Last time we were in Hong Kong, many years ago, we stayed at what was then the Regent and absolutely loved it. That hotel is now the Intercontinental Hong Kong and quite pricey. Intercontinental has another property called the Grand Stanford, also in Kowloon, which is about 25% less expensive, but I'm not sure the location is as convenient or pleasant. I'd appreciate information about the relative merits of these hotels from those who know.

I'd also welcome other recommendations. I'm looking for a harbor view room and would like to pay less than US$400 per night. Thanks for any help.

The Grand Standford started as a Holiday Inn, got upgraded to a Crowne Plaza, and now a IC. It was totally refurbished only a couple of years ago. However, I don't think it'd compare to the IC; and it's definitely not as convenient. If the difference in price is only 25%, then I wouldn't consider it.

$400 should be able to buy you a room at the IC or the Peninsula. Other hotels in Tsimshatsui with good harborviews are, from West to East: Marco Polo Hong Kong, YMCA Salisbury, Sheraton, Shangri-La, and the Nikko (next to Grand Standford).

Make sure you check the prices for harborview rooms. For the Sheraton, you want a "tower room" with harborview.

Thanks for the heads up on the Grand Stanford. I just checked prices on some of the other Tsimshatsui hotels and unfortunately the harbor view rooms are all around $450, as is the IC. The Peninsula as well as the Ritz Carlton on Hong Kong side are well over $500 for the days we're looking for.

I may just have to bite the bullet as we'll be coming home from a month in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam where most of our accommodations are significantly less expensive.

What dates?

Hong Kong dates are Jan 2-4, 2007.

Okay, many hotels don't release rooms this early in Hong Kong, that's why rates tend to be high for those that do.

Checking Expedia, you can get harborview room at the Grand Hyatt for $389 or the JWMarriott for $370.

Conrad can be booked directly on their website with internet rate of HK$2,900 harborview room. That's $370.

The Sheraton has non-Tower, but harborview room with 1 King for HK$2,430 ($311).

I think its worth paying for a harbourview at the IC or the Penn. It was obviously memorable to you the first time. You may end up getting better deals as time gets closer, as that is after Christmas/New Years and is not a huge business or leisure travel time anyway. Or take a look at the Salisbury YMCA, go to /www.ymca-hotels.com. They aren't showing January yet, but a harbour view executive suite (their most expensive room) is US$239 for next week and US$250 for Christmas, so my assumption is that after the holidays it would be the same or less. This hotel is not as luxurious, but has great views and gets very good reviews here and on tripadvisor.com

In case you don't know it, the JW Marriott and the Conrad mentioned by rkkwan above are on the Hong Kong Island side. Both are very nice hotels in a good location, however the views, while generally good, are of course of the "wrong" side of the harbor and are not IMO nearly as stunning as the ones from the Kowloon side. (They have probably gotten a bit more dramatic since the last time you were here in that as the old airport is closed many new tall buildings have come up on the Kowloon side, but still can't really compete with the buildings-with-jagged-peaks-behind view you get of Hong Kong Island from the Kowloon side; and I say this as someone who lives on Hong Kong Island....) Also some of the harbour view rooms from the Conrad and JW are a bit obscured by nearby buildings, which you won't have at the IC. Finally, rooms at the JW are small.

shellio, the location of the Grand Stanford isn't exactly BAD but the views are no where near as dramatic as they are at the IC. If you're looking to duplicate your Regent experience then I'd suggest you go for the IC. Personally, though I like the service at the Peninsula and the Ritz Carlton better (haven't tried the new Four Seasons yet)I still consider the IC view incomparable.

The service isn't as good as it was when it was The Regent, the coffee shop is a zoo, and the decor much more trendy (for me not a positive) but strictly for looking out the window, from your room or from the cocktail lounge, there's nothing like it.

The Kowloon Shangri La has excellent modern harbour view rooms

If you just want the best harborview from the Kowloon side, and won't mind saving some money, you can get a harborview suite at the YMCA Salisbury for ~ $250. They may not be releasing room and rates for 1/2007 yet, but you can try to call/email them to find out.

It's a decent hotel, but clearly not the Pen or IC.

Thanks for all the info. I think I'll wait a bit to reserve and see what happens to prices. I do like the Ritz Carlton I have to admit, but that view from the IC calls me. By the way, I've looked at many of the other hotels' harbor view rooms on line and most of them (correct me if I'm wrong!) seem to have much smaller windows, not the floor-to-ceiing ones I recall at the IC.

Anyone stayed at the Four Seasons?

OK, on the Four Seasons, I go there a lot for meals and the spa and I took a tour of the rooms when the hotel opened. The pluses are that the rooms are very large, like 45 square meters, and have huge floor to ceiling windows, and the use of space is good with the flat screen TV etc so that the rooms seem even larger, i.e. no huge wardrobe with the TV in it. Very modern sleek design, nice bathrooms. If you are on a high floor, from about the 20th floor or up, you will have really beautiful high views, albeit of the "wrong" side of the harbour, but unobstructed and right on the water, so really interesting and it is probably my second choice after the IC or a high floor at the Penn. The lower floor rooms still have good views (even views from the spa on the 6th floor are good) but not as vertiginous if you get my point. If you are on a club floor (views are great I must say its like on the 31st floor), I was told on the tour that they charge HK$700 (just under US$100) a day for club privileges which to me is ridiculous, but perhaps they actually decided not to do this; for that much you can buy their expensive breakfast downstairs AND have lunch somewhere else.

I used to complain about the location of the hotel, but it is really growing on me, because it connects directly by pedestrian overpass to the escalator up to mid-levels so you can walk to the great restaurants and little shops in Soho and can get to Hollywood Road area all in about 10 minutes. I park there a lot now because of what I think is its good location (but also because they have valet parking and I am just lazy.) The IFC mall has some very good restaurants in it as well. It is a longish walk to the Star Ferry and a longish walk to other parts of Central, but overall not so bad, and you can get a taxi at the hotel very easily (which always seems to be an issue at the Grand Hyatt for example). The Caprice restaurant is really excellent and worth going to. Their spa is very good. Their pool area is I think the nicest in Hong Kong (does not have the Penn's view but there are two pools and the deck area is really nice) and the restaurant there is private for hotel or spa guests only. The pool may not be of much use to you in January, but is very pleasant for lunch on a sunny day in our winter.

My question would be whether the Four Seasons price would be any less than the IC or the Penn. I would choose it over the Ritz, the Marriott, the Conrad or the Island Shangri-La, but it probably is more expensive than any of those.

I would also suggest you contact the Mandarin in Central, which is currently closed but is scheduled to open at year end, as they may offering specials to lure people back because they have been closed for a year and their usually loyal customers may have been tempted away by the charms of the other hotels. The hotels looks vastly different now, they have taken away the balconies and are gutting everything, so you will essentially be in a brand new hotel.

I do see the Four Season and the Mandarin Oriental being listed. Just that they cost even more than the IC or the Pen, and way above $400 for those dates.

The executive harbour view rooms at the Kowloon Shangri La are very large, refurbished about 3 years ago and have floor to ceiling windows.

I would say the hotel as harbour views that are 2nd only to the IC as it doesn't depend which floor you're on, you'll have a great view. The hotel is only 5-10 mins walk along the waterfront form the IC

None of the booking sites have room at the Kowloon Shangri-La for those dates. Neither does the hotel's own website.

Thanks to Cicerone, rkkwan, Walter, Marmot. We've decided to stick with the IC, maybe just for nostalgia's sake (and the fact that most other options we like are apparently more expensive ;-) ).

On the website however I am getting only "advance purchase" rates, which are completely non-refundable. I'm soon to buy travel insurance so I guess that's not a problem and the difference seems to be about US$100 less than the rack rate. So I'll be getting a Deluxe Harbor View room of about 450 sq. ft. for US$450.

I stayed in a "partial Harbour View" room at the Salisbury YMCA when I went to Hong Kong a couple of years ago for about $100, and it was more than adequate for my needs and less than half the price of one of the "suites". I also had a decent view. The quality of the room was about that of a Holiday Inn at home, but being right across from the Peninsula gave it an unbeatable location. I also liked the gym, which I used---though not the pool---for about $10. Admittedly, for me, the plushness of the room isn't as important as location and price.

Shellio - I am facing the same dilemma that you did last year. I will be in H K last weekend in March ( unfortunately, as there is a major rugby tournament going on and room availablity & prices reflect that fact). I still hold reservations @ IC, Grand Stanford and YMCA - all harbor view. Prices of course are very different. I would be interested in your experience at IC in January

Anyone looking to book at fantastic hotel in Hong Kong with views of Victoria Harbour should take a look at the Harbour Plaza in Hung Hom. The Star Ferry is a 2-minute walk away, and the hotel has a shuttle servie to Tsim Tsa Tsui. Rooms are MUCH MUCH less expensive than the IC or Peninsula (I have stayed here, too). The rooftop pool, overlooking the harbour, is astounding!

Thingorjus

Thank you marginal_margiela. I looked it up and they are much more reasonable even during this busy time. I am just a little worried as most restaurant & sites I am interested in on the Kowloon side are in TST area. How much of a problem is it to go back & forth?