HK Holiday Inn Golden Mile/Shanghai Sofitel
 

Does anyone know anything about these hotels? I have them booked for my upcoming trip, but I can't seem to find too much info on them. Thank you!

The Holiday Inn Golden Mile has been around for decades. No idea how the rooms are. There's no view from this hotel, but its location is excellent. Right in the heart of Tsimshatsui with shops and restaurants all around it. MTR station within steps. The Star Ferry is a little further away, maybe 10 minutes walk through the busy district. Its Delicatassen Corner in the basement is one of the better places to get German food in Hong Kong.

I stayed at the HK HI in December. The room was a bit small, but basically ok. My view was of the side of the Chungking Mansions next door. The main entrance to the hotel is just off of a side street. The "back door" entrance faces Nathan Road. Just ignore the watch sellers that hang out in the area.

You would want your room above the main entrance (west side of the hotel), or the side street (north side). The Nathan Road (west) side might be noisy: there was construction in the street in December, on the subway I think, but it may be completed by now. The view from the Chungking Mansions (south) side is ugly but it is quiet.

The food in the Deli underground is very good as is the Sunday brunch on the mezannine level. Neither are inexpensive. There is a bar/restaurant above the lobby that was popular.

Here is their website: http://www.goldenmile.com

There is a business center near the top of the hotel that has computers connected to the net. Check the per minute charges before you use it!

We stayed at Holiday Inn Golden mile a couple of times too and would do so again.Very handy to everything and has a good buffet breakfast. We also had that view of Chungking Mansions!

Hi there- stayed at Sofitel Hyland Shanghai in Mar 2003. Worst beds in Asia. We were on 23 floor with fab view of Bund. Grand Hyatt is worth the US240 and you may find cheaper on net.

HI is a good value, though the area directly in front can, as suggested, be a bit overbearing with the watch-sellers.

If you need laundry done very inexpensively, there's a terrific place next door, in Chungking Mansions, called Puritan Laundry. It's on the ground floor, all the way to the back and on the right side (if your back is to Nathan Rd). It's cheap (about US$5 for a laundry bag full of clothes), and they had it ready for me in less than 4 hours.

Hahaha... Since Chungking Mansion is mentioned so many times on this thread, I suggest people rent the movie "Chungking Express" by director Wong Ka Wai, before booking the Golden Mile. :D

Wow! Thanks for the help. Are the Sofitel beds hard? Lumpy? My curiosity is killing me! :)

Hi Melissa-the Sofitel Hyland beds are so hard it similar to sleeping on the floor! We had a room with twin beds and both of them were like bedrock. The hotel is a little jaded and not well maintained-I would rate it 2.5 to 3 stars. No at all what we expected from Sofitel as a brand, however the position is good so maybe if you can get a good bed it will be OK. It was full when we stayed in Mar 2003 so no other rooms were available and the view was so good we just stayed up most of the night and sipped Cointreau and watched the lights of the city. Have a great time-Shanghai is a top city to explore with wonderful shopping and markets and a very good subway system. Lonely Planet do a great city guide of Shanghai.