BACKGROUND Opened in March this year, this is the second Madera property in Hong Kong, owned by Hip Shing Hong (Holdings) Co Ltd. A small, all-suite boutique hotel, it offers long-stay discounts and is positioned to span both the hotel and serviced apartment sectors.
WHERE IS IT? In a prime location in Central district’s Soho area, on Hollywood Road between Lyndhurst Terrace and Peel Street. The Mid-Levels Escalator is only 150 metres away, and the hotel is surrounded by a fantastic range of eating and drinking establishments.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? The front of the hotel sports an enormous 10.9-metre-high mural featuring Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Frank Sinatra. A ground-floor shop area may become an entrance lobby for the hotel, but for now you catch the lift to the third floor to check in.
This is done in the Hollywood Lounge, a cosy space that feels like a living room – though one that has been decorated imaginatively, with black-and-white geometric tiled flooring, wingback armchairs around a faux fire, and memorabilia mounted on the walls.
The Hollywood Lounge
Charlie Chaplin’s cane is framed above the mantelpiece – and it’s genuine. The hotel owners bought a large amount of Hollywood memorabilia at auctions over a period of time, including Chaplin’s bowler hat, original publicity shots and photos of Marilyn Monroe, and vintage posters of old movies. These are spread throughout the hotel and its rooms.
The Monroe Suite
SUITES The Madera Hollywood’s 38 suites are fitted out in “Hollywood Regency style”, which means décor is lavish but clean and playful in its design. There are six categories of suite: deluxe, premier, grand deluxe, grand premier… plus two signature suites with their own designs – the Monroe and Chaplin suites.
All the suites feature huge flatscreen TVs, brightly coloured furniture, thick rugs and wooden flooring, as well as well-designed kitchenette areas with a microwave, built-in washer-dryer and fridge. Of note is the large amount of natural light that streams in through the broad windows – surprising given the location in such a built-up area. (The higher floors also have great views.) This gives the suites a feeling of spaciousness – although they are not small by any means, ranging from 54 to 70 sqm in size.
The beds are large and firm, with high-quality linen, but the bathrooms deserve special mention, with huge rainforest showerheads in the walk-in shower areas, and plenty of space to move around.
Handy smartphones are also provided in all the suites, and of course wifi is available for free.
The Chaplin Suite
F&B There is currently no restaurant or bar within the hotel – although guests can relax in the Hollywood Lounge at any time for free coffee/tea and snacks. The lack of a restaurant or bar is not really an issue given the plethora of options within a few hundred metres of the hotel in Soho.
LEISURE FACILITIES A good-sized gym takes up the fifth floor and offers a wide range of Technogym-branded machines as well as free weights.
VERDICT A pleasantly original themed design, superb location and spacious suites that are enjoyable, practical and comfortable make this a great new offering for the central Hong Kong area.
PRICE Internet rates for a Deluxe suite in mid-June start from HK$1,980 (US$255) including taxes.
CONTACT 53-55 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong; tel +852 3913 2888; maderagroup.com/hollywood/en
Jeremy Tredinnick
WHAT’S IT LIKE? The front of the hotel sports an enormous 10.9-metre-high mural featuring Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Frank Sinatra. A ground-floor shop area may become an entrance lobby for the hotel, but for now you catch the lift to the third floor to check in.
This is done in the Hollywood Lounge, a cosy space that feels like a living room – though one that has been decorated imaginatively, with black-and-white geometric tiled flooring, wingback armchairs around a faux fire, and memorabilia mounted on the walls.
The Hollywood Lounge
Charlie Chaplin’s cane is framed above the mantelpiece – and it’s genuine. The hotel owners bought a large amount of Hollywood memorabilia at auctions over a period of time, including Chaplin’s bowler hat, original publicity shots and photos of Marilyn Monroe, and vintage posters of old movies. These are spread throughout the hotel and its rooms.
The Monroe Suite
SUITES The Madera Hollywood’s 38 suites are fitted out in “Hollywood Regency style”, which means décor is lavish but clean and playful in its design. There are six categories of suite: deluxe, premier, grand deluxe, grand premier… plus two signature suites with their own designs – the Monroe and Chaplin suites.
All the suites feature huge flatscreen TVs, brightly coloured furniture, thick rugs and wooden flooring, as well as well-designed kitchenette areas with a microwave, built-in washer-dryer and fridge. Of note is the large amount of natural light that streams in through the broad windows – surprising given the location in such a built-up area. (The higher floors also have great views.) This gives the suites a feeling of spaciousness – although they are not small by any means, ranging from 54 to 70 sqm in size.
The beds are large and firm, with high-quality linen, but the bathrooms deserve special mention, with huge rainforest showerheads in the walk-in shower areas, and plenty of space to move around.
Handy smartphones are also provided in all the suites, and of course wifi is available for free.
The Chaplin Suite
F&B There is currently no restaurant or bar within the hotel – although guests can relax in the Hollywood Lounge at any time for free coffee/tea and snacks. The lack of a restaurant or bar is not really an issue given the plethora of options within a few hundred metres of the hotel in Soho.
LEISURE FACILITIES A good-sized gym takes up the fifth floor and offers a wide range of Technogym-branded machines as well as free weights.
VERDICT A pleasantly original themed design, superb location and spacious suites that are enjoyable, practical and comfortable make this a great new offering for the central Hong Kong area.
PRICE Internet rates for a Deluxe suite in mid-June start from HK$1,980 (US$255) including taxes.
CONTACT 53-55 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong; tel +852 3913 2888; maderagroup.com/hollywood/en
Jeremy Tredinnick
