Seamus

Am considering a short (7 day total including travel time) trip to Hong Kong in mid Novemnber, have a few questions..
Comments or advice on choice among the following hotels: Majestic (348 Nathan Road, Kowloon) Mirmar (118-130 Nathan Road, Tsimshatsui,Kowloon)
Harbor Plaza (20 Tak Fung Street,
Hunghom, Kowloon) New World Renaissance (22 Salisbury Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon)
Also, since this will be my first visit to HK would appreciate suggestions for how to spend my brief time there. As a 40 something white guy who speaks no Chinese (but can get by in English, Spanish or French) will I do OK?
rkkwan, I look forward to hearing from you, my fellow Texan!

hobbes

U will have no problem without Chinese - I live here and get by fine. At places like the MTR if the info kiosk u approach has someoone not fluent in Eng he himself will guide u to another kiosk or call a colleague or whatever. Loads of posts re what to do while in HK - just type Hong Kong in the search box and you will be deluged!

Seamus

Wow, thanks for the quick reply, and the reassurance, hobbes! I have a cousin (whom I have not seen in years) who lives now in HK, so I am hoping to connect with her while there, too.

rkkwan

Based on the hotel choice, sounds like you're considering the offer from Continental Vacations/Pacific Delights?

I have never stayed at a hotel in HK, so I can't tell you about the facilites, but based on the location and what I know about them:

- Majestic seems to be completely rebuilt. It's in the Jordan district, just one MTR stop from Tsim Sha Tsui, and is between TST and Mongkok. Many buses up and down Nathan Road. So, it's quite convenient.

- Miramar is a pretty old hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, overlooking Kowloon Park, but I believe is refurbished. Close to TST MTR station, but about a 15-minute walk to the Star Ferry. Still, very convenient with lots of shops and restaurants nearby.

- Harbour Plaza is the newest and most luxurious of the hotels listed. All the Chinese leaders stay there when visiting HK. Problem is its location. It's not close to most places of interest, and no MTR.

- The New World Renaissance sits next to the InterContinental and across from the Sheraton. Very close to Star Ferry, MTR, etc. However, unlike the IC or Sheraton (or the nearby YMCA Salisbury), none of its rooms face the harbor.

Now, if it is the CO/Pacific Delight offer you're considering, let me tell you that while it's a decent deal, it's not really a steal. I believe the cheapest of those packagaes is the Majestic, for about $970/person. For NOV travel, CO from IAH to HKG is about $780. So, you're paying US$190 for 5 nights of hotels, each person, or US$380 for two, or about US$80 per room per night. For not much more (US$108), you can get the YMCA with partial harborview and much better location.

And I believe the package for the Harbour Plaza or New World Renaissance is about $1180, so it's about $400 per person, or $800 per two person, or about $160 per room per night. That's decent, but again not really that amazing a deal. Depending on the exact dates, there are other Tsim Sha Tsui 4* hotels that you can get for about the same or slightly less.

And if you book seperately, you have more flexibility. Maybe take an overnight trip to Macau (which has cheaper room rates than HK).

Yes, you do get 9,000 bonus Onepass miles, so that's close to $100 in value in there.

Seamus

You hit the nail on the proverbial head - it was the CO deal that got my attention. I'm not wed to it, though, and appreciate the suggestions. For my dates the air is just under $800 RT. I'll probably be going alone, am more interested in a hotel that is well located than one that is luxurious.
All suggestions for accommodation, shopping, dining and other activities in HK are welcome!

DonTopaz

Of the hotel listed, the most comfortable of Majestic/Miramar/Renaissnce would be the Renaissance. (I don't know anything about the one in Hung Hom, and I wouldn't recommend the location, anyway). As rkkwan says, the Ren is also closest to the Star Ferry, and it's closest to the Promenade, a walkway along the harbor that is one of the most spectacular sights in HK. The Ren is also at the best location for most of the restaurants that you'd likely be interested in.

The Miramar is the best location for shopping. It is less than a block from some of the very most popular tailors in town. (WW Chan is by far my favorite, but Ash Samtani and Sam's Tailor also have their supporters. For shirts, David's Shirts is probably the best in town, though his prices reflect the quality.) The side streets around the Miramar are where you'll find good deals on ready-made clothing and all sorts of other goods.

Seamus

OK, this is getting closer to reality - I have reserved CO flights and a room at the Salisbury (YMCA) for the week before US Thanksgiving (thank you, rkkwan). So bring on your shopping and sightseeing suggestions!
Many thanks to all for your help so far!

Treesa

Hi, Seamus: I'm considering a trip to Hong Kong for the Chinese New Year, February 6 thru the 12th. Miramar Hotel is mentioned in the package. We can extend our stay for additional days for free. I'll be very, very interested in reading your report. TIA.

Seamus

OK, now that this is a go, herer's a practical question - whay kind of clothes should I pack? Will I need a suitcoat/blazer and tie? Are jeans or khakis considered acceptable? Weather in mid-November is like Houston in temperature but a bit more humidity, correct?
Treesa, I'll be glad to post when I return.

hobbes

Unless u plan to go to fancy restaurants or bars u will not need a suit. One blazer is always a safe option. Jeans are fine. Nov will be nippy - last winter was severe in HK so couple sweaters - not heavy down filled parkas, just light jackets, windcheaters and the like.

rkkwan

Maybe I've lived in the NE for too long (92-95 in DC; 00-03 in RI), but I've always found myself packing too many heavy clothes for HK, even for Christmas.

Nowadays, I usually bring a mix of long- and short-sleeve t-shirt, and a very light jacket/windbreaker. That's all I need. And November is even more mild than Christmas.

Anyways, just think about what you wear in Texas in November, and bring no more than what you need here.

Peteralan

I was going to tell Seamus but as he has already organised his accommodation I'll tell Treesa that I stayed at Mirimar last year and was very happy with it. As rkkwan says , it is an older hotel but has been recently done up whilst retaining some of its art deco touches.We had a lovely room overlooking Kowloon Park and , even though its in busy Nathan Road, it was very quiet.Lots of shops nearby and handy to everything...good service also and we would definitely stay there again.I hope you both enjoy your trips and Seamus November will be a good time to be there.Your inability to speak Chinese will not hamper you. Cheers!

rhkkmk

i last stayed at the new world renaissance and found the hotel to be very nice (attached to a mall) and in a great location....short walk to star ferry...

english is the #1 before and after 1997...