With big, cushy armchairs, top-notch sound and visuals, and free-flowing popcorn, the cream of the crop amongst Hong Kong’s movie theatres will make you feel like royalty. The best part of all? At these selected spaces, you can rent out the entire cinema for you and your friends and family. For years, one of the best-known places in town was the Director’s Club at Taikoo Shing’s UA Cityplaza, but it’s now closed its doors to make room for a brand spanking new theatre coming this summer. In the meantime, we’ve selected the following locations as Hong Kong’s most luxurious cinemas.
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It seems they’ve left no stone unturned at the newly refurbished AMC Pacific Place, enticing passers-by with a modern wine bar in the foyer. Among six newly revamped cinema houses boasting Dolby 7.1 surround sound, there’s also a VIP suite of presidential proportions at the aptly (if not quirkily) named Oval Office suite. Seating 18 guests, the theatre allows you to either purchase a single ticket for selected titles for HK$250, which includes a snack and drink set, or you can opt to book out the whole theatre starting from HK$4,500.
Level 1, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong; +852 2265 8933, amccinemas.com.hk/cinema/amc
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Décor-wise, Kowloon Tong’s new Festival Grand facilities under the MCL cinema company umbrella closely rival that of AMC Pacific Place, with sleek brass designs and lighting adorning the foyer, plush carpet and warm colours inside each movie house. Its VIP house, the BEA Festival Suite, is of course the one to boast about here: It’s the first in all of Greater China to use a Bowers & Wilkins theatre hi-fi system, with crystal clear, Dolby 7.1 surround sound. The VIP house seats 18 in luxurious, super-wide armchairs, and a ticket (starting at HK$200) includes a medium-sized popcorn and a drink, plus 20% off other concession snacks. Guests can take advantage of the next-level cinema snack menu including baked cheese tarts, cream puffs, cookies, chocolate and nut crisps, homemade cupcakes, cold-pressed juices and more. Not your cup of tea? You can also ask for a customised menu for your private movie party.
Level UG, Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong; +852 2237 1992, mclcinema.com
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Speaking of top-notch sound, if an immersive cinema experience is something you require, you might want to look to Palace IFC, which has just installed the DTS:X immersive sound system in its 181-seat house. You won’t be racing to book this out for your buddies — indeed it’s no space for an intimate movie screening, but it certainly feels like one. Just launched in the market in 2015 and finally gaining traction (it’s currently only available at IFC and Whampoa Gardens), the DTS:X system takes surround sound a notch further with clear, realistic sound imaging, which aims to precisely pinpoint each sound to its location, so it feels like you’re sitting mid-conversation between the stars onscreen. Ticket starts from HK$115 each.
Podium L1, IFC Mall, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong; cinema.com.hk
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An independent cinema multiplex, The Metroplex normally plays host to the Hong Kong Sundance Film Festival each year. Amongst its nine screens equipped with immersive Dolby Atmos and Dolby Surround 7.1 sound, it’s got three 20-seater VIP houses for those who want to treat themselves to a more exclusive screening session. Two of them regularly show selected titles — an HK$220 ticket includes a seat and a fancy bento meal set — and the third VIP house is available for rental at HK$3,000 plus a minimum F&B charge of HK$17,000 — yep, that’s a lot of popcorn and soda. As it’s connected to its own private dining area, restroom and driveway entrance, you can also ask for a tailor-made fine dining menu to indulge on before or after the movie.
E-Max, KITEC, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong; metroplex.com.hk
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Over at Elements’ The Grand cinema, the VIP house is certainly deserving of its own name: The Starsuite is perfect for celebrities and VIPs who want a private cinema experience, which is available for rental starting at HK$6,300 for all 23 seats. The movie house has its own entrance and private VIP lounge which you can use to greet guests before the screening, however, any longer than 15 minutes of use and you’ll need to book the space separately (HK$1,700 for 45 minutes). The house is decked out with 23 remote-controlled, fully adjustable armchairs, each including a USB port for you to charge your devices. On top of a full house of movie tickets, the package also includes 23 sets of snacks, hotdog or popcorn and a drink.
2/F, Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong; +852 2196 8170, thegrandcinema.com.hk
Photo via Instagram @carmenwong33
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If you’re looking for a cosier, fewer-frills cinematic experience, the Phoenix Club is a modest 38-seater, slightly separated from the rest of iSQUARE’s tower of cinemas. The price per seat is just a smidge higher than a standard cinema ticket — HK$120 per person includes a snack and drink.
7/F, iSQUARE, 63 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong; +852 3918 5888, uacinemas.com.hk
Evelyn Lok
Managing Editor
When not trying out the latest beauty and wellness trends, Evelyn is likely enjoying a perfectly balanced negroni or exploring some of Hong Kong's best new places to eat and drink. At Lifestyle Asia she covers everything from the biggest events in town to interviews with Hong Kong specialists, with topics spanning art, food and drink, health, tech, and travel.
