Hong Kong’s J Plus Hotel by Yoo is set to shut up shop next month due to what has been described as a “change of purpose” for the Causeway Bay property.
According to Yoo Hotels, the hotel has remained commercially viable but describes the closure of the J Plus as “inevitable”. The property will officially close its doors on May 1.
The hotel managed a number of firsts when it opened its doors in 2003, originally under the name JIA. Not only was it the city’s first boutique hotel, it was also designer Philippe Starck’s first property in the Asia region.
The rebrand of the property to its current J Plus Hotel by Joo incarnation took place in 2014 following a HK$10 million renovation, which was followed a year after with a transformation of its ground floor lobby into an arts space that hosted between three and four art shows a year.
Business Traveller reviewed the property in 2016 after both redevelopments had been completed.
J Plus Hotel by Yoo is not the only property in the city that’s felt the pressure of the city’s competitive tourism and property markets.
Last year, Hotel LKF by Rhombus in the city’s popular Lan Kwai Fong entertainment district was forced to close its doors after 11 years due to rising rent costs and reduced tourism numbers.
Meanwhile, the future of The Excelsior Hong Kong, also in Causeway Bay district, was thrown into question last summer when owner Mandarin Oriental International Limited undertook a review of its long-term strategic options for the property, including a possible sale.
