Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Hotels in Hong Kong

As I have said numerous times on this board, I am not a fan of the Kowloon side. Too crowded with tourists, not a whole lot of good restaurants, and not really a whole lot to do. Unless you have a harbour view room, I don't get the point in staying there. And none of the hotels on your list have a view. The Gateway/Marco Polo/Pacific Royal offers some views, many will be more western facing, could be quite pretty for sunset. But even then I don't think I would take it. I am glad Carol liked the hotel, but I find the mall in which those hotels are located to be too large and crowded to handle, and its seems you are always taking long walks to reach anything. It's like a 15 minute walk to the Star Ferry, which is literally at the end of the mall. Of the 3, which are located in the same row of buildings, the Royal Pacific was most recently redone and probably has the nicest rooms.

On the Kowloon side with that budget I probably would suggest the Salisbury YMCA first. You can get a suite or large harbour view room. Drawback for you is that these are often booked months ahead, but do check. It’s not really a Y, it’s like a good 3 star or possibly 4 star hotel. Can’t beat the location really, even if it is in Kowloon, it’s practically at the Star Ferry pier. See http://www.asiatravel.com/hongkong/y...ury/index.html

The Sheraton Hotel and Towers just down the street from the Salisbury may not offer harbour view rooms at that price, but you might check it, that would be a good choice, IMO. The Hyatt Regency may also work if you can get a harbour view room.

The Nathan is not going to offer views. And their website says they are undergoing renovation "until early October". Beware of this, as it may still be going on for your trip (not sure when that is). Construction is never really on time here. Read tripadvisor.com and make sure that construction is finished before you make any non-refundable bookings.

But my recco would really be to try to stay on the Hong Kong side (assuming you can't get a harbour view room in Kowloon). I see from your other posts that you may prefer an international chain hotel. The Courtyard by Marriott in Sheung Wan to the west of Central on Hong Kong Island may be a good idea. With your budget, I would look at the largest rooms and esp the corner suites. I really like the location of this hotel, as it is in a very interesting, very local 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. Their rooms have some very nice harbour 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. 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.) The hotel has no pool and the rooms, other than corner rooms or suites can be small, so get the largest room you can.

You might try to JW Marriott (that may be out of the budget, but check). The Renaissance Harbour View may work, IMO it is just a bit out of the way in terms of location. (The Courtyard Marriott is also out of the way, but in a much more interesting neighborhood so IMO it's worth the trip. It also is on a major bus line and the street tram line, which is not true of the Renaissance.)

The Crowe Plaza in Happy Valley offers race track and other views, and is in an interesting neighborhood. Close to major transportation.

A non-chain suggestion would be the Bishop Lei International House. This hotel is in mid-levels which makes it very convenient for things like dinner, exploring Soho and Hollywood Road, etc. Their room rates are very good. With your budget you can get a harbour view suite, which is a good thing as rooms tend to be small but the suites are a nice size. http://www.bishopleihtl.com.hk

Finally, I would say to take a look at the Mercer, which opened a year or so ago. http://www.themercer.com.hk/ Great location in a mix of an old and new neighborhood. Walkable to Central and also to the interesting market areas. I have never been able to see a room because every time I stop by, they are fully booked. But it looks very nice from the lobby, which is often a giveaway. From the website, it appears to have large rooms 300 -500 square feet which for this budget (and for Hong Kong) is a very good size.