Ovolo Central

Located on the corner of a busy Hong Kong street, Ovolo Hotel-2 Arbuthnot Road, Central, Hong Kong, occupies a tall, thin skyscraper that shares a city block with similar buildings. The ground-floor entrance opens onto a dark space with austere black-and-silver walls, and an accent wall that looks to be dotted with silver eggs. The reception area is on the second floor, which can be reached by elevator. The space is shared with the hotel lounge, where evening happy hours take place. Decor is neat and modern, consisting of  tan leather sofas, white furniture, and light-colored wood laminate flooring. The hotel draws tourists, especially couples, and business travelers.

Ovolo Hotel-2 Arbuthnot Road, Central, Hong Kong is close to Hong Kong's famous Central-Mid-Levels Escalators, the world's longest outdoor covered escalator system. The Central District is a lively area with many cafes, restaurants, and bars, as well as luxury shops. The night spots of Lan Kwai Fong are a two-minute walk away. Central MTR subway station is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. 

• Two-minute walk to Lan Kwai Fong nightlife district
• Five-minute walk to the Central-Mid-Levels Escalators
• Six-minute walk to Soho restaurant and entertainment district
• 10-minute walk to Central MTR station
• Six-minute drive to Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal
• Seven-minute drive to Victoria Park
• Seven-minute drive to Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
• Eight-minute drive to the Peak
• 13-minute drive to Jade Market
• 23-minute drive to Hong Kong Disneyland
• 32-minute drive to Hong Kong International Airport
• 34-minute drive to Lantau Island

Reasonably spacious by Hong Kong standards, the 21 rooms at this Ovolo Hotel are about 350 square feet each. All the rooms are designed to sleep a maximum of two guests, and come with queen-size beds. The guest room interiors are chic and modern, made up of dark-brown furniture with clean lines, and decorated in an earth-toned color palette of browns, grays, and beiges. The walls are painted white or covered in wood paneling, while the floors are tiled in beige and covered in large brown-and-beige patchwork rugs. Bathrooms are luxuriously tiled in gray marble and come with vessel sinks and spacious walk-in showers fitted with rainfall showerheads. Executive Rooms have separate work spaces with large desks.

All rooms come with air-conditioning and such high-tech amenities as flat-screen TVs hooked up to Apple TV, iPod docking stations, free high-speed Wi-Fi, and Nespresso machines. There are also electric kettles and tea packets, and free minibars that come stocked with beer, juice, water, and spirits, and are replenished daily. Thoughtful little extras include safes with charging points (so that laptops and tablets can be locked up and charged at the same time), robes, slippers, and umbrellas. Also, arriving guests find “loot bags” filled with snacks and candy.

Be aware that the hotel is in a busy area, and many guests have complained about ambient street noise that reaches the rooms and can interfere with getting a good night's sleep.

This Ovolo Hotel doesn't have all the features expected of a four-pearl hotel, notably there's no full restaurant or bar, but it helps that the dining it does offer is free. The property serves a free breakfast at the adjacent O Cafe, which is run by the same management and has snacks and drinks available throughout the day. Breakfast consists of croissants, muffins, and toast, and guests can order hot dishes, such as eggs or bacon. The cafe gets a lot of local customers in the morning, so breakfast can get busy. The lounge area is the venue for the hotel's nightly happy hours, where beer, wine, and snacks are served for no additional charge. The on-site gym is open 24 hours a day but is small with only two treadmills, an elliptical machine, and a smattering of free weights. There is also a free self-service laundry. Free high-speed Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.