ppp909

First of all I've found loads of good info on this forum, so will try to avoid asking questions I've found answers to elsewhere.

My wife and I will be passing through HK next April/May and stopping off for six days. We've both been before, for a couple of nights and saw a fair few of the sights, although that was back in 2008. My wife was there last year too, but that was work.

The difference this time is we'll have a 9-month old with us. We're wondering where would be a good place to stay. We tend to go for small boutique hotels when we travel together on holiday as the big chains are too much like being away on business. However, it seems that in HK you get the big guys in the centre, and elsewhere there are nondescript business hotels.

We do want somewhere where we can go for a swim after a long day in the heat. We stayed at the Harbour Grand in Kowloon last time (it was called something else then) and it was great, although it was quite a trek from anywhere. We were happy enough to walk from Tsim Sha Tsui but I'm not sure that would be the same with a baby.

Neither of us is too fussed about a fancy room, or a view, as we tend to use hotel rooms for sleeping and little else. Nice views from common areas/bars/pools are more tempting.

A big dilemma is getting around. Taxis are dirt-cheap in HK, but traffic can be terrible.
So the question is, is there anywhere away from the centre that's a good place to stay, or should we just bite the bullet and go for one of the big hotels in the middle?

MSPeconomist

Le Meridian? It seems to get good reviews in the Starwood forum here on FT but the location has pros and cons. Do you have SPG elite status?

ppp909

I tend to stick to Hilton and IHG, but that's more down to work locations than anything else. And my status for both is pretty much zero nowadays, thanks to being based firmly in London, where I live, for the past couple of years.

Thanks for the suggestion though. They tend to be good hotels.

rkkwan

Always the same question - what's your budget?

ppp909

Not sure to be honest. I can afford $2-3000 a night. What I'm potentially looking for here is somewhere nice, with a good pool, which will let us explore other parts of Hong Kong. I realise I'll probably end up in the central area due to transport links, but I'm just looking to see if there's something else to tempt me.

Thanks

abraxis

Langham Place Mong Kok?

Pickles

The Hyatt in Sha Tin has a nice pool and it's pretty good hotel. It's about a 20-25 minute train ride to TST. Many locals use it for staycations.

This place looks pretty cool too: http://www.taioheritagehotel.com/

rkkwan

The Hyatt in Shatin might be nice, but riding the crowded East Rail isn't always a pleasant experience. Even if you pay more to ride first class, you still need to do the busy transfer at Kowloon Tong often.

Not saying this is your best choice, but I've stayed for months at the Royal View Hotel in Ting Kau. They have a shuttle to the MTR and while the pool isn't particularly large, it's nice. You can also walk to the public Lido Beach to swim there if desired.

Closer and more convenient is the L'Hotel at Nina Tower. Futher away is the Gold Coast Hotel. So, there are indeed alternatives, if you feel you don't need or want to be in city center.

Pickles

There is no need to do that. It's easier and simpler to take the East Rail all the way down to Hung Hom and cross the platform to the West Rail and get off at TST.

rkkwan

Depends on where one is going. Say going to HK Island, transferring at TST isn't as ideal and easy as you say. First, it's a long way between TST and TST-East. People mover may not be going the way one's going at times, and while not as bad as Kowloon Tong, TST is crowded too.

Second, transferring from East Rail to West Rail at Hung Hom, the wait for a cross-platform transfer can be zero, or it can be up to 13 minutes during non-peak hours. Or one need to ride the escalators up and down. [Much shorter wait for West Rail to East Rail transfer.] Which is why at many times on the day, many still prefer to transfer at Kowloon Tong. [Or transfer to tunnel buses at Hung Hom instead.]

moondog

Bearing in mind that I've never experienced that legendary night time aspect of Mongkok (I always get back to the Island as soon as the business day is done), I couldn't fathom staying there on purpose. While the mall isn't necessarily more insane than the IFC (i.e. good luck finding a table in either complex pretty much any time... lunch is exceptionally challenging), Mongkok doesn't have an LKF or Soho close by, is far removed from the harbor (bad smelling or not, it is nice to look at, and its presence probably shaves a few degrees off the thermometer), and features a HUGE milk powder business (note: please don't equate this comment to any sort of mainlander bashing on my part).

If I were to stay somewhere in Hong Kong that wasn't close to Central/Wanch, I'd shoot for a nice area near the water with a lowish population density.

Steve M

That might be worth a visit in of itself.

ppp909

Thanks for all the responses people.

1010101

Everyone in my office who lives up near Sha Tin commutes on the bus, that's how much they all hate the MTR journey down. I wouldn't stay that far out personally.

An alternative might be the Novotel out in Tung Chung. It's a direct MTR line to the IFC and has a pool. Connected to a shopping centre (as they almost all are), very close to the airport and away from the noise and smog of central/TST.

Pickles

Instead, right next to the noise and smog of the airport! I read somewhere that Tung Chung is one of the more polluted areas of Hong Kong. Something to do with the prevailing winds and the location.