Homecoming King
André Fu opens The Upper House’s new suite
No designer and Hong Kong hotel are more closely associated than André Fu and The Upper House. In March, the architect launched the André Fu Suite on the hotel’s 48th floor, creating a new, intimate place for guests to relax and socialise, while celebrating an 11-year creative partnership.
Fu employed a calming blue, ivory and mink colour palette to transform the 1,960 sq ft, formerly two-bedroom penthouse, imparting a sense of comfort, privacy and relaxed luxury evoking a home more than a hotel.
Alongside The Upper House’s sumptuous signature amenities, the suite also includes features exclusive to Fu’s design. The second bedroom and guest bathroom were turned into a dining room to seat 18. There is also a dedicated spa with dual massage beds and a pantry with cooking facilities.
Fu’s namesake, Hk$60,000-a-night space was gradually unveiled with a month of private lunches and dinners. Among the first to step into the completed suite were Fu’s friends, including Adrian Cheng and Wesley Ng. Jacqueline Chow was especially generous in her praise for the design maestro: “We have been family friends for three generations; our mothers have been friends for decades; his sister and I are friends; and his sister’s children are my daughters’ childhood friends. I am very honoured to know such a gifted and talented friend who creates beautiful designs around the world. [My brother] Evan [Chow] and I support him whenever we can,” she says.
To add an extra dose of Fu’s personality, the apartment also showcases more than 100 home accessories chosen from the André Fu Living collection, including light fixtures, bedding, books from his personal library,
a sculptural ottoman, mid-century-inspired furniture and porcelain tableware, alongside original, framed sketches the designer drew during the space’s conception.
In addition to the new suite, Fu also transformed the arrival experience at level four of The Upper House, helping guests feel at home with a layout more akin to a living room.
When the hotel opened in 2009, Fu’s intention was “to create a small intimate hotel reminiscent of a private residence”, an objective that he now reflects was “the antithesis of what typically defines an Asian luxury hotel”. His decision proved astute: since it opened, The Upper House has consistently ranked among the best luxury hotels in the world.
Fu may have collaborated with the hotel for over a decade, but the launch jitters are always the same every time his latest project is revealed. “I’m eager to see how guests will respond to it, whether through entertaining or indulging in an urban escape,” he says.