Located at 17 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong, the hotel was built on the site of what was formerly PolyU's staff quarters, Pak Sui Yuen (百粹苑).

[2] Hong Kong's CL3 Architects designed the interiors, including the guestrooms, the Silverbox ballroom and the lobby's grand staircase.

The hotel's logo was created by graphic designer Tommy Li,[6] also a graduate of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

French botanist and artist Patrick Blanc created and installed the 18-meter, 230m2 green wall in the Hotel Icon lobby.

At the time of its opening, Hotel Icon was housing works of art by Asian artists, including Cheung Yee, Kan Tai-Keung, Nancy Chu Woo, Hung Keung, Pauline Lam, William Furniss, John Fung, Chow Chun Fai, Tsang Chui Mei and Terence Lee.