect the waterfront and focus guests’ eyes on the cityscape.

“A beautiful view without a special vantage is merely a postcard anyone can buy,” explains Chi Wing Lo. “A view without a frame is simply a view that has not passed through the eyes’ lens. With this in mind, framed views of the harbour take centre stage in a multitude of interpretations.”

Chi Wing Lo’s designs also lean into spaciousness, with guestroom walls minimised to create an open-plan layout. Design features like sliding doors maximise the space, opening to reveal a view of the harbour from a curved, freestanding soaking tub.

In other bathrooms, a unique moongate design of Nero African granite and curtainless shower provides an increased sense of space. An Axor overhead showerhead with rain flow and mono modes is combined with flamed and brushed granite, natural oak, split cut granite accents, honed Calcutta vanity counters, and furniture-style washbasins to add an extra layer of luxury.

Chi Wing Lo adds: “A guestroom that evokes contemplation cannot be loud, nor should its finishes, colours or elements be fighting for dominance amongst themselves. The sound of tranquillity is a symphony of silence played by the soft-tone carpet, the harmonic furniture and the diminishing echo from the patterned mirror, as well as the rhythmic vaulted ceiling, melodic and reticent details,  and fine craftsmanship in wood, leather, fabric, glass and stone.”

As for the hotel’s offerings beyond guestrooms, Regent Hong Kong’s dining destinations soft-launched in December, and included a steakhouse, buffet experience and lobby lounge, as well as the return of Michelin-starred Lai Ching Heen.

Tom Rowntree, President of Luxury & Lifestyle Brands for IHG Hotels & Resorts, comments: “The aura of the new Regent Hong Kong, its genius loci, has the magic to distinguish an urban oasis from a soundproof chamber, a retreat from a lodging, a haven from a hotel. Chi Wing Lo has encapsulated the Regent vision to create something different and unique – a design that can represent Hong Kong and create a sense of serenity, contrast and balance within the city. Regent Hong Kong is a true flagship for the brand.”

The opening of Regent Hong Kong is an addition to the 450 plus hotels already within IHG’s luxury and lifestyle collection. The reopening is set to be closely followed by the launch of Regent Bali Canggu in late 2023, together with further openings in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Kyoto and Sanya over the following years.