For more than four decades, The Royal Garden has been one of Hong Kong hospitality’s quiet achievers, refined, dependable, and deliberately understated. Now, for the first time in 44 years, the storied brand is expanding beyond its Tsim Sha Tsui birthplace, staking a confident claim in Kowloon East with the January 2026 opening of The Royal Garden Kowloon East.
This is no cosmetic rebadging. The 366-room urban resort is a ground-up reinvention of the former Crowne Plaza Kowloon East, reimagined by its original developer, Sun Hung Kai Properties, as an “oasis of calm”. It is a phrase that sounds aspirational until you step inside and realise it is, in fact, literal.
Set in Tseung Kwan O, where city density loosens its grip and greenery pushes back, the new Royal Garden feels less like a hotel chasing trends and more like a confident brand rediscovering its roots and updating them for travellers who now prize wellness, space and considered design over marble excess.
A Royal Garden, Reimagined
“This new destination represents a bold evolution of the brand,” says Area General Manager Jenny Chan, describing the property as “redefined for a new generation of discerning travellers”.
The Royal Garden Kowloon East – Sunrise Vista Corner Room
That evolution is evident immediately. Nature-inspired interiors replace hard urban lines, while olive, apricot, and warm timber tones soften the experience from the lobby to the guest room. The aim is not spectacle but ease the kind of place where you exhale without realising you were holding your breath.
Accommodation has been carefully diversified. Rooms are styled as lived-in spaces rather than anonymous hotel boxes, ranging from interconnected family layouts with flexible drawing walls to bunk-bed studios for younger travellers and multi-room suites designed for groups who travel together rather than apart.
It is hospitality designed around how people actually move now, families, friends and multigenerational groups, rather than how hotels once insisted they should.
Villas, Families and the Family Dog
Perhaps the clearest signal of that shift comes in the form of the hotel’s seven exclusive private villas, each with its own garden and, notably, each pet-friendly.
The Royal Garden Kowloon East – Urban Oasis Room with Twin Beds
Designed with a Balinese aesthetic, warm oak finishes, calming palettes and generous indoor-outdoor flow, the villas are tailored for staycations that include every member of the household, including four-legged ones. In Hong Kong, where space is currency and pet-friendly accommodation remains scarce, this is a quietly radical move.
Families are further catered for through two themed accommodation concepts: the Junk Bay Kids’ Den, with its ocean-inspired play space, and the Family Fortress Room, which leans into imaginative castle exploration. These are not gimmicks bolted on for marketing photos, but thoughtfully executed environments designed to keep younger guests engaged while adults reclaim a moment of peace.
Dining With Heritage and a View
Food, long a cornerstone of The Royal Garden identity, remains central to the Kowloon East story.
The Royal Garden Kowloon East – 25-metre outdoor pool
On the ground floor, the Fine Foods Lounge continues the brand’s legacy with artisanal cakes, its much-loved butterfly cookies and properly serious coffee, the sort of refined indulgence Hong Kong does exceptionally well.
The headline act arrives in July 2026 with the opening of Ponentino, a rooftop Italian restaurant inspired by the hotel’s original, award-winning Sabatini Ristorante Italiano. Positioned as a relaxed, all-day dining venue for a younger generation, Ponentino will sit atop the hotel with a generous outdoor terrace and uninterrupted views across Tseung Kwan O’s natural surrounds, particularly striking at sunset.
White tablecloths give way to warmth and informality, with regional Italian flavours designed as much for atmosphere as for appetite.
Wellness, Work and Weddings
As an urban resort, The Royal Garden Kowloon East places equal emphasis on wellbeing and functionality. Guests have access to a 25-metre outdoor pool, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, communal relaxation spaces and a dedicated Kids Club, Giggle Hill, designed to deliver genuine downtime for parents.
For business events and celebrations, the hotel’s MICE and wedding offerings are led by the Diamond Room 8, which accommodates up to 180 guests. Floor-to-ceiling French windows flood the space with natural light, while an adjoining outdoor garden allows events to spill seamlessly outdoors. A fully equipped bridal room completes the picture, practical, polished and thoughtfully executed.
Design With Purpose
The architectural language comes from LAAB Architects, whose eco-conscious approach aligns with the sensibilities of Millennials, Gen Z and the emerging Gen Alpha traveller.
“It’s a true urban resort,” says Design Director Otto Ng. “An elegant, relaxed haven of tranquillity, wellness and curated experiences away from the bustle of Hong Kong.”
General Manager Johnny Cheung agrees, describing the property as “a redefined hospitality experience that caters to evolving needs while retaining the essence of The Royal Garden legacy”.
That balance of innovation without amnesia may prove the hotel’s greatest strength.
A Phased Arrival, A Confident Future
The Royal Garden Kowloon East is unveiling itself in three phases throughout 2026. Guest rooms and suites opened in January, followed by villas and family amenities in March. The final flourish arrives in July with the debut of Ponentino, completing the transformation.
To mark the launch of its new website, the hotel is offering a Transformed Offer Rate, providing 25 per cent off stays and up to two complimentary daily breakfasts per room for bookings made by 31 March 2026 via www.rgke.com.hk, using the promo code RGKE (terms and conditions apply).
In a city that reinvents itself relentlessly, The Royal Garden Kowloon East does something quietly subversive. It slows the pace, softens the edges, and reminds guests that luxury, at its best, is not loud; it is calm, confident and enduring.
by Octavia Koo – (c) 2026.
Read Time: 6 minutes.
About the Writer.
Indonesian-born Octavia Koo arrived in Australia in the early 1980s, drawn by the creative promise of Sydney and a place at UNSW, where she studied Arts and soon discovered her flair for visual storytelling. She began as a graphic designer, quickly turning her sharp eye for detail towards the digital frontier, designing websites and crafting polished descriptions that draw people in—and keep them reading.
Her next chapter took her to Singapore, where she built and managed blogs for several tourism platforms, uncovering a natural gift for SEO long before the term became fashionable. There, amid the buzz of ITB Asia, she met Stephen, who suggested she consider Global Travel Media. A few years later, she did just that.
Now part of GTM’s editorial family, Octavia brings a quiet brilliance to her work. She merges art, technology, and intuition to tell travel stories that charm and perform, much like their author.
