96 ACCOMMODATION Interlaken OCT Hotel WHERE OCT East, Yantian District, Shenzhen WHY Set around a man- made lake in the verdant hills of eastern Shenzhen, the Interlaken OCT ( Overseas Chinese Town) is an 890- hectare theme park, designed as a facsimile of Interlaken, Switzerland, complete with ski chalets, mineral baths and Chinese ' fräulein' girls in braids. This is classic ( albeit visually impressive) Chinese kitsch. So, if you've not been to the Alps recently, why not visit by proxy during your next business trip to South China? CONTACT www. interlakenocthotel. com Peninsula Hong Kong WHERE Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong WHY Opened in 1928, the Peninsula is the grand old dame of Hong Kong hospitality. The elegant neo- classical facade has been rather swamped by surrounding development on the southern tip of Tsim Sha Tsui, but the views across the water have been maintained . The real appeal, however, is the hotel's rarefied colonial style. The grand, gilded lobby is a tourist magnet thanks to daily ' afternoon tea' service, while a great sense of European antiquity has been retained in the rooms. The gorgeous ESPA Peninsula Spa highlights the hotel's familiarity with modern comforts, and any lingering trace of colonial stuffiness disappears in the Philippe Starck- designed Felix restaurant. CONTACT www. peninsula. com msafiri JIA Hong Kong WHERE 1- 5 Irving St, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong WHY Philippe Starck began the redrawing of Hong Kong's interior landscape with this chic boutique hotel, the first of its kind in Hong Kong. JIA shoots up like a blade of grass from the commercial melee in Causeway Bay and – in true Hong Kong style – feigns one way with a dowdy residential public facade, before wowing guests with gorgeous designer interiors. ' Jia' means ' home' in Mandarin and the hotel is true to its word with a well- stocked kitchen, a DVD player and an audiophile- friendly hi- fi system installed in every room. CONTACT www. jiahongkong. com 5 7 6 JIA Hong Kong JIA Hong Kong Peninsula Hong Kong