We are booked at the Ritz Carlton on Hong Kong Island from 12/29 to 1/2/2006. We also have an opportunity to stay at the InterContinental Hong Kong, the one on Salisbury Road, on the Kowloon side.

Which would you choose?

With the InterContinental we would get some AMEX perks not available to us at the Ritz Carlton but that is not too big a deal for us...

Just interested in some advice.
Thanks in advance.

2seeds, I think it would be easier to advise you if you told us what you want to do when you are in HK, and if you have ever been there before.

I grew up in Hong Kong and visited there often; still, I have never stayed at a nice hotel there.

But if I were to stay at one, it'd be a harborview room in the IC. I don't care if there are nicer rooms in the Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons or Peninsula. I want a harborview room in the IC. Period.

I so agree with rkwaan...that view is spectacular! Whatever the Ritz offers you it will not match! Have fun!

Did the IC used to have a different name (different hotel group) maybe 10 years ago?

I would agree that the Intercon is preferred but ONLY IF you can get a harbour view room; another slight consideration is that you might ask if the Intercon room is one of the redone ones as I am not sure thayt they have finished renovatins on all rooms.

The Intercon used to be the Regent.

I agree with Cicerone. I'd onlt choose the Intercon if I was getting a harbour facing renovated room. I'd also say it depends on how much you want to experience HK night life - IMO Rotz is a better location for that.

2seeds, I've stayed at both several times. I agree that the IC has the most spectacular views (maybe in the world!). The IC is much larger than the Ritz and the location is completely different. I'd give the Ritz the edge in service, but really both are good hotels.

Personally, I prefer the Ritz, but I also prefer to stay on the Hong Kong side. This is personal preference only. Many, many visitors like Kowloon better.

Since you're going to be in Hong Kong for New Year's Eve what you plan to do for the holiday celebration may influence your decision.

The AMEX perks will get you wonderful breakfasts and an afternoon tea. The harbor view is incredible. The third floor rooms have private terraces from which you can watch the evening laser show. Our room was not yet remodeled but the view made up for it.

Thanks everyone! This actually our first time HKG so we have no idea what we should do.
I have read other posts and there seems to be a debate about the Kowloon side vs. Hong Kong Island. We are really undecided.

I am not sure if we have a newly renovated room at the IC but we have requested a Harbor View for sure.

If we go with the IC is it easy to get to the Island side?

What are your suggestions for both sides depending on which we choose? Are there "must sees" in both places?

Is it easier to get to Macau for a day trip from one place or the other?

Going across the harbor is very easy except the overnight hours. The IC is just a few minutes' walk from the Star Ferry - a world famous 25-cent trip across Victoria Harbor. Or you can take the MTR, which is one one-stop (4 minutes) to Hong Kong Island.

For tourists, the Tsimshatsui area has more restaurants and more shops than Central. And it's just a short taxi/bus/MTR ride to the night markets on Temple Street or the Ladies' Market.

You have several days in Hong Kong to cover most areas both sides of the harbor. Just don't worry about it.

Macau can be done as a day trip, though I usually recommend an overnight trip. Hotels are also cheaper there. There are ferries from both Central on HK Island and from Kowloon. Ferries run every 15 minutes from HK Island, or every 30 minutes from Kowloon.

From the IC to the ferry terminal on HK side, you can take the Star Ferry and walk about 10 minutes along the shore. Or take the MTR for 3 stops. To the terminal on Kowloon side, you can walk there in about 15 minutes, or a really short taxi ride.

From the Hong Kong side, you may be on a fast catamaran, a jetfoil, or a foilcat (a jet-propelled catamaran with foils). From Kowloon, it's catamaran only.

Thanks again everyone. The IC did used to be the Regent. It says on the reservation "contemporary" harbor view room. Does this mean renovated?

So Kowloon is better for dining, etc and HK Island is better for night life?

For New Years eve if I am at the IC in a harbor view room is that good for the light show or is it better to be on HK Island?

It sounds like now we are leaning toward the IC since we get the perks from AMEX but we do enjoy getting a taste of the local nightlife... is this impossible if staying on Kowloon?

There are plenty of bars and clubs in Tsim Sha Tsui near the IC as well. However, the area that's most lively, with the most expats, is Lan Kwai Fong near Central on Hong Kong Island. You can still get back to Kowloon by MTR till about 12:45am, or just spend a little more and take a taxi (~US$20) afterwards.

Unless you need to go to expat bars every night of your stay, you don't need to stay on Hong Kong island.

It's much better to watch the light show from Kowloon side. No better place to watch it than a harborview room at the IC.

Sorry, but I cannot disagree strongly enough with the comment above that Kowloon offers more restaurants and shops. Simply not true. In terms of the absolute number of restaurants and shops, maybe, as more people physically live on the Kowloon side that is mathematically probably the case, but in terms of quality absolutely not. The Nathan Road area of Kowloon is a complete tourist rip off of electronic and camera shops and terrible tailors, mediocre Chinese restaurants and fast food “western” places. There are some good restaurants and some good shops of course (like the Chinese Arts and Crafts Emporium, and the restaurants at One Peking Road), but very average for the most part. And sorry, but the Ladies Market and Temple Street market are extremely poor quality stuff for the most part, copy bags, badly made toys, copy DVDs, and trinket souvenirs (as the Luxe Guide to Hong Kong so succinctly says “Everything you never needed in one rancid place”).

Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay on the other hand, have a huge number of very good restaurants, and I can cite chapter and verse on shopping; not to mention Stanley and the discount warehouses in Ap le Chai where you will find Space, which sells REAL Prada at a discount. You could spend an entire day in the Pedder Building in Central. The area around Peel Street in Central reminds me of Milan, lots of little boutiques of up and coming designers and private kitchen restaurants, this area has changed enormously in the 4 years I was in Europe and is so trendy now as to be almost unrecognizable. And if you want souvenirs and fake designer bags, IMO it is so much nicer to take the thrilling bus ride up and over the hills to Stanley and enjoy the village atmosphere, a nice al fresco lunch along the sea and see a green and different part of Hong Kong, than to try to struggle through the dirt, noise and chaos of Kowloon.

I am not saying not to stay on the Kowloon side, as the views are great and it is very easy and wonderfully scenic to get over to Hong Kong via Star Ferry, but to say that Kowloon is better for shopping and eating is just plain wrong. As rkkwan says maybe it is better for tourists, but not if you want to eat and shop better than tourists. Let me put in this way: New Yorkers wouldn’t eat or shop in Times Square (they shop on Madison), and Hong Kongers with any style would not eat or shop in most of Kowloon. . . .

"Hong Kongers with any style would not eat or shop in most of Kowloon"

???

Hey, either side is fine. You will find many of the same food/goods on either side of the harbor. You can cross the harbor easily. Do we really need to make such strong statements?

And on another thread, somebody (not Cicerone) basically says avoid Kowloon all together.

C'mon. Give me a break.

One doesn't need to buy anything in Kowloon. I haven't spent a dime in the Ladies' Market or on Temple Street in 18 years. I don't even like to walk near the Ladies' Market. But it's interesting, it's unique.

So, let me say it for the final time. Doesn't care which side of the harbor you stay in. But I'd go for the IC because of its unique location and view.

Stop splitting hairs.

Take the Intercontinental and make sure that you don't miss their sunday champagne brunch. Starts 11.45 am to 3.30 pm.The buffet is fabulous, all drinks are included: soft drinks, beer, white + red wine and f r e e flowing champagne "Moet& Chandon". It costs around 40€, which is for sure the best bargain on food you can get in Hongkong!
Enjoy your stay!

The restaurants in the IC are wonderful. We stayed at the Peninsula and dined at the IC twice. The views are amazing, even fog doesn't interfere.