I've got ~30 nights coming up and am going for a Plat challenge… so I have a slight bias towards SPG.

I've got Hilton Diamond too, but the Conrad looks old and lousy.

The one hotel that looks really nice and aspirational is of course the Ritz… but the cost is a bit prohibitive.

Perhaps booking the Tower Room at the Sheraton is the way to go? Can anyone compare that experience with the W standard rooms as a Gold. The price would be similar—even a bit cheaper. If it ensures a nice view, then that'd fit the bill.

From my prior experience the Sheraton upgrades to both the city view suites and the harbour view rooms. There are harbour view suites, but those are not part of the upgrade pool.

I'm not a fan of the Conrad, and avoid staying there as Diamond. Imo the only reason to stay there is the location (if you must be in that area). They do have a club lounge which is better than any SPG option in HK.

There are a bunch of HK comparison threads -- perhaps check those. The bottom line is that SPG is rather weak in HK and there are few international chain standouts ... the IC has a spectacular view, HR TST and CP Causeway Bay are very good in their respective class.

The Sheraton is a disappointment in standard rooms, and booking Towers makes it a little better, but not hugely. You'll be ok there, but compared to dozens of other HK hotels, it's weak. The view of the HK island skyline will probably impress a first-timer, but it's partially obstructed by construction and other buildings.

I really wanted to LOVE this hotel...
 

Recent 2 night stay here. Upgraded to a Fab Room with a view of the 'harbor' and tunnel entrance. Room was perfect and well designed, all the tech controls and easy bluetooth hook-ups I needed. ALL requests for extra Bliss, bottles of water, etc. honored. Agents at check-in were engaging and sincere. Loved the breakfast; from great service to the food selection and quality. They even offered to help me with my luggage down to Airport Express upon departure.

However, I couldn't get past what was a sewage-like smell in my bathroom, the 6th floor lobby and even the Kitchen restaurant. That smell was made worse by a really strong scent in the lobby that likely was some sort of chemical based agent being used to clean or mask the sewage smell. Closing the door to my bathroom made that smell go away, but the lobby was bad and it made me not want to spend time there.

Curious if anyone else has experienced this? Hopefully it's a one-time issue? Everything else about W Hong Kong makes me want to come back.

Wow no never had that issue. I love the W Hong Kong and so many positives to outweigh any apparent negative for me. Sorry about the smell. Great hotel and will be back.

Some rooms on some floors have that problem. I once saw them block half a floor and rip the hallway carpets out and but these blowers everywhere to dry something. Maybe a pipe burst or something.

But most of my rooms do not have this issue. The few times I had a room with strange sewer smell I called down and asked for room-move and they moved me to a room that was not affected.

Overall it's still my fav Starwood in HK. ^^

Anyone hit Sing Yin recently? Very upscale Cantonese food.... great atmosphere the ground floor as well.

Had a very nice meal at Sing Yin during my stay last week. Nothing mind blowing - just a good solid quality meal. Currently 20% off for in house guests. Likewise the Kitchen Buffet has a 25% discount for in house guests. Sadly neither restaurant allows the discount to stack with the 15% SPG discount. :)

We're gold and stayed here last week-end with pts (which is likely "lowest category room"). We were put on the top floor (38th fl) facing the harbor. It's probably as good as it gets but as I believe others have pointed out the view is blocked by other buildings. This is what it looks like.

It's my 2nd time at this hotel. I really like it esp. on a short 1-2 day layover because it is very convenient from airport. Service is great, and we like the rooms. Downside is it takes a walk to the MTR.

I've stayed here twice since writing this question. Once as Gold (slight upgrade; was happy) and once as base-level Platinum (base suite upgrade; was happy). I have yet to return since making Plat100 last year.

Oops. Must be my subconscious still wishing it's 2016.

any recent stays, ? as a first timer to HKG we are considering this hotel or the JW Marriott using points, any advice appreciated

For a HK first timer, particularly on a visit longer than a day or two, the location of W HK is not optimal: JW Marriott for HK Island and Sheraton for Tsim Sha Tsui are much more convenient for short walks and other activities where you can to come and go as often as you wish. For short stays, however, the excellent access from W HK to Airport Express starts to weigh more. Furthermore, I love the W pool and like W's Plat recognition - almost always getting a spacious xx01 corner room.

More often than not, we split our HK stays between 1-2 nights at the W and the rest elsewhere such as the Sheraton (but always Towers there). For early morning departures from HK, W is stress free because you can time your trip back to the airport reliably, without risks. For midnight departures, however, hotels with lounges have a clear advantage because you can enjoy pool+fitness+lounge beyond your late checkout time.

Also note that I believe the JWM costs fewer points? I like the W HKG a lot, but the number of points required can sting, especially relative to Marriott options which tend to be a relatively good deal with the current SPG-Marriott exchange setup. If you really enjoy the style of Ws--and are interested in experiencing one that is better-executed than most of the ones in the US--then maybe there is an argument for it, or if you highly value a suite upgrade (which is fairly likely at the W, though not guaranteed). But if you just want somewhere to stay using points, the JWM is probably a better value.