Paulo59

I heard many good things about LKF Hotel and found great prices for really large rooms for our trip dates in the end of November but I also heard it can be very noisy. I heard that since it sits among a very busy nightlife area that the street noise can be really loud as is just the noise within the hotel. I asked the hotel and they said they certainly had quiet rooms away from the bar noise and would note my request but they won't guarantee me a quiet room for some reason. I am a light sleeper and not a party-er so I am trying to decide... Has anyone stayed there? Any info about the noise levels?
Or any other good reccos on a reasonable priced hotels with large rooms? We will be there for 5-6 days so a little space would be nice. Thanks.

rkkwan

What's your budget and what's the rate you're getting? Any particular reason to choose the Rhombus LFK besides room size? Does location matter?

I think one very solid hotel with large rooms and probably similar price range will be the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel adjacent to the Star Ferry in Tsimshatsui. But of course, hotel rates vary day-to-day.

Paulo59

rkkwan,I've read many of your trip reports so thank you for all of them.

The LKF seems to have a great combination of benefits. The room we booked (but can still cancel G600) is 60 sq meters, has very nice, modern design, is located very conveniently on Honk Kong, was recommended by friends, and it is only 2238 HKD a night. But our friends are used to noise and did not pay attention they said.
Here's the website:http://www.hotel-lkf.com.hk/Rooms.php?t=2

The Marco Polo rooms look large (Harbor View room is 42 sq meters)but not as large as the LKF room and the rooms look pretty dated to me...and it's on Kowloon.

I still have a res at the IC with a deluxe harbor view room that i can still cancel but it's 4470 HKD so almost double the price of our LKF room. Thus a real challenge for me to accept despite glowing reviews of views etc.

We have been strongly encouraged by friends who go to Hong Kong often and by reading Cicerone's postings here to stay on HK instead of Kowloon. I know that's an ongoing discussion on this site. I am still torn about it as the views from IC look great but I do like being able to wake up and go wandering rather than having to take a train or boat or whatever to get to most places. We like being able to go back to our hotel midday for a break or to drop shopping items off and go out again. I wonder if at the end of a day of wandering the city if I will be thrilled about taking a boat or train back and then want to take a boat or train again to go out to dinner somewhere.

Any more insights you have are very much appreciated.

I would also love to hear from someone who has stayed at LKF to see if it is that noisy.

Thanks again.

Cicerone

I have not stayed there but know the neighborhood pretty well. First of all, it will be noisiest from Thursday through Saturday nights, so if your trip is on other nights, you are better off to start with as noise levels will be less. Secondly, definitely <i>go for the highest floor available</i>, as that will help a lot (the hotel is already pretty high up to start with). Thirdly, if you can get a room facing Wyndham Street rather than Lan Kwai Fong and D’Aguillar Streets, then this should help with noise, as the main open bar areas are on the latter streets (the room may be “mountain view” rather than “city view” or “harbour view” rooms). I have for years tavelled with ear plugs for noisy streets below hotels (Rome and Delhi spring to mind) and never take a connecting room if I can avoid it, so those are two more things I would recommend. And you will have the windows shut which will help. Otherwise, it is hard to say, as this area can be quite noisy and the actual LKF area is cobblestones and narrow streets with bars open to the street, and the sound can carry straight up. I have not heard bout noise within the hotel (is there anything on tripadvisor.com?), but they do have a bar on the top floor, so perhaps you should avoid rooms right below that. I do like the location of this hotel for many reasons though, it is near to Soho and good restaurants, and near to Central as well. To be able to go back during the day it is very convenient as you say.

That being said the Star Ferry is a lovely way to travel, and a harbour view room at the IC is hard to beat, I alaway have maintained that the <i>only</i> reason to stay on the Kowloon side is if you have a harbour view room at the IC, Penn or Y. It would be a hard choice for me. You could of course spend the money you save on rooms on some more expensive meals; you can practically roll out of bed and be in Tuscany by H, an excellent restsaurant at the bottom of the hotel, and others within yards from there as well. A hard decision.

Paulo59

Thanks Cicerone. I have also read many of your reports and feedback. Thank you for all of the insightful help you've provided already.

Any other suggestions for hotels on HK that may have similar pricing and large rooms like LKF but are not right beside all the clubs?


We would be at LKF Tuesday through Sunday so much of it will be over the noisier weekend days.
Tripadvisor has many people saying it is crazy noisy and others saying it was not too noisy for them. That also may be based on their age and lifestyle. I have no interest in being near the nightlife but love the idea of being near the other things we'd want to do during the day and to go to a nice restaurant at night without always having to make a big effort to get there.

Hmmm. Still thinking.

Leburta

If you have not been to Hong Kong before, I would recommend keeping your reservation for the Intercontinental. It has the very best harbor view around, and is close to transportation and many good restaurants. If you want to go over to Victoria Island, it is a quick ferry or MTR ride away. The view of the working harbor is fascinating and mesmerizing -- well worth the price for this very regal hotel and its amazing views.

Cicerone

Well, the Four Seasons has huge rooms and is also in a good location but is not going to be in the same price range. The Landmark Mandarin has their L600 rooms which are mostly corner units, very good use of space, they are junior suites that feel more like a one-bedroom suite. They are about 600 square feet. The hotel is in a very good location in Central but again price is going to be higher (but less than its sister hotel the Mandarin Oriental, where rooms probably average about 45 square feet).

You might look up the hill in Mid-levels at the Bishop Lei, if you took the largest room there, like their suites, you should have a good-size room and quite a nice view over the city. Try the Grand Harbour View Suite; but call or e-mail to confirm room size on any room first (as rooms are on the quite small size here). This would be quieter than the LKF Hotel area. This is quite near the escalator and the good restaurants and boutiques/antiques of Soho and Hollywood Road, and is also on a bus line down to Central (or a quick cab ride). For the really fit, you could walk uphill to the Peak (or the less-fit can walk down one day or evening as well.) Price would be less than the LKF. http://www.bishopleihtl.com.hk

As I said, it would be hard to give up the view at the Intercon. I don’t agree on their being “good restaurants” on that side other than the 3 in the Intcon (of course eating at Nobu and Spoon will probably cost you more than your room at the IC), and a very few others (Hutong is good but not a great restaurant, IMO, it’s all about the view; Felix is very good as are some of the restaurants in the Penn but you don’t have to stay on that side for the restaurants).

I assume you have tried the Salisbury YMCA which would be the combination of price and view that you want, but have found it to be booked for your dates.

filmwill

I would also like to chime in as another voice in favor of the IC. We stayed there last November as first-time visitors to HK and it was astonishing, to say the least!

We booked Harbour View rooms and were upgraded immediately upon arrival to Harbour View Suites. Needless to say, our stay there was absolutely unforgettable.

The view is just astonishing. To wake up every morning and see that skyline...or better yet, to watch the lights of the city at night twinkle away...it's just magical. You will not get that experience on Hong Kong Island.

Do not think twice about being in Kowloon if you're staying at the IC. You're at ground zero for getting EVERYWHERE. Getting to HK Island was as simple as hopping on the subway stop in front of the hotel or jumping on a ferry right next to it. ..and a few minutes later, bam! you're there!

The Marco Polo is definitely dated--I would not stay there. LKF is definitely an option--but between that and IC, it's not really even a contest, IMHO.

Paulo59

Thanks all. I will check out Bishop Lei and think a bit more but maybe we will just stick to our IC reservation. Has anyone had any luck beating the rates on IC's website?

Filmwill, seems like it would not be convenient to get back to IC midday for a short break. Yes/no?
I also wondered if after a long day of touring whether you still felt like taking the subway or ferry back over for dinner etc. I guess I am sounding pretty lazy. It's just that I have made the mistake a couple of times of staying too far from the center of things on other trips and then lost interest at times in going out at night or just for short intervals.

I think you are in LA, yes? I'm in the Hollywood Hills.

Thanks again.

Paulo59

ttt