An expert's guide: the best area to stay in Hong Kong
21.07.2023 - 08:27
/ roughguides.com
Hong Kong floats between old China and the West; its futuristic harbour has become one of Asia's most famous views but you'll also find pockets of traditional culture dotted between the skyscrapers.
From the glossy heights of Central to the streets and alleys winding through Kowloon, there are culinary, shopping and cultural delights to be found across the city. Whatever you're looking for, this guide will help you choose the best area to stay in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is known as the vertical city, and as you make your way up the Mid-Levels escalators you can see why. Business blossomed in the 1900s and the influx of Western banks, bars and boutiques line the streets on the north shore of the Island.
High-end shops and restaurants are here in abundance, and so are the most luxurious places to stay.
The Mandarin Oriental is often thought of as Hong Kong’s best hotel. The facilities and service are excellent, and you'll find draped Chinese tapestries and antiques in each room.
As the name promises, the Renaissance offers incredible views over the water. It shares a pool and fitness centre with the Grand Hyatt but set just back is often slightly cheaper.
Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter, Hong Kong © KK Tan/Shutterstock
The streets of Mong Kok are a sensory overload: hundreds of neon signs hang above roads that bustle with shoppers – you can buy anything from cosmetics to mobile phones here – and street food stalls steaming with local specialities.
It’s a popular spot for budget travellers; Mong Kok is where the vast majority of hostels and cheaper accommodation are based.
Featuring 3-star accommodation, Hotel 1936 is situated in Hong Kong, 600 metres from MTR Mong Kok Station and 2.7 km from Mira Place 1.
Located above the Mong Kok East MTR station and above the mania below, Royal Plaza is linked to the MOKO Shopping Centre, where beauty counters and designers shops can be found. You can pamper yourself in the sauna and spa and then dip back into the chaos just a few minutes away.
Mong Kok, Hong Kong is the highest population density place in the world © Shutterstock
For a dose of old China head to the medicinal teashops, street food stalls and antiques markets of Yau Ma Tei.
The Jade Market (a covered bazaar selling varied qualities of jade) neighbours a gathering of the city's fortune-tellers and the Temple Street night market.
A 15-minute walk from the harbour, it’s the perfect place for rummaging through peculiar antiquities and mixing with the locals.
This new-build is located on the always-busy Nathan Road. The rooms are a lot larger than most in Hong Kong hotels and you’re in walking distance from the most visit-worthy places on Kowloon.
This Salvation Army hotel is a quiet alternative tucked off the main road next