CITY Issue 55 - (Page 16) ACTION A Cushy Extended Stay HONG KONG: KUSH LIVING Down linens, expert lighting, and daily maid service: Hotel rooms abound with features you long for in your own home. Which is exactly where the serviced apartment comes in. And while these extended-stay suites offer hotel-like perks, they often come up short on décor, surrounding corporate travelers with beige walls and sad excuses for art. But change is afoot in Hong Kong. Kush Living is busy establishing itself as a design-forward line of serviced apartments catering to the bustling city’s ever-expanding population of young businesspeople. Plasma TVs and towel warmers come standard, as do wireless internet and the Kush “Envy card” (which offers access to partner clubs, restaurants, and spas), but it’s the thoughtful eye toward design that makes the apartments so appealing to Kush’s 25-to-40-year-old demographic. Citing Miami’s Setai Hotel and Ian Schrager as inspirations, co-founder Dinesh Nihalchand says, “Each building has its own personality.” He and co-founder Alex Bent traveled to mainland China to source textures, tiles, and stones to create, according to Bent, “the feel of an exclusive club in the heart of the city” for one of their three apartment buildings, and “a tribute to Old Hong Kong” for another. But even beyond good design — and paramount to Kush setting itself apart from the competition — is the founders’ focus on the clients and their needs: “We treat our tenants like family,” Nihalchand says. And stylishly so. — AMY HAR-EVEN Go to www.kushliving.com ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TRAVEL IN STYLE GEAR: LUGGAGE Luxury on Land Samsonite’s iconic travel pieces from the 1920s and ‘30s have been re-issued with a sleek modern twist. The hand-made, limited-edition collection is a modernization of the Samsonite founders’ original trunk. The old-fashioned chunky locks are tailored to include a modern TSA-approved function and the retractable handle provides a now-common convenience. The Samsonite Black Label Heritage Trunk (in black at left), $625. Go to www.samsoniteblacklabel.com Smooth Sailing Traveling by sea just got more stately. The luxury Italian luggage company Valextra enlisted the help of German Frers, the esteemed Argentinean yacht designer, to create a collection of luggage compatible with sea travel when a traditional trunk or hard-to-handle suitcase just won’t do. These pieces can be dismantled and folded up to optimize the precious space on a boat. Both the trunk and garment bag (in white at left) are made of waterproof materials and are resistant to scuffing. The Valextra German Frers trunk, $4,790, and garment bag, $2,950, are available at Barneys New York. — RENEE LUCAS Go to www.valextra.it CITY 16 TY http://www.kushliving.com http://www.samsoniteblacklabel.com http://www.valextra.it
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