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Overnight stop in HKG on way to/from Thailand

Overnight stop in HKG on way to/from Thailand

Old Jan 23, 2019, 8:43 pm
  #1  
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Overnight stop in HKG on way to/from Thailand

Hi all,

We will be travelling to Thailand in June and have an overnight in Hong Kong on both outbound and return. Looking for thoughts on hotels, or at least areas, that we could stay to allow us to get a quick overview of Hong Kong without having to be too far from the airport (for ease of transportation).

On the outbound, we arrive HKG at 4:10pm on a Thursday and depart HKG the next morning at 8:15am. I do have a free night (up to 35K points) at an SPG/Marriott property. Looks like a few options might be the Renaissance Harbourview or Mira Moon (Wan Chae area) or Courtyard (Sai Wan area). I should note that we put more value in a good, walkable location vs. fancier hotel. From what I can tell on Google Maps, the Courtyard might be in a slightly better area as far as exploring during our one night? We're open to paying cash for a hotel if it gets us in a better area than either of these choices - budget up to ~$150 if need be.

On the return, we arrive HKG at 10:45pm and leave the next day at 2:20pm. Here, I am leaning towards just staying on-airport at the Regal. I am not sure if it's realistic to do anything before a 2:20pm flight - maybe best just to sleep in and go straight to the airport. Thoughts?

Thanks!
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Old Jan 24, 2019, 8:41 am
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Originally Posted by bswiz
Looking for thoughts on hotels, or at least areas, that we could stay to allow us to get a quick overview of Hong Kong without having to be too far from the airport (for ease of transportation).
No idea what your budget is, but I guess I'll throw my idea out. I'd just take the Airport Express to Hong Kong Station. Walk around the island a bit, go up to the peak, perhaps take a ferry across the bay. First train back is around 5:50am, so that might not work for you.
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Old Jan 24, 2019, 2:47 pm
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With the second part of the question, you could stay at Regal and sleep the night, get up early and take the Airport Express about 8am into HK Station and spend until 12 noon and collect your bags from the Regal to check in or bag drop for your onward flight. Same day ticket on AE means you pay only one way.

There are threads here on FT on HK for 4 hours.

You have more options on your first stopover.
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Old Jan 24, 2019, 11:05 pm
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Originally Posted by bswiz
On the outbound, we arrive HKG at 4:10pm on a Thursday and depart HKG the next morning at 8:15am.
On the return, we arrive HKG at 10:45pm and leave the next day at 2:20pm.
Thanks!
Mira Moon is closer to everything else and the Courtyard is right opposite to last busstop in town before the highway (Mira Moon is no more than 100m from a stop too). IF you want to take a taxi to catch the Airport Express trains, then dont stay at the Courtyard - the biggest benefit of the Courtyard IMHO is not needing to go thru local traffic before heading to the airport)

for things to do before 1420flight, dimsum at a local place, perhaps? I'd say stay at the Regal or the Marriott Skycity and sleep in.
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 10:25 am
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Thanks everyone for the ideas. Think I'll stick with the Regal on the return and try to fit in something in the morning before we leave as suggested.

Originally Posted by kaka
Mira Moon is closer to everything else and the Courtyard is right opposite to last busstop in town before the highway (Mira Moon is no more than 100m from a stop too). IF you want to take a taxi to catch the Airport Express trains, then dont stay at the Courtyard - the biggest benefit of the Courtyard IMHO is not needing to go thru local traffic before heading to the airport)
So the Mira Moon is in a better spot as far as sight-seeing for the one evening we'll be there? Looks like we could do the airport bus (A11 or 12 forget which now) to get to Mira Moon. I imagine there is a bus option for Courtyard as well.

I guess the main issue as someone who hasn't be to HK before is -- what are the top things we should be checking out on a one night stay, and then what hotel best fits that location(s).
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Old Feb 1, 2019, 4:39 pm
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Hong Kong is very small with very good public transport and easy-to-access cabs. It's not necessary to stay on Hong Kong Island or Kowloon to have an easy sightseeing experience. If it was me (noting that it's not me and my priorities are not necessarily yours!), I would book an airport hotel for your outbound first stop to make the departure the next morning easier. (I stay at the Citygate Novotel frequently. Good property, free shuttle from airport to hotel, follow the well marked directions to the bus bays at HKG, hotel shuttles leave from there. There is a Mariott also at the airport with shuttle. I've not stayed at the Regal.) After checking in, take a taxi to Victoria Peak, have a look around, take the tram or bus or taxi down, head to Star Ferry at Central, cross the harbor, have a walk over to Temple Street Night Market or walk thru some of Kowloon. HK is very safe; normal city street smarts will be sufficient. Dinner somewhere that strikes your fancy. When ready to return to the hotel, MTR Airport Express or taxi.

On return, if you get up early from an airport hotel, take a taxi (you will have to ask the hotel to call a red taxi for you) to the Big Buddha on Lantau Island (island by airport). You can see the Buddha and Po Lin Monasterary before the Ngong Ping Cable Car opens at 10 AM. Return on the cable car, taxi to your hotel (or walk if you stay at Citygate), pick up luggage and shuttle to airport.

Enjoy HK - easy city to navigate. If in doubt about your ability to communicate with taxi drivers (some are mainland Chinese and don't have the English that others do), carry a picture of your destination, google translate the address, carry hotel business cards. I've done that in Bangkok and Chiang Mai also with great success. Enjoy!!
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Old Feb 1, 2019, 9:14 pm
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Just a slight correction to the above: in order to get a taxi to the Big Buddha it would need to be a blue taxi, not a red one. Only blue taxis can ply Lantau Island (except around Tung Chung, the airport & Disney, which are accessible by all 3 types).
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Old Feb 2, 2019, 6:47 am
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Thanks, christep for the correction. I edited my original post as I thought it was too much info that the OP didn't need and ended up with the wrong taxi color listed.

OP, the taxis in Hong Kong are 3 different colors depending on where they operate. You are most likely to encounter the red taxis which you'll find at the airport, on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The blue taxis operate on Lantau Island. If you want a taxi from an airport hotel to Big Buddha on Lantau, you will indeed need a blue taxi as Christep has corrected. Most likely, there will only be red taxis waiting at your hotel, but the hotel can call a blue taxi - last time I needed one from Novotel Citygate (which is on Lantau) it arrived in about 3 minutes. This was early in the morning, taking me to Big Buddha just as I suggested as a possible per-departure exploration.

In any case, it is not confusing. If you catch a cab at the airport, there are several lines for taxis depending on your destination. Also, there's a live information person who can help you out determining which taxi queue you need. If you end up in the wrong line, you will be directed correctly. Similarly, if a taxi can't take you where you want to go, they will tell you what color you need.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 7:40 pm
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Thanks - great suggestions. I booked the airport Regal for the return but haven't decided what's best for the outbound.

What is rough cost to take the taxi to Big Buddha from the airport area?
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Old Feb 7, 2019, 12:30 am
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About HK$205 according to the airport's "typical taxi fares" page.
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