Yes, I have a special hotel recommendation. It's a room with the best view of the most spectacular cityscape on this planet.

The view if from Kowloon (Tsim Sha Tsui) to Hong Kong Island. In a way, the view exemplifies Hong Kong: non-stop morion, and a googol of lights competing for your attention, with a backdrop of Victoria Peak.

4 hotels have good views of this, and of those 4 2 have excellent views. The 2 with excellent views are the Peninsula and the InterContinental. The Peninsula is a bigger and maybe a bit more formal place (it has a totally different character than the BKK Peninsula). The IC is definitely more contemporary in its design. Both offer extraordinary service. (I've stayed in the Peninsula just once, in the IC a half-dozen times.)

The 2 with lesser views are the Sheraton and the YMCA (no, really). In the Sheraton, only the Towers rooms on the top 2 floors have acceptable harbor views, and that part of the hotel is a very good Sheraton hotel. Very good, but not nearly as exceptional as the IC or Peninsula. The POB has stayed in the Y and can comment on it.

If you're staying in HK for a week, or even >4 days, you might well want to consider splitting your stay between Kowloon and HK Island, but that's a different question.

It's a difficult decision between staying in Kowloon or on Hong Kong island. As rizzuto says, Kowloon has spectacular views of the HK skyline, but Hong Kong itself is, in my opinion, a lot more atmospheric.

If you're going for the view on Kowloon side, I like the Intercontinental, anc I certainly wouldn't turn down the Peninsula if offered. Another choice in the moderate price range, but with a view is the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel.

On Hong Kong side, a lot has changed since I last stayed there so I can't give a personal recommendation, but I'm very fond of the Mandarin just because it's so much a part of Hong Kong's history (as is the Peninsula).

Late September is still typhoon season. I don't know that you'd achieve much of an edge on avoiding a typhoon by pushing your trip into early October, but I guess statiscally the chance decreases as you get into October. They're just not predictable.

rizz has the views right. Have stayed at the Sheraton and the views are nice at the top of the hotel and not bad from the rest of the hotel. Get a towers room with a view with your SPG status and you should be ok. Our inlaws partners stayed at the IC and invited us over for cocktails and dinner two nights and we got to see their rooms. The rooms we saw were all suites with floor to ceiling picture windows and the most gorgeous views of Hong Kong and the peak but the price......
We also stayed at the Shangri-La Kowloon the first time there. I think we took Kathie's reco and also had a nice harbor view room but the view is more of the Causeway Bay side of HK with a little of the downtown skyline to the right side of the picture windows. Loved to watch the harbor come to life every morning.
Weather should be nice in late Sept early Oct. Cicerone should be up soon for the real scoop.

Aloha!

>>>Hong Kong Trip<<<


Warm greetings, and yes, would gently suggest waiting for others to offer more.

Until then, will give my shameless promo for the Hong Kong Peninsula (brief weekend pleasure stays, only), and four rather fine HK Peninsula hotel employees involved with her Rolls Royce transfer service: William, Billy, Tommy, and Leslie. (And don't forget a harbour view room/suite.)

No other personal HK hotel experiences, other than the Island Shangri-La (to date, work only); remain partial to the Peninsula, perhaps partly due to the companionship.

Finally, kindly consider a certain Singaporean airline; SQ 1/2, not so bad of late.

Have fun planning and warm weekend wishes to all.

macintosh (robert)


... Singapore Airlines, You're a Great Way to Fly ...

It sounds like a good bonus trip. Have you been to Hong Kong before? I'm thinking not.

My first trip to Hong Kong, I stayed at the Shangri La. The view is lovely, but as HT correctly points out, it's from a little different perspective than the classic view from the Pen or the IC. As lovely as the Pen is, I would tend to go for the IC, or alternately, the Sheraton Towers (which is the top few floors).

Let me recommend a side trip to Macau. We had one of our best meals (and one of the least expensive) at Fernando's.

sheraton and Y are almost next door to each other... Y is like a holiday inn.

shangri-la is nice too...

i would not worry about the view as you will be out all the time...

you can see it from the star ferries and from the promenarde...

We just booked the air tickets on Continental. $990 per person. Only 20 hours. Following Cicerone's suggestion, we wullprobably stay at Bei Lei for four nights. Any reccos for another spot to compliment?

Excited about this trip. We have not been there, only the airport. It's 7 days and 8 nights. 9/17-9/25. Perfect bonus trip.

A perfect bonus trip, and glad to hear that you're back to traveling! We're going to be in HK (first time) as part of our Vietnam trip in February, so eager to read your trip report -- you'll have to assess yourself penalties if it's not prompt and full of details. What is Bei Lei?

Good for you, Andy and Beth! Enjoy!!! HK is beautiful!

Wonderful news!

Is Bei Lei the Bishop Lei House or something else?

If Bei Lei is Bishop Lei I'll be more than usually interested in your report - I've just booked there for November. But I booked a standard room - did you book a view room?

One of the great things about staying in a place like Hong Kong is that anywhere you stay is a good area, and Bishop Lei in the Mid-levels is no exception. You can spend hours and hours in the nearby Hong Kong Park -- watching or joining the morning crowd do their Tai Chi, having a great run (with no shortage of hills), and being struck by the contrasting harmonies of the non-stop frenzy of HK side-by-side with the serenity of the park.

Off-beat suggestion for a morning: the Yuen Po Bird Street. Birds are common pets in HK (many apartments are far too small for a dog or even cat), and the Yuen Po Bird Street is where many men take their pet birds for a daily outing. It's a social thing for the men as well as an few hours outside for the tweeters. Sounds odd, I suppose, but I found it to be amazingly interesting.

Of course Bei Lei is really Bishop Lei. We are giving it due consideration. I love the term "Mid levels". It's like an exam.

Maybe Bob would benefit from a daily walk like the birds. A little fresh air might loosen up those frozen brain celss. All three of them.

I will try to get a move on so you can read the Hong Kong chapter of my trip report before you leave! So glad you are planning (another) jaunt....I will give you some eating tips. That is, unless you plan to gorge on lasagna.

Zero chance of EKS getting to the HK portion of her trip report in the next week or so, out timetable for booking hotels. Zero, Nada, Nil. Even pandas are quicker than glaciers.

Bishop Lei is a great hotel when we stayed there in '98 for a few days. Bedroom with a queen-sized bed, small office-sitting room adjacent. Our last trip in '08 we stayed in a private residence in Western on somebody else's nickel.

Central has escalators so it's easy to go up and down, but there are lots of steps and hills in HK.

Do try the eating clubs (info in the Fodor's HK guide). We went to the Golden Door in Central in '08, entered through a little old office building door, up six floors in a rickety elevator, for a multi-course fixed menu of Schechuan food. When we left, the elevator got dodgy, so we walked down the stairs.

"Szechuan"

indianapearl - was the restaurant you mention perhaps Yellow Door? Near the escalator? Sounds just like the one we went to on Cicerone's list which we highly recommend Andy (as well as their sister restaurant - pics and menu description on our blog)

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/2007_adventures/2007/02/eating_in_hong_.html

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/2007_adventures/2007/02/eating_in_hong__1.html

Elizabeth_S: You're right! (I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning.) You have to reserve in advance and there are only about 10-12 tables.

I also spent a day at Martha Sherpa's Cooking School in Mong Kok on the Kowloon side -- [marthasherpa.com]. It was exceptionally good. We cooked (and ate) three dishes, then she demonstrated (and we ate) three more dishes. After that she took us on an hour-long tour of the Mong Kok wet market. I met my husband at the Mandarin for dinner after and was unable to eat another bite. I'd contacted a couple of other cooking schools, but they wanted a class of ten minimum.

personally we prefer kowloon....

Classic Panda. I was looking at the air reservations and had a tremendous shock when I realized that we were leaving on a day that I had to spend at Dana Farber getting scans. Cannot miss and cannot change. After taking a deep breath, I called Continental and told them the problem. They easily changed our trip to 9/18/10 to 9/26/10 and we only had to pay the increased fare, i.e., $40 per ticket. No change fee. We snapped it up. Once again, I am dependent of the kindness of strangers.

anothger einstein in cambridge moment...

Do you know that you'll be in Hong Kong for Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival)? One of my favorites even though I hate mooncakes.

Marmot-yes, we figured that out. We'll certainly give mooncakes a try.

The trip planning mistake actually took place in Salem, MA not Cambridge. However, Cambridge was the location in which the mistake was corrected.

Are Hong Kong's mooncakes anything like Amsterdam's spacecakes?

Ok, is this really just a ruse so that Panda can go on a soup dumpling tasting trip?
Andy, have a great trip.

PS
Can someone please ask him about the cigar in the car incident he had the other day? Its a good thing those cigars burn slowly, or his automobile would be no more. . . . . .

So what happened with the cigar????Your public needs to know!

I'm driving to a case in Fall River, MA and talking to Tengohambre on the phone. I have finished my cigar and attempt to discard it out the window. I failed in this attempt and the cigar fell inside the car. I immediately pulled over on the highway and opened the driver door. The cigar butt was in between the seat and the door. I picked it out, a delicate task when most of the butt is afire and discarded it on the road. I talked to Tengohabre throughout. Important legal matters that are far above the usual discussion on this forum. So, I proved that lawyers can talk and do manual tasks at the same time. I also proved that we are not too bright when it comes to discarding items. Both were true long before my diagnosis.

On another note, we're considering the Langham Place Hotel or Harbour Grand Hong Kong following Fodors advice. Will let you know when we decide.

Another reason to stop smoking . . . once dropped a lighted cigarette in my lap while driving down an interstate in St. Louis.

ok, let me get this straight... the OP claims to be an officer of the court.... he lives in PC world otherwisw known as Cambridge.... he smokes---yikes... he tries to discard a still burning cigar butt out the window---evidently the PC volvo has no ashtray.... he exposes all the people on the south coast of MA to 2nd hand smoke... he claims to be one of the smartest people that anyone of us knows.... he is a "PC nerd"...

i am glad there are places like needham where "normal" bright law abiding people exist outside of a vacuum and the PC ghetto...

Now, we're looking at the Langham Hotel. Any thoughts on this or the two mentioned above?

Please ignore the cigar tangent. My life has always been filled with these types of mishaps. I don't let them keep me from moving onward. Like going to Hong Kong.

Gpanda, to respond to some of the questions on your post:

1. Sorry to say that September is still part of the rainy season and also typhoon season. But it is all a matter of luck with the weather so what can you do. If you want to be sure of no rain, you need to come in November or December. On the plus side, in the summer months when the weather is good, it is usually spectacular. The summer winds finally shifted last week bringing clear, clear skies (the clearest we have had in at least 3 years if not in my entire 10 years living here. You can see Macau from parts of Hong Kong these days.) The summer winds lasts through about the second week in October. So coming in early October won’t do much in terms of temps and rain. The only possible plus side is that on October 1 there may be fireworks in the harbour for National Day, which are always great to see. Other holidays are September 23 which is the Mid-Autumn festival, actually one of my favourite times here. No fireworks, but lovely lanterns and mooncakes and fire dragon dances in certain temples (e.g. Causeway Bay).

2. Do you mean the Langham Hotel or the Langham Place Hotel? Both are nice luxury hotels. The Langham has a slightly better location, as it is down in TST and nearer to the Star Ferry pier, etc. It’s a block or two east and north of the Salisbury and the Penn. However, to the best of my knowledge, they have no views from their rooms. As I say below, unless you have a view, I don’t get the point of staying in Kowloon. The Langham Place is a very nice luxury hotel which is unfortunately, IMO, handicapped by a bad location. It is 2 miles inland in the Mongkok district, which is light industrial and actually retains some of its former red-light district character (but no crime issues or anything, it is Hong Kong after all). This is why the hotel offers such good deals for a luxury hotel. It is only a marginally interesting location, IMO. There is a small wet/veg market that most tourists have no idea exists, because the awful Ladies Market is about 2 blocks in the other direction where the tourists go in hordes for reasons beyond my understanding. If you stay at the Langham, I think you will spend more time in transit getting to other places than you may want. If you get a room on a very high floor you might have a harbour view. The nicest harbour view is from the spa, IMO. Between those two Langhams, I think I would choose the Langham Hotel, as you could walk to the Star Ferry, the Kowloon esplanade, etc.

3. The Bishop Lei is a much less luxurious hotel in a high-rise neighborhood setting in Mid-Levels on Hong Kong Island. It is walkable to the escalator and numerous good restaurants, and is an easy taxi ride or bus ride down to Central (about 5 minutes, I believe the hotel may run a free shuttle). You can also walk down (or up) to the Peak from the hotel. As noted above, it is near the Botanical Gardens and the small zoo there (you can sometimes hear the orang utans in the morning from your hotel room). I would get the largest room your budget allows, as rooms tend to be small. If you can get something like one of their harbour view suites, that would probably be ideal. The do offer some nice views, IMO.

4. Generally I am just not a fan of staying on the Kowloon side, UNLESS you have a harbour view room at the Penn or the Salisbury YMCA. The Sheraton Towers and Intercon would also work, although there is a large construction site next to the Intercon and partially in front of the Sheraton that may bring noise issues to either hotel (more noise for the Intercon, more unsightliness to the Sheraton). The Shangri-La, also mentioned above, is a very nice luxury hotel which would offer some nice harbour views. My issue with that hotel is that it is just out of the main area and really just out of walkable range to the few areas of Kowloon you would want to go to (other than the excellent Museum of History). If you are considering any of those hotels, my personal order would be Penn, YMCA (value for money), Intercon, Sheraton and then the Shangri-La. But only a harbour view room at any of those. If you don’t have a view, I don’t really see any reason to stay on the Kowloon side, as most tourist sights, and the better restaurants, are on the Hong Kong side or are reachable only from the Hong Kong side (i.e., ferries to outlying islands).

If you can spring for the Mandarin, but all means consider it. Lovely hotel, great service, cannot beat the location. IMO the views from the Bishop Lei will be much better, but otherwise for luxury, service, location, ambience and history it is hard to top the Mandarin. If you are looking at luxury hotels, then also consider the Four Seasons, which has huge rooms, a great pool deck and does offer some good views. It’s walkable to Central and the Hollywood Road/SOHO areas via the escalator.

I stayed at the Langham in March '09. Nice, but not the Peninsula. Got a great internet deal with breakfast included. The buffet is grand and good, vast western and dim sum choices. Be sure to ask for a remodeled room. No views, but well located: an endless mall (w/lots o' decent restaurants), subway stop and ferries within cigar tossing distance. Plus the usual ubiquitous Chanel/LVuitton/Ferragamo retailers. A good gym and a lap pool. Don't eat there except for breakfast.

For views, you need only walk across the street to the upscale skyscrpaer restaurant Hutong for dinner and the nightly Harbor light show. A bit touristy, overpriced and over-hyped in my book, but the food is mostly good (have their reknowned lamb), and those views are drop dead.

This was a first visit. Next time, I'll stay on Honk Kong Island, which we preferred.

I vote for staying on HK island. I can't understand why so many tourists want a view from Kowloon, did they come to HK to sit in a hotel room? Seriously, in HK you'll be out and about exploring the city. BTW, what's the view on Kowloon of? Ans, Hong Kong. If you stay on the island you'll be closer to many sights of interest to tourists. Having said that if you do deceide to stay on Kowloon public transport options will be good (this is also true if you stay on Hong Kong island).

I would look at the following hotels in Central, the Mandarin Oriental, the Landmark Mandarin or the Four Seasons. The later is next to a large shopping mall and is a bit of a walk to older more interesting areas of Central.

Also, consider Causeway Bay, the Excelsior and the Park Lane are well located hotels in this area.

The location of the Langham Palace is not ideal especially for a first time visitor to HK and I would avoid the hotel simply because of it's location.

Andy, I have stayed on both HK island and Kowloon, i personally think for sheer convenience of te main sites/shops, HK island is better unless you MUST have that view! (but then you can get the star ferry and go and have drinks in Aqua or one of the bars on Kowloon.)

I have sat up nights and stared out the window of my room at the IC for 2 hours at a stretch, hypnotized by the <color=blue>Pan</color><color=red>aso</color><color=green>nic</color> sign. Then again, I have no life.

That said, HK island is certainly a more interesting place to be during the day. on a few occasions where I've stayed in HK for 5 or more nights, I've split my stay: a couple of nights at the IC or Sheraton, the remainder either in Causeway Bay or one of the Pac Place hotels. (I start in TST because I I'm usually spending time at my tailor shop during 2 out of the 1st 3 days, and he's in TST.) I concur w/Cicerone that it's a head-scratcher why people would want to stay in Kowloon unless getting a room with The View.

Dammit, I worked hard to get that color thing right. It's supposed to say "Panasonic" in pretty colors.

Fodor's, you have made me feel stupid and worthless.

i disagree... i find kowloon far more interesting in every way than i do the island...

Panasonic

Thanks for all the substantive replies. It gives us a lot to think about. We were considering the Bishop Lei, but somehow moved on. We'll go back and look again.

My sense of Hong Kong is that there is no one location at which a first time tourist should definitely stay. One will take the MTR to lots of places wherever one stays. If I'm wrong on this let me know.

Therefore, I'm looking for a comfortable hotel from which I can walk to a few restaurants. The Langham Hotel seems to fit. While we would love the views, we're probably unwilling to pay the premium price they demand.

We stayed at the Langham Hotel Kowloon in 2006, excellent facilities, large rooms, and huge bathrooms, but very firm beds! But it's very close to 1 Peking Road (Aqua and Hutong)We also stayed at the Marco Polo which I preferred, beds were very comfortable. Overall I prefer to stay on HK, much more interesting. We actually didn't use the MTR much at all, but we found the bus or taxi much more interesting, why would I want to be below ground in Hong Kong? Ok we did use it occasionally i.e. going to Lantau was more convenient but otherwise no. The bus was great fun. The Star Ferry is a favourite and you get the view, We may be going late September but I think we arrive 26/27th so will miss you.
Pauline

My DH reminds me he thinks the Langham's bathroom wasn't that big! memory and time... Don't forget to have afternoon tea at the Penninsula.

Marija: thanks!

Naturally, we are reconsidering. Does anyone have a suggestion for a hotel with an outdoor pool in Central for about $200 per night?

Anyone like Crowne Plaza Causeway Bay? How about MetroPark Hotel Causeway Bay?

Thanks in advance.

Fodors lists the Garden View YWCA - it's close to Bishop Lei, but pricier, which is why I'll be at Bishop Lei, but still just within your limit, I think.

Forget outdoor pool in Central. Go to Macau for a couple of nights, and stay at one of the nice resorts there for your pool time. Westin, Wynn, Grand Hyatt, etc all have nice pools, and the Venetian has FOUR pools you can use.

Have you morphed into mermaid eks?

we do not stay at kowloon for the view... we stay there for its convenience, its shopping, its 24/7 activities...

it's not possible to find an outdoor swimming pool in central or anywhere for $200.

Maybe I can clarify a bit here:
Both garden View YWCA and Bishop Lei are situated in a residential neighborhood on 'midlevel' within the central district. What Mid level means in Chinese is 'half the peak' which means the middle point between downtown and the peak. The Manderin hotel, and the Landmark (where you find mass transit and all the expensive shops) are in downtown Central, keyword here downtown. Downtown central and midlevel central are two different stories. No location beats the convenience of downtown central. That said, Hk is small enough and the public transit is so excellent that anywhere you stay will be great.
With 7-8 days, you can consider 4 days in HK and 3 in kowloon. Mid level is pretty nice, but prepare to walk a bit. Taxis are inexpensive but you don't want to rely on them because you might be stuck in traffic for a long time. I visited the Salibury YMCA in Kowloon fifteen years ago and was very impressed; good value and the location is closed to the star ferry. If you do plan to have tea or hightea at the Penn, that Y is practically next door. If you like to shop or people watch, there are several big malls around. Causeway bay makes me clautrophobic but that just me and also depends on where. By the way, I lived in HK in the 80's so I do know hk. Hope this helps.

I have heard nothing but good re: Crowne Plaza in Causeway Bay. I haven't stayed there, but I'll remedy that in December.

This is great input, keep it coming.

Just trying to get a sense of our options. In a perfect world we would get reservations that we can cancel, but of course, the cheap ones are all non-refundable. When we go to pull the trigger, it will be a question of risk/reward. Hoping very much that there's a good reward.

Giving some thought to Mahan's split time advice. Also, Ray's no cental pool clears things up. Total clarity is an illusion, but our goal nonetheless.

I am a swimmer. I swim across Walden Pond and distance in the ocean. Laps in pools are done for time. The mermaid splashes around, gets wet and avoids doing things. If you tell people that you swam a mile in the morning, they mistakenly believe that you are a a healthy person. I own a wetsuit. She owns goggles. 'Nuff said?

"it's not possible to find an outdoor swimming pool in central or anywhere for $200."

The Garden View YWCA has an outdoor pool and its cheapest room is $198 at today's exchange rate, although before tax. Bishop Lei has an outdoor pool (open April till November) and is cheaper - much cheaper for a non-view room.

I like rizzoto's split-visit solution. The Langham will not set you back much relative to the services/luxuries. I didn't use it (too cool and rainy in March), but the pool looked good. We used taxis and the ferries a lot. Cheap and, for the latter, fun. But staying in the mid-levels would be fun too, and presumably have great views.
I don't buy the argument that you're never in your room. Yes you are. One needs comfort unless one is a travelling student on the make.
For a bit of colonial nostalgia in a cool/funky old building, try the bar/restaurant The Pawn on HK island. Have an iced tea, fresh watermelon/lemonade drink or a pint, eat fish and chips on the veranda and watch the streetcars go by.

I can't remember the road, but Bishop Lei is on a main thoroughfare. Just walk out the door, wave your hand around in the air, and get either a taxi or cross the street and grab the bus. An Octopus card for a week gives you access to buses, trams, subway, ferries, even the cable car on Lantau Island. You buy them in the Metro station and top them up in 7-11 stores.

We took the bus or the taxi down to the ocean front where we picked up trams, ferries, or the Metro.

Consider a half day trip to Lamma Island, about 30 mins. from HK harbor, for a taste of the sleepy life of a fishing village in HK. There's a great seafood restaurant right down on the waterfront (I can find the name if you're interested). During WWII, the Japanese released poisonous snakes in an attempt (unsuccessful) to destroy the Lamma islanders. There are some interesting cemetaries on the island to give one a feel for the funeral rituals of the Cantonese.

The view from Kowloon is great, but ephemeral due to the haze in HK. I'd stay on HK island myself, much more going on there and it's easy to get around.

Can't help regarding a pool but can comment on the Crowne Plaza and Metropark locations. I have not stayed at either property. Both hotels are located at opposite ends of Causeway Bay and are a little walk from the closest MTR stn. Of the two hotels, the Crowne Plaza is closer to the Causeway Bay MTR stn than the Metropark. The Crowne Plaza is very close to Times Sq, a huge indoor shopping mall. The Metropark is closer to Victoria Park and the shops on Hennessy Rd and Yee Woo St. Besides the MTR you'll have alot of transport options, the bus and tram are more interesting than the MTR in the sense that you can actually see things during the ride. The number 10 bus stop is very close to the Crowne Plaza and this bus goes to Central, the tram stop is a mere 2 min walk away from the hotel the drawback is that all the trams from here will go to Happy Valley first. Having said that if you get a good deal here, go for it. Your public transport options are maybe a little better from the Metropark's location, tram wise you are on the main tram line rd, and there is no shortage of buses on Hennessy Rd/Yee Woo St and you are near the bus terminal at Moreton Terrace so you'll have plenty of bus routes to choose from. Sorry, but I don't know what you primary mode of transport will be (taxi/bus/MTR/etc).

I would not stay in two different hotels in HK on such a short stay just to stay in two different areas. You'll waste alot of time transfering from one hotel to the next when you can be sightseeing. If anything warrents an overnight stay elsewhere, it's Macau. A day trip to Macau is possible too depending on what you care to see there. Macau, unlike HK still has many colonial buildings. Another thing you'll find in Macau that you won't in HK is big brash Vegas style casinos.

I'll add that since you are visiting during the rainy season an outdoor pool may not be too important during your visit to HK.

Further to LAleslie's post the Pawn is located on Johnston Rd, and can easily be reached by public transport.

as a follow up to my last post, I just want to add the Metropark is probably closer to the Tin Hau MTR stn. Either way, both hotels are just on the edge of Causeway Bay and not right in the heart of the CWB's hussle and bussle. Niether location is bad for a first time visitor.

Good point about the rainy season. Even I may not go swimming in a monsoon. Not too worried about hotel transfer wasting time. It's only a week long trip. Less stuff to bring, less to pack and going between hotels we don't have to be efficient in packing. Beth wants one spot, but I may lobby for two. The Langham and another is my current thought.

I'm a swimmer too and September/October is great swimming weather in Hong Kong. Of course during a typhoon all bets are off, but that's a whole different experience.

My vote for a two-for experience would be Bishop Lei and Marco Polo Hong Kong hotel. You'd get the sophistication of Mid-levels (it's a great neighborhood!) plus the harbour view and the tourism in media res of Kowloon.

The Hong Kong Hotel is an old work horse that has been through repeated renovations but still managed to survive the re-development of the area. For value it's incomparable. Service is good, several restaurants, smallish outdoor pool, big rooms with stunning views.

I like the concept of the Langham and have stayed there during one of its past incarnations, but find that Kowloon with out the view can get mighty claustrophobic, which is why I prefer the less fashionable (ok, somewhat seedy) Hong Kong Hotel.

Am I correct in the determination that Intercontinental has two hotels on Kowloon that are very close? Orbitz has them listed for a significant price differential.

Yes, the "good" one is simply the InterContinental. The IC Grand Stanford is further to the east, less convenient, with a less significant view; and was upgraded from a Holiday Inn and then a Crowne Plaza. It is not in the same class as "The" IC (ex-Regent).

Yes, there are two ICs. The Intercontinental is the former Regent hotel, this is the better of the two hotels. The other property is located in TST east, a less desirable location.

Gpanda, rkkwan beat me to it. I had this window open on my computer for a little while so I could post a reply to your most recent question. Sorry, rkkwan.

Thanks. My confusion continues. For a moment, I thought we could get the good Intercontionetal for $234 per night. Not to be. The good one is $370 per night. Outside our budget.

I talked to Tengohambre throughout.

Jack up tengohambre's bill and book the good one. Solved.

$370, really? Sheesh. So book the Langham for the first 3 nites, then move to HK Island. Though if I remember correctly the IC is within walking distance of the Spring Deer, an old fashioned Peking duck place reviewed in several places hrein.

I leave jacking up Tengohambre's bill to Tengohambre.

We may book the Langham for 4 nights and an island place for the other 4. The possibility of Macau has also raised its head. It's all fun to plan. This is why I am a loyal Fodorite.

You just went to Vegas. Forget Macau. Same thing. (and you can do it as a day trip anyway. take the helicopter)

I recommend Macau as a side trip not for the casinos, but for seeing some preserved older areas. There are several old Chinese temples worth seeing as well as the ruins of the cathedral and the fort and the charming cobblestoned area of shops - very atmospheric. Hong Kong has little of the old left. Of course, I also recommend the trip for a meal at Fernando's.

We did it as a day trip, took the boat, left HK maybe 8 or 9 am, and were back at our hotel about 10 hours later.

I second Kathie's recommendation for Macau to see the historic sights, old colonial architecture in and around Senado Sq, St Pauls Catherderal, etc. Don't forget to sample local dishes which are different from HK due to Macau's Portugese influence.

If you do decide to inculde Macau there are several ferry piers in HK for Macau bound ferries that dock in two possible locations in Macau. The journey is about one hour. Ferries are frequent and in some cases there are 4 per hour.

A helicopter that costs about 8 times the price also travels to Macau from HK, the journey takes a mere 15 to 20 mins.

Another place to see preserved older areas would be on the faces of the ladies who take afternoon tea at the Peninsula.

this is getting to be a bit of an AO adventure, and it has not even started

We're very close to booking at the Sheraton in Kowloon for four nights. Either through SPG or Continental. I'll let you know. The assistance on this thread has been wonderful.

Just booked the Sheraton for four nights for $988.71. We had to use a few points to do so, but the pernight rate of $247 for a harbor view room was by far the best we were seeing at any of the hotels mentioned by Rizutto on the Kowloon waterfront. Now, we have to figure out where we go for the other four nights.

Are you still looking for a hotel with an outdoor swimming pool on the HK side?

too bad that sheraton is so far from the water...

I-pearl-a pool is not so critical on the HK side because the Sheraton has one. My suspicion is that we will stagger around for a while and then pull the trigger on an HK side hotel. Probably following some advice we've obtained here.

Forgive Bob. karen is out tonight with Beth at a Met Opera showing. He's by himself and unsupervised.

Well done. Now you can also start compiling lists of activities while you're staying on the Kowloon side.

One of those activities might be a trip to the Temple of the 10000 Buddhas, a short train ride away in Sha Tin. Interesting temple, and a good way to get out of the city and some semi-serious exercise (plenty of steps are involved).

Don't do anything outside air-conditioning!

How about a night at Happy Valley races?
I also did Macau as a day trip, as someone said nice to see the Portuguese buildings (and the old temple) oh and eat one of the famous egg tarts..

Here are some random thoughts:

1. While I am not a huge advocate of moving hotels within a city, if you do have 8 nights, that is a nice long time, so you could actually do it if you wanted. The Bishop Lei would be a fine choice if you want to try the Hong Kong side. It’s up on a hill, it’s in a residential neighborhood where people will be out walking their babies and dogs rather than trying to sell you a suit, it’s more green, and it’s walkable to good restaurants as well as a few interesting shopping areas and sights, so all in all quite different from the TST area of the Sheraton.

You could also consider staying in Sheung Wan, west of Central, which is a much more traditional neighborhood full of medicine shops, dried fish stalls, tea stalls, temples, and all sorts of old-fashioned shops you don’t find in many parts of Hong Kong any longer. It is not in the centre of upscale shopping or restaurants (although a few notable ones are not too far), but has a real low-key charm of its own. I quite like the Marriott Courtyard there, although it is quite a bit more expensive than the Bishop Lei. Their rooms have some very nice views and their corner suites are really something. If you really want a feel for a traditional Hong Kong neighborhood, this area is IMO an excellent choice. Its drawbacks are that it is out of the main business/tourist area and is not near any MTR stop. However, IMO the pluses make up for this (which I don’t feel is quite the case with Causeway Bay). It is on a major bus line and on the street tram line, and the hotel offers a shuttle bus service, so transport should not be a major issue. (Plus the neighborhood is so interesting for walking.) There is an older Ramada in this neighborhood that I believe is cheaper. Some hotels in the area which I do not at all, but the outside, but which may be worth looking at, are the Hotel Jen (see http://www.hoteljen.com/), the Sohotel (http://www.sohotel.com.hk/, which despite its name, is not in SOHO), the Central Park Hotel (see http://www.centralparkhotel.com.hk/index.asp) and the Hotel Lan Kwai Fong (see http://www.lankwaifonghotel.com.hk/ which despite its name is not in Lan Kwai Fong.) The Jen would most likely offer some very nice views.

You could also consider something really different, like going to the Le Meridien Cyberport (see the Starwood website, if you still have points you can use them), or the Hyatt Regency Shatin, both of which are very nice hotels in quite untouristed areas. Both offer beautiful water/mountain views, esp Cyberport at sunset. The Hyatt Shatin sits basically on top of the University Station MTR stop, which means you can get to Central in just over 30 minutes. From Shatin you could go out to more remote areas in the New Territories, or go to the races at Shatin racecourse (which you can do at Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island too, race season starts in September). From Cyberport it’s a quick hop to Aberdeen and the Southside, and it is possible to walk up or down from the Peak; there is also a lovely country park in the area for other walks. Cyberport has no MTR (at least not for a few more years), but the hotel runs a shuttle to Central, there is frequent bus service and taxis are not expensive. It’s about 10 minutes by cab to Central, longer by bus.

Or consider someplace in the eastern part of Hong Kong Island, like the Habour Grand http://www.harbourgrand.com/ or even further east, the East Hotel http://www.east-hongkong.com/en/Pages/index.aspx. Both of these are luxury properties at lower prices because of their locations, and are on subway lines. These are in farily untouristed neighborhoods, esp the East Hotel. Both offer quite nice water/harbour views.

Or rather than a day trip, consider spending 1 night or more in Macau, not at a glitzy Vegas-style casino hotel in the dismal Cotai strip, but at a smaller hotel near the old town like the Pousada de Sao Tiago, http://www.saotiago.com.mo/ or the Pousada de Mong Ha, see http://www.ift.edu.mo/pousada. I have not been to the Westin in some years, but love its beach location down in Colonae. You could then spend all the other nights at the Sheraton. (But being pestered by the touts daily there in TST may make you want to move anyway…..)

2. I will give my thoughts on the merits of the locations of the Crowne Plaza versus Metropark Causeway Bay below, but as a start would say that the room size at the Crowne Plaza is going to be significantly larger, and the hotel is brand new so the rooms would have all bells and whistles. I think these may be among the largest rooms anywhere in Hong Kong (other than the Four Seasons), and are hard to beat from that standpoint. Crowne Plaza rooms are 34 square meters, the Metropark is something between 22-25 square meters. That is a rather small room. A larger room may turn out to be important with such a long stay. The Crowne Plaza is also a bit more of a luxury property. So look at the websites carefully and be sure to compare room size, to make sure you are comparing apples to apples, as they say.

3. OK, when discussing the Crowne Plaza and the Metropark, it’s important to understand that the term “Causeway Bay” is a loose geographic term, and not a legal city district. It refers to an area around the eastern and western edges of Victoria Park. Most of Causeway Bay is administratively part of the district of Wan Chai. The rest is part of the Eastern District which begins at the eastern edge of Victoria Park. So although the Crowne Plaza bears the name “Causeway Bay”, that is not really correct. It is in Wan Chai. To me, it is actually much closer to Happy Valley than to Causeway Bay (which is also a geographical distinction, and administratively is also part of Wan Chai). The Metropark Causeway Bay is actually in the Eastern District (or just on the line, you can see the sign for the end of the Wan Chai district about 100 yards from the hotel.) The Excelsior is also in Wan Chai, although many people, locals and otherwise, refer to it as being in “Causeway Bay”.

So while I think western areas of Wan Chai are a good place for tourists to stay, I am not so crazy about “Causeway Bay” esp the eastern end near Victoria Park (where the MetroPark is located). The Crowne Plaza is about in the middle, which just about describes my feelings about it. Here are my thoughts:

-if you love, love, love shopping for clothing and related items, and if that is all you intend to do on your trip, then Causeway Bay is the place you should stay. This area has the highest concentration of shopping from high to low end. You won’t have to leave (except if you want to got to outlets). The Excelsior may in fact be the best choice for pure shoppers as it is just about at ground zero.

-if you want to see the Peak, Central, Aberdeen, Stanely, outlying islands like Lamma, Kennedy Town/Sheung Wan or take in the view from Kowloon (which most tourists do), and if you want to experience some of the better (non-Cantonese) restaurants, then IMO you will spend more time on the subway or in taxis than may be attractive to you. You will of course find plenty of small inexpensive places (complete with lack of ambience), but if you want Michelin stars or good Western fare, you generally will be travelling out and back from Causeway Bay and Central.

-there are compensations in each area, but I am just not sure that they are outweighed by the relative inconvenience of the location. The Metropark is near two temples, one of which, about 2 blocks from the hotel, is probably the most charming in Hong Kong (Lin Fa Kung – as I mention above, if your trip in September coincides with the Mid-Autuum festival on September 23, then staying at the Metropark could be good or bad, not sure, as there is a major parade and fire dragon dance during that festival between the two temples.). The Crowne Plaza is near to some fairly good restaurants (esp in Lee Theatre Plaza basically across the street, and excellent dim sum at West Villa in Lee Gardens). There is also the Bowrington Road “wet” market nearby which is interesting. Both have old neighborhood areas which I personally enjoy, but to be honest, I am not sure that the average tourist would see anything in them. I like the streets which are all car repair shops or little hardware/stationery stores, but I think most tourists would find them dull. I do not, to be honest, find either area as charming as Sheung Wan and Kennedy Town.

-It’s a good 10-15 minute walk from the Crowne Plaza to the nearest MTR. Even if you use the Times Square “entrance” to the subway (Door A), which is itself about a five minute walk from the hotel, you will then be walking underground for 10 minutes or so to get to the actual trains, which are over by Door D and the Sogo Department store. I would really not bother with the MTR from the Crowne Plaza, I would use buses, taxis or the tram if you have a little time to spare. From the Metropark, it is less than a five minute walk to the Tin Hau station (and the actual trains). The Metropark is also on several major bus lines and fronts the tram line.

Thanks Cicerone. We are generally not advocates of switching hotels, but Kowloon and HK island seemed so different that four days seemed right for each.

The Bishop Lei, Grand Harbor and Courtyard are already on our radar. You have certainly given Beth a lot to think about. Thanks.

This thread is a gold mine - thanks to Gpanda and everyone for all of the great info. We have 3 days in HK and have been following along. Wish we had 8 so could divide our stay like you are doing. We're still struggling between Sheraton, YMCA, Conrad (points for part of the stay), Bishop Lei, or Courtyard (points or cash). If we stay on HK side, are there any top-of-the places on the harbor in Kowloon to go for a drink or dinner & the view?

Adding a voice to the chorus of thanks, Cicerone.

I'd never really given much thought to staying in Sheung Wan, and you've got me re-thinking that. It is a great area to walk around, so why not stay there? The Jin, especially, looks very appealing (not to be confused with the Jen, in Causeway Bay, which is apparently managed by the same company).

Sheung Wan is such an interesting area! We'd seen the dried fish and traditional medicine places earlier, but on our last day in '08, we walked around the neighborhood and discovered a whole street of coffin makers whose shops are open to the public, grave goods for sale in other shops.

Its non-refundable but you can try priceline for a hotel. I was able to get the Conrad Hong Kong for $110 per night (Jan 2010). Great hotel - over a shopping center and near transportation. I think for a additional $5 per night, you can get insurance for the priceline hotel.

Thanks everyone for all of the good information. For the first four nights we're looking at LKF or Courtyard by Marriott or maybe Bishop Lei. Part of the excitement about going is spending the time planning. I recognize that no amount of planning ensures a perfect trip, but the actual planning is fun.

Love the coffin street, putting that on my itinerary for the next trip.
Since you're a gambler, Panda, HKers are loony for horse racing and going to one as reccommended above might be fun.

We just booked the Courtyard by Marriott, Harbor View, Executive Club through the Marriott site for $949 for the first four nights. We have the Sheraton Hon Kong for the other four nights. These look very good. This thread provided wonderful information with thoughtful contributions. There are too many of you to specifically name, but Beth and I really appreciate all the hard work and effort each of you put in to making our planning easier. The good news is that when I told my doctor, all she did was check the dates to make sure there were no conflicts with medical visits. This was essentially her blessing. Thanks again.

We look forward to wandering around Sheung Wan.

thank god....this was such an ordeal... good thing you don't go away every month!!

Sorry, I did intend to come in this morning and post one last bit of info which may be important: the Courtyard does not have a pool. So, if you want one, I would say to talk to the front desk and work out the ability to go over to the JW Marriott or the Renaissance Harbour View, both of which have quite nice pools. They should be able to arrange this for you, You probably can’t charge meals to your Courtyard room, but they can smooth the way to make sure no one has a problem with you showing up to use the pools or sit around on the loungers. The Marriott has the quite nice Fish Bar for lunch/dinner as well. The Renaissance shares a very large pool deck with the Hyatt, so some meal options there as well.

Rizzuto, the Jen Hotel I was referred to is in Western/Sheung Wan. This is apparent from its address on Queen’s Road West. The website I gave was for the Jen on Queen's Road West, see http://www.hoteljen.com/. I can’t find a Hotel Jin. (But transliterations of Cantonese are quite inconsistent, and if you search “Jin” you can get “Jen” and vice versa. So there may be antoher Jin/Jen in Sheung Wan. There is also a Jia in Causeway Bay.)

Planning to go to HK by February...how's the weather in HK in February?

The weather in February is somewhat changeable. Typically it is a bit on the gray and cool side (temps in the low 60s F, we can get dips into the 50s F). Rain is rare, but cloud cover and fog does occur as temps are low and humidity is back up above 80%. On the other hand, there have been Februarys here which have been glorious and sunny. So some of this will depend on luck. But generally cool temps and no rain, even though it can be cloudy. It is better than March, which IMO is the worst month in Hong Kong. January typically is sunnier and than February and does not have the humidity and fog issues. November and December are the best months in terms of temps, sunny and pleasant. The summers are very hot and usually rainy, but the plus side is that sunny days are usually spectacular. (Air pollution in winter can obscure views.)

On the plus side for February, the Lunar New Year is often celebrated in February. It moves with the moon phases, but in 2011 will be celebrated February 3-5. This is a great time to be in Hong Kong, IMO. There are fireworks in the harbour (should be Feb 4 in 2011), all the skyscrapers are decorated, and there are special food and flower markets. It’s a real celebratory time here. While most shops and many non-hotel restaurants are closed on Feb 3, tourist sites like the Peak are open, and buses, subways etc running as per normal (or more frequently than weekdays), so generally you as a tourist won’t really be affected. (It’s actually quiet eerie, in a fun way, to walk around the main business area in Central on the one day of the year when everything is shut up tight. Then see it on a normal weekday for a good contrast.) By Feb 4 larger shops and most restaurants are open again. (It is not like the PRC where closures are broader and longer. Hotel restaurants are not affected.)

We knew the Courtyard has no pool. We decided that staying at the Sheraton for four nights would give us enough pool time. Maybe we can use a sister hotels pool. We chose the Courtyard because of the walkable surroundings.

Thanks, Cicerone -- I somehow thought that the JIA Hotel (they use all caps) was the JIN Hotel -- my bad.

This is unbelievable. Those of you who have followed my ramblings in the past know I always recommend buying several guide books to get a cross section of information. Beth went on Abe'sBooks.com and bought six Hong Kong guide books for $20. We already had a small one. So now, we have a guide book for every day we'll be in Hong Kong. This must be a record.

at that price most of them will probably explain how the british rule in HK works..

You should have given me the $20 (plus a plane ticket) and I can be your guide.

Ray-we would love it if you could be our guide. We don't want to undercut your sense of self-worth by paying for your plane ticket. That would just be unfair. Always thinking of others feelings.

The guide books from Abe's Books have arrived. Lots of reading for us. In homage to this great website, we managed to purchase two copies of Fodors Hong Kong. One for each of us.

or you could donate one to charity....maybe the info is twice as good?? but its a 1987 c. isn't it?