Page Hotels are designed with the urban explorer in mind, having Page148 in Hong Kong, and later opening Page8 in central London, right next to Trafalgar Square, the hotels are slick, stylish, and importantly, offer the convenience of being right in the thick of it.

And instrumental in the locations, look, concepts, and guest experience of Page Hotels is Brand Director, Philip Chan. He first held the position of project manager in 2012, and since then, has applied the brand philosophy to the interior and functional design of the hotels, and as they evolved, so did Philip’s role. Not only does he now oversee all elements of the business’ development, he also looks after the sibling identities, including Page Common Coffee Houses, Page Common Journal – a Hong Kong city guide, Page Common Retail, and Page Collective.

He looks at both the bigger picture and the small details, believing that it’s the minutest of details that make the difference, and so, cue considered acoustics to ensure a good nights sleep (no meat feat when the centrally located hotels are set within the hustle and bustle of two busy cities) and artisanal coffee courtesy of their ground floor coffee houses.

Philip shares the brand ethos, and tells us what we can expect from a stay at the Page148 outpost in Hong Kong.

Felicity Carter: Tell us about Page as a brand...

Philip Chan: Page Hotels’ brand tagline is “Home of Urban Explorers” - a place for like-minded explorers to meet and experience the city's hidden gems. Our philosophy is to connect people to people. Rather than building communities, we explore the different communities of the city and hopefully build bridges between those who are curious to those who are knowledgeable. We believe no one person can represent the rich diversity of a city, rather it is characterized by a collective of individuals. Each aspect of the brand, the hotels (Page148 and Page8); the coffee house (Page Common) and our online journal that inspires people to travel (Page Common Journal) plays a significant part of the brand’s philosophy. Through the hotels, we aim to be a provide a comfortable and well-designed place for guests to stay and explore the city. Through Page Common, we designed the coffee shop to encourage guests and locals to interact with one another, where they are be able to share their travel stories and meet new explorers along the way. Through Page Common Journal, we aim to be a provide inspirational content for travellers and locals to embark on a journey of urban discoveries.

FC: Where is the hotel located?

PC: The hotel is located on 148 Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, HK – hence the name Page148. Page148 is famous for it’s greenery view, as it right opposite one of the largest patch of greenery (Kowloon Cricket Club) on the Kowloon side. In terms of location, it is approximately 5-10 minutes away from the MTR and the neighbourhood that speaks for itself. Surrounded by Korean street, Temple Street night market, Kowloon Park, Avenue of Stars, K11 Musea, and Knutsford Terrace, there are plenty to eat, drink, shop and sightsee around the area.

FC: What is the USP of Page148?

PC: I like to believe the USP of Page Hotels is in our thoughts behind the brand. We try showcase our attention to detail through the design of the hotel, culinary dishes, coffee to the variety of indie books and magazines. We want our guests to experience a thoughtful experience rather than the routine. We believe we might have the most extensive range of travel guides in Hong Kong, in hopes to inspire people to travel. As for coffee, we work with local roasters, such as Ideaology, Fjord Coffee Roaster, Unlimited Coffee Roasters, to provide the one of the most extensive handdrip coffee menu in Hong Kong. We have even done test and trails on different milk suppliers to work out what we think is best possible cup of milk coffee. However, many locals we might say our tiramisu is one of our USP, as rumour says it is one of the best tiramisu in Hong Kong. The texture is velvety, as it resembles a melted ice-cream. Whilst our coffee blend and the sweetness of the cream just works really well together. Last by not least, I believe our own Hong Kong city guide is an USP of Page148, as we might be the only hotel with its own city guide in Hong Kong. We created a Hong Kong city guide, based on the interviews and ​travel itineraries of the Urban Explorers that we interviewed.

FC: What amenities and facilities are on offer there?

PC: We have quite a minimal operation. In terms of amenities, we have the usual laundry service, free wifi, in-room air purifier, 4G pocket Wifi device, Marshall speakers, Appelles bathroom amenities AND our own Page Common drip bags.

In terms of facilities, we have a very popular coffee shop, Page Common, located in the lobby of the hotel. On top of the usual amenities and facilities on offer, the highlight of Page148 is in its constant collaborations with local brands. For example, we have two collaborations, one with a local craft beer bar Blue Supreme, and another with a local bagel shop, Saturday Morning.

FC: What can a guest expect from their stay?

PC: Minimal, but essential. The design concept is to ensure, everything is designed to make sense with the aesthetics to look minimalistic. We paid a lot of attention on the sleep quality of our customers. For Page148, we made sure there are two pillows firmness to choose from, high pressured showers, soft linens, and comfortable beds to sleep in. We also paid extra attention to the acoustics of the rooms to ensure you won’t hear the noise of the streets.

FC: What would you recommend seeing and experiencing in the area?

PC: My top 5 are:

• Eat and stroll around Temple Street Night Market.
• Shop at Harbour City.
• Drink and party in Knutsford Terrace.
• Take a morning stroll around Kowloon Park.
• Happy hour / beer at Harbour Promenade.

See more of Page148 on pagehotels.com.

Address: Page148, 148 Austin Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong