Lovers of modernist architecture will admire British architect Ron Phillips’ original design, which included deeply recessed windows and high-arched colonnades.

From an intimate tented camp in the green foothills of Bali to a converted 19^th-century Jesuit retreat in Tamil Nadu, our editors and reviewers have roamed the Asia-Pacific region to bring together DestinAsian’s annual collection of the year’s top hotel openings. Read on to discover which new properties stood out from the rest in terms of service, setting, amenities, and a singular sense of style.

Hong Kong’s most buzzed-about new hotel occupies a former government office tower dating from 1969. Lovers of modernist architecture will admire British architect Ron Phillips’ original design, which included deeply recessed windows (to shield the interiors from the tropical sun) and high-arched colonnades. Equally, lovers of contemporary luxury will appreciate the building’s sympathetic overhaul by Foster + Partners, the firm responsible for transforming it into the flagship property of Hong Kong–based Niccolo Hotels.

Today, the landmark structure houses 336 rooms and suites done up in a low-key residential style with views of either the riotous greenery of adjacent Hong Kong Park or the urban jungle of the Central financial district. Murray Lane, the lobby’s Wall Street–inspired bar, is invariably humming with young business types come night; across the courtyard and up one level, Guo Fu Lou draws crowds for its Michelin-starred Cantonese cooking and sensuous André Fu–designed interiors. Crowning it all is Popinjays, a glass-walled rooftop restaurant and bar with a wraparound terrace and works by contemporary American artists Kaws. It’s one of the best perches in town.

niccolohotels.com; 852/3141-8888; doubles from US$460.

This article originally appeared in the October/November 2018 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“The Luxe List 2018: The Murray, Hong Kong”).