5 Best Hotels in Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Owned by a family of art lovers and collectors, this elegant hotel brings understated chic to a street dominated by bathroom fittings stores. The rooms are mostly compact but fitted with cushy comforts like plush beds and marble bathrooms, while a couple of suites have sprawling balconies offering views of the busy streets below. Dining is a highlight—Zoku serves up contemporary Japanese cuisine and Lucciola offers an elevated take on Italian classics, while alfresco bar The Terrace is the perfect place to nurse a cocktail. The artfully designed lobby is dotted with books and paintings from the owners' private collection, and doubles as a hangout space for guests.

A minimalist Japandi design hotel with light, bright rooms that come with lovely city or Victoria Harbour views, this hotel even has a few tatami rooms, a first for Hong Kong. Creature comforts include Malin+Goetz designer bath products and an in-room Nespresso machine. The on-site whisky bar and tranquil Zen garden provide spaces to relax, whether you want to do it with a drink or a rake in hand.

This waterfront property, run by a company affiliated with the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, has small but relatively inexpensive rooms near the Wan Chai Star Ferry pier. Rooms are pleasantly decorated and offer enviable harbor views. The hotel is well placed if you want to attend cultural events in the evening: both the Arts Centre and the Academy for Performing Arts are next door. It's also opposite the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The pedestrian overpass will get you across Wan Chai or to the Star Ferry quickly without stepping down into the traffic, that is, until you get to Hennessy Road.

Decent harbor views from some rooms compensate for sparse furnishings and the lack of any personality, while the business center is handy for those with work to do. Abundant nightlife is only minutes away, and guests can escape to the rooftop gym and outdoor pool.

The modest guest rooms in this Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre hotel are simply outfitted with attractive modern decor; although many have harbor views, some overlook a sprawling outdoor pool, a driving range, a jogging trail, and a playground that should help keep the kids busy. A popular rendezvous spot for locals and visiting businesspeople, the lobby bar and restaurant offers creative cocktails in the evening.