Staying at The Murray, Hong Kong

We had the pleasure of staying at The Murray for three nights experiencing their N2 Grand room - a 50 square meter contemporary living space which neatly fitted a cot for our one year old and an extra single bed for our six year old. Furnishings and fixtures are to a high standard with hard-wood flooring and plush carpets as well as smart in-room features such as bedside lighting controls, Smart TV, and automatic blind shutters (perfect for when you need to completely switch off especially post jetlag). Our favorite feature was the beautifully enclosed separate bath and shower in addition to the panoramic views of Hong Kong’s plethora of skyscrapers right in front of you. Anyone and everyone that knows Hong Kong knows that space is competitive and highly desirable particularly when it comes to accommodation which is what makes The Murray unique in this instance. It’s one of the only hotels in Hong Kong that offers at least 75% at 50 square meters or larger in terms of room and suite space. That is why despite attracting business and leisure travelers, it's also an ideal place for families to vacation simply because the rooms afford the space needed when you’ve got the kids in tow as well as its close proximity to main attractions such as the botanical gardens, shopping malls and transportation connections. There are a total of four different room categories and six different suite options of varying sizes, each with the same contemporary luxury design. Interesting fact: the rooms have uniquely recessed windows allowing abundant daylight without direct heat from the morning sun, this architectural feature has won The Murray the Certificate of Merit of the Energy Efficient Building Award in 1994. Another masterful design feature of the building is its vernacular entrance which is neatly positioned into the steep Cotton Tree Drive. 

We found the N2 Grand room comfortable and spacious enough to accommodate all four of us during our three-night stay, especially for a stay in Hong Kong. Clean, restful, convenient, modern with luxury amenities dotted around plus the surreal views,  are just a few of the words that best describe our in-room experience for us at The Murray. Should you be coming as a family with older children perhaps, then we highly recommend looking into their suites. If you’re a family with young children, the N2 or N3 grand might be the best option for you. If you’re coming as a couple, the N1 Deluxe might be a good place to start. The best part of all? The Murray is a pet-friendly hotel, the first we’ve heard of! On top of that, pets are welcome to join their owners for a dine out session too!

Besides the variety of accommodation options, The Murray also provides an array of distinct dining options making this hotel such an explorative one - you’ll be spoilt for choice. There are six restaurants within the hotel and we nearly tried them all. There’s the stunning rooftop restaurant, Popinjays, located on the 26th floor, which we highly recommend (named for the type of bird that visits the balustrade) for a special evening out or even a casual dinner. Serving modern European fare, the menu here was perhaps our favourite. We highly recommend trying their wagyu beef and lobster dish. There's a kids menu too but we ended up ordering side dishes for them (fries and caramelized carrots - we tried to keep it healthy). Such an enjoyable and breath-taking experience when you have the skyline encompassing the entire restaurant and the wrap-around terrace that is sure to arrest you with the city's blinding lights. There’s the Garden Lounge offering the hotel’s signature afternoon tea which is ideal for casual gatherings as it also serves an all-day menu. We tried their semi-buffet dinner which we highly recommend as well. The buffet spread was delightful and succulent, sure to whet anyone's appetite - an array of fresh lobster, abalone, prawns, and oysters to satisfy one’s shellfish cravings. A salad bar replete with your favourite condiments. A charcuterie section of quality cold cuts and of course the centre of it all, the desserts. But the best of all? The Peking duck, hand carved and laid gently onto a pancake for you to devour and enjoy. This is the place to be for a family gathering, an evening out with friends or even date night. Breakfast is served at its modern bistro restaurant, Tai Pan, also serving a semi-buffet spread where you get to select one main from an extensive menu of both continental and Chinese options. We ordered the eggs benedict and the turnip cake, meanwhile filling our plates up with the array of dim sums, pastries, fruits, cereals and delightful cold cuts. No matter what you end up with when it comes to satisfying your appetite at The Murray, you’re spoilt for choice and the food is good. Like, really good. If however we had to pick one of their restaurants we’d recommend Popinjays. We’d also love to recommend Taipan for its 6-course tasting menu. Consisting of both seafood and meat dishes, the portions were generous. Come here hungry and you’ll be just as satisfied. 

The Murray's sanctuary of calm is their dedicated spa that focuses on holistic wellness. We experienced one of the best massage treatments here and really recommend their spa whether you’re a hotel guest or not. It’s not that the treatments are just divine, it's that their highly trained therapists actually listen and manage to achieve the focus of concern when it comes to your own muscle tensions and sores. It has become rare for us to experience a massage treatment with therapists that really know how to apply the right amount of pressure and massage the exact points of your body that suffers from the most tension. More often than not, when we let our massage therapists know which areas we’d like to focus on, the pressure isn’t right or the points of the body they’re massaging just aren't doing it for us. Both my husband and I let our therapists know which areas of concern to focus on and we came out of the treatment feeling absolutely lighter and extremely relaxed. We felt understood and we really felt that the knowhow of these skilled massage therapists at The Murray are excellent. Kudos to The Murray for having such skilled therapists.

This 25-storey urban oasis also has its own indoor swimming pool. Despite how big the hotel is, we were the only ones to use the facility in the morning which was perfect for us and the kids. There is obviously a gym kitted out with the latest equipment gear.

Here are a few of our reasons for recommending The Murray, particularly for families: the location is unbeatable (especially if you want to be near the parks and main transportation lines), the room and suite options give guests that flexibility, the service is great, the dining options are excellent and varied, the spa deserves more attention and a treat for parents, the rooms are sizable, it's family-friendly and pet-friendly. The Murray tops the list as one of our favourite hotels in the city and its a great choice for any type of traveller that wants that five-star hospitality and in-room experience.