Every month we have a few bros asking advise about which hotels they should stay in ...

would someone be kind enough to write something to address their usual questions so it can be put in the stickies of the Q & A ?
contributions from a few different bros would be most appreciated !

I'm rising to the challenge of Mod and fellow bro Twice A Week and starting a thread on HK hotels for mongers.

Note the title. Hong Kong has many hotels and guesthouses. This guide is aimed at those who would like to stay in the Yau Ma Tei/Mong Kong area. This is Kowloonside: as locals refer to the Kowloon peninsula, across Victoria Harbour from Hong Kong Island. Note that I like Hong Kongside, like most expats. My workplaces have always been on HK Island, and the rush-hour commute across the harbor isn't fun. But YMT/MKK (just north of the overtouristed district of Tsim Sha Tsui (locals say TST) has a denser population of girlfun action. There's a useful map of here that's scalable: http://www.isaw-db.com/map_hkg.html

YMT/MKK is congested, noisy, full of great little shop, eateries and fuckeries. Let me backtrack: when I first started staying in Hong Kong, I preferred the tiny/cheap rooms in Mirador Mansions. In 1993, the HK govt enacted an ordinance mandating licensed guesthouses (most of the illegal guesthouses at that time catered to locals or mainlanders and were grotty/dangerous). To prove they were serious, squadrons of Royal Hong Kong Police would conduct pre-dawn raids on places like Mirador and its myriad guesthouse. I will never forget being awake by a squad busting into the First Class Guesthouse in August '93, pounding on every door violently while screaming "PASSPORT! PASSPORT!" If you weren't in possession of a valid visa, tourist or otherwise, they arrested you on the spot. They checked mine and I went back to sleep.

That was then, this is now. If you really demand cheap sleeps there are still places in Mirador and other "mansions" in TST. You'll get a tiny room, if there's a window there won't be a view, and like a combo bathroom/shower. It's much like a 141 room. I haven't seen one in many years, but I'm sure they're still around. Do NOT stay in Chungking Mansions. Can it be that C-Mansions is, or at least was, the center of Southeast Asian underworld operations in Hong Kong? Did you notice I phrased that like a question?

Although the "copy watch/make a suit" touts have been around forever, TST used to have streets you could walk--now it's all underpasses that feature awful designer shops and lead to the KCR/MTR stations. Good for going elsewhere, I guess. TST still has some soul in the tangled streets east of Nathan Road, but I seldom go there anymore.

Further north, things get interesting north of Jordan Road. This is the beginning of YMT/MKK, and although the congestion/noise would make it a difficult place to live, its vibrancy make it a must-visit. This is where I take ALL visitors to Hong Kong--I tell them they can find the Peak and whatever else on their own. And for the monger, this is the place you will want to stay, IMO. It's Hong Kong at its brashest best--the neon-flamed heart of this crazy piece of rock infested with humanity. Never will you be treated more kindly by gangsters, and more rudely by waiters.

Don't let ANY of that stop you: visit any eatery that seems interesting, they will almost certainly have an English-language menu. Some of HK's best Vietnamese restaurants are here: sometimes you can find ones that serve "white curry sauce" which is a savory coconut-based gravy traditionally served on boneless fried fish fillets atop rice, dynamite! Plus all the usual VN fare. Hong Kong food is usually clean and you're unlikely to pick up any gastro nightmares (oh and don't EAT in Chungking Mansions either!) even at small, local restaurants. If you're jet-lagged and it's all a bit much, Yoshinoya is a Japanese chain that serves beef-bowl-rice and other items--the HK outlets serve more variety than the ones in Japan.

And Yoshinoya on Jordan Road is right across the street from K-Pressure, a gwailo-friendly place. A brief peruse of the DB will find many interesting buildings all the way west to Sham Shui Po. Some may have phone numbers but it's often best just to walk up and see what you find. Shanghai Street north of Waterloo (near the new and gigantic Langham Place mall) has some interesting walkups where they'll lead you to an empty room, ask what you want and call the girl for you (you're under no obligation to settle for the first one, ask for a "change" if she doesn't suit you, but while more than one "change" is accommodated, I'd advise you pick one from the third "lineup"). The Shanghai Street walkups aren't as vibrant as they were before they built that dreadful mall, but you can have a great time, and they usually have mirrors on walls/ceiling too!

Oh yeah, the hotels. Well I've described the area--although there are many places to stay in HK (you can even sleep in a sauna if you like), this area has a fair amount of cheap and cheerful hotels. Here's how I used to book: I would visit http://www.asiatravel.com/hongkong.html and check the Yaumatei, Jordan section (they now have an interactive map). Most of these hotels are three-star, fine for me. I'm not that comfortable in cookie-cutter biz hotels or five-star big-deal places--I prefer local ambience. These are clean older hotels and reasonably priced. You will find rooms and lobbies on the small side, and you won't find fawning bellboys or lavish breakfast buffets. This is my recommendation for mongers who want a good base with decent transport options, local flavor and poussoir-proximity. While I use this site, there are others where you can book online. I've just found asiatravel.com to be most useful for checking availability across a range of hotels. I hope other bros will contribute with booking sites. Some people are expert at gathering loyalty bonus points or other goodies and have their own strategies. This is what works for me.

The Dorsett Seaview has a great location, is fairly new and inexpensive--thus it's frequently booked out. My personal favorite is the Evergreen Hotel, although it's become more expensive since mainland tour groups discovered it a few years back. Once while staying there, I went to a local cinema and saw ONE NITE IN MONGKOK (2004) from local director Derek Yee--to my amazement, the film contains a shootout-sequence entirely filmed in...the Evergreen Hotel. I returned to my hotel and walked to my room down the same corridor I'd just seen in the film.

Prices do rise after you get past the Shamrock Hotel, which is right on Nathan Road and where my pal Gordo always stays on his trips to Hong Kong. But you can check the Mongkok section too. And, if you're not jet-lagged and traveling light, you can wander around and try your luck at the reception desk: there are plenty of hotels around, although many may actually be brothels masquerading as hotels. If you stayed in one, that'd make a great story though!

If you are arriving in HK on a long-haul flight, it's good to book at least one or two nights in advance. Places do fill up, and if you know you're flying in on a certain date, book in advance--that way you know you'll have the accommodation sorted and can drop your bags (just carry the one with the condoms and camera in it!) and go have a wander. At night, with the neon on and businesses rockin', it's urban Hong Kong at its best. There's night-markets, streets devoted to sales of footgear and aquarium-fish, plenty of knocking shops, dessert-only restaurants, and DVD stores stocking the most amazing Hong Kong films you haven't seen...YET.

Thread's open guys, please help our hotel-seeking bros out! Thanks.

JtB

PS: the "mansions" of TST are actually huge multi-use buildings. Ground floor usually has retail of a wide-to-chaotic variety. Guesthouses are on upper floors and are corridors with tiny individual rooms. Who knows what they were originally...it's just the cheapest way to rent a bed/bathroom in Hong Kong. There are some in the Causeway Bay area of Hong Kong Island but i've never tried these.

If you want grim/dirt-dog-cheap, rent a room in a DORM as some TST guesthouses offer them. The central area will be full of backpackers drinking the cheapest beer from 7-11 and staring at a TV in silence, doggedly Saving Money. You'll be in a room with several other guys, one of whom will invariably snore as loudly as a pig trapped in a fence. Happened to me once on a late-night arrival. Better off booking ahead at a an actual hotel.

[ Last edited by  JackTheBat at 29-3-2011 08:44 ]

The best choice of hotel in HK is way too subjective to answer simply. It really depends on what you are looking for. Even if price is your main concern, the price can vary dramatically based on where you get the price, when you propose to travel and how busy the hotel is at the time.

Jack has done a great job providing info based on his experience, I add to that with my own. What's best for you though depends on what you are looking for and how you propose to punt.

Do you want a room with a bed and that's it? Is the lowest possible price your top priority? Do you want something very nice so you can take a Bar Girl back to your hotel with comfort? Is location your top priority?

Keep in mind that the "ideal" location really depends on how you propose to punt. If you plan to do Hotel Girls, staying right in the heart of the action can be convenient. That means TST, Wan Chai etc are good options. You can check the Data Base of girls to see where the girls you like are located and consider staying close by. Keep in mind that public transport in HK is so convenient, underground train (MTR), cabs, ferry and busses are all readily available, easy to use and very economical so don't be "over concerned" about where to stay.

If on the other hand you plan to do bar girls, staying right in the heart of the action can have a negative impact on the service you get because the girl wants to do you fast and rush back to the bar for another punter. Hotels like the Wharney and the Novotel on Lockhart Rd in TST are definitely in the heart of the Wan Chai Bar scene action. Rooms are relatively small and prices are reasonable, you should get either for under HK$1,000 per night and sometimes well under $1,000 depending on the circumstances I mention above. Staying close to where a Bar girl is "based" can get you a better price (because she thinks she may be able to hve time for a double header that night. However it can also mean rushed service so weigh that up before you decide to stay in a hotel right in amongst "it".

If you are looking for a nice place to stay in Tsim Sha Tsui (TST), I can recommend the following:

(1) Holiday Inn Golden Mile: punting bar in the hotel, priced from $1,000 - $2,000 / night.

(2) Marco Polo Hong Kong: well located near Star Ferry & Ocean Centre. 15 minutes by ferry and you're in Wan Chai, 10 minute walk to Hari's Bar in the Holiday Inn, priced from $1,200 - $2,500 / night.

(3) Marco Polo Gateway & Marco Polo Prince: Sister hotels to the MP Hong Kong, they are right next door so a slightly longer walk to the ferry but no big deal. Priced from $1,000 - $2,000 / night.

(4) Sheraton: Located on the corner of Nathan and Salisbury Rds, well located and close to Wan Chai ferry and Hari's Bar. Priced from $1,200 - $2,500 / night.

(5) Peninsula: Located on the corner of Nathan and Salisbury Rds, (across the road from Sheraton) a beautiful hotel in every way. Great civvie bar on the 28th floor with amazing views so good place to take your date... Priced from $2,500 - $4,500 / night.

All these hotels are girl friendly so you will not have a problem walking in with your WG... arm in arm if that floats your boat... They are all well appointed with excellent service. For more info about any of these hotels, google knows.

The following map shows lots of TST hotels, there are reviews and pricing for all of them readily available on the net. TST is a good place to stay if you are thinking Hotel Girls because there are lots in TST and you are only a short ferry trip or MTR ride from Wan Chai where there's more.


Budget TST Hotel options would include the Kimberly, Ramada, Park & Empire Hotels. I have stayed at all of them over the years, the Empire is quite nice for the price, last time I stayed at the Ramada it was a dump but that is quite a few years ago.

If you are looking for even lower priced accommodation, I would suggest you start by looking at the DB and deciding where you will most likely want to punt and how you want to punt, ie. Bars, Hotel Girls, Walk Ups etc. The data base girls you see may not be there when you arrive, but you will get a feel for where there are lots of girls and where there are just a few. Decide on an area, then look for prices for hotels in your selected area from web sites like wotif.com This will give you some idea of the price range, you may then decide to pick 2 or 3 hotels and negotiate with your travel agent for a good deal.

If you come to HK regularly, consider talking to the sales department of the hotel you settle on and negotiate a corporate account. If your company (including friends etc) uses upwards of 50 - 100 room nights per year this is very attractive to the hotel. For example, I pay $1,080 / night at the Holiday Inn for an executive room including breakfast. The rack rate is more than double and I have never found another way to get that kind of deal. Dealing direct with the hotel staff means they remove all commissions to agents etc so they have more room. If you can develop a relationship with a sales person you can do extra well because you are helping him/her get their sales budget (they dont get credit for agent bookings) so you find they are usually flexible.

Keep in mind April and October are the busiest times for hotels in HK because they are very big trade fair months in Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Be sure to book early because the cheaper rooms tend to fill up first.

[ Last edited by  TonyToro at 30-3-2011 08:43 ]

I was recently traveling for work and was put up at a budget boutique hotel in Wanchai called Wifi Hotel.

The accommodations were quite nice for a very low price of 420HKD per night ( booked thru Agoda ).  The room isn't exactly spacious, but the fittings were definitely ok.  Lovely bed, great showers, large flat screen tv with satellite channels, mini fridge, small sliver of an ocean view and free wifi 24 hours a day.  In addition they are also currently building an outdoor terrace/lounge section on one of the floors.  One downfall is that they DO NOT have room service of any kind and the toiletries are a bit on the cheap side.  

Surrounding this area, there are plenty of places to eat, do basic shopping, banking, money exchange etc.

For those that are into the Wanchai bar girls scene, the location is excellent as it's just a leisurely stroll from the hotel ( 5-10 min ).  i personally didn't bring any girls back to the room, but I did see some other guy's return with girls and the receptionist didn't give them any hassle whatsoever.    

If your preferred mode of transportation around HK is by metro, this place is convenient enough, it's almost literally between the Wanchai and Causeway Bay stop on the blue line, across the street from the famous Sunny Paradise Sauna.

With that said, this place has a rockin see thru shower set up ( sauna, love hotel style ), tit's on the glass is all I can think of as soon as I saw the design .  if your in town for just a night or two, its excellent for the money, but anything more then that, the room can start to feel a bit tight.  

Below are a couple pictures I snapped of the room, and some others I found on the internet.

Hong Kong
駱克道366號 366 Lockhart Road
3961 2288

[ Last edited by  scootermonger at 29-3-2011 18:42 ]

@ TonyToro: i just KNEW you would come in with an excellent report on the TST/HG area and the volume-corporate-discount approach. but this one surpassed even my expectations. bravo! appreciated.

@ scootermonger: thx for info on the WIFI, that's a great rate in that locale. rooms do tend to be small in HK--real estate's expensive. but for the Wanchai scene, hard to beat.

also, u mentioned agoda.com and i forgot that i booked my Zhuhai hotel through them earlier this year. it's a good alternative to asiatravel.com...then again, as TT mentioned, if yr doing a large deal with a pricier hotel, then approach the hotel directly for a corporate account. i doubt places like the WIFI would give you a hefty discount. but there are some places that may offer weekly/monthly discounts.

there is a wide variety of just about anything in Hong Kong, so this thread's open for any monger who's discovered a great travel site or unknown hotel. thanks again.

JtB

Thanks to all for putting this together. TT, especially, drinks are on me when I get to HKG-just not in Wanchai!

Let me add, that Agoda is an excellent resource to use, I used them quite a bit when they were Planet Holiday in the '90s. Until the US Government basically rented out 35% of the JWM in BKK, you could get some pretty good deals though PH with them...like $65/night, but third night free, etc. (JWM is girl friendly-actually can't think of a Marriott which isn't-must be a Mormon thing since HQ is in Utah ).

Just an awesome resource....thanks again to everyone.

agoda does not always have the best rate.
if you know what hotel you want and the dates, use tripadvisor to find the best rate.
I prefer booking.com. no cancellation fee and you don't pay till you check out of the hotel.
(agoda has a cancellation fee)

Just like the airlines and their "cheap seats", Hotels have a number of rooms they can discount and as the hotel fills up the prices increase. The Holiday Inn is a good example but the same / similar applies to most hotels:

600 rooms total

approx 300 standard
approx 150 "deluxe"
approx 100 executive
approx 50 asstd suites etc.

Take the 300 standard rooms as an example, the walk up rate may be $1,500 - $2,000. Book through an agent or have a corporate account and you will get $1,000 - $1,500. However as the rooms get booked and they start to get only 30 - 40 rooms available in that category available, the price increases. Once they're gone,the cheapest room you will get will be the next level up and the process continues.

The key issue is, book early especially if you are thinking of travelling during the busy times.

It's true that you can sometimes get bargains with "last minute deals". However they rely on the hotel being significantly undersold. That is a possibility during the slow periods but when you are talking heavy trade fair months it is unlikely any decent hotel will have many rooms available.

Spot on about October being a busy period , I looked at a few hotels through Agoda and they came up unavailable for my dates,but then I tried some direct e.g. the Evergreen and found they had rooms.

The Wi- Fi is over $2000 a night for thr first week in October, in June it is less than $500.

In the usa if I need to stay in one location for a longer job I sometimes stay in hotels that
will cut their rates for a 30 day stay or even 2 weeks and they sometimes include vouchers
for breakfast and sometimes even dinner if they serve a dinner menu.

Is the same thing possible in hk?

thanks-

No problem to get breakfast vouchers at HK Hotels, however I have not heard f dinner vouchers.

Yes you can negotiate discounted rates for longer term stay. Negotiate directly with hotel sales staff for this.

hi bros, i'm hoping this thread will be made sticky and everyone will add their advice so that we can have a more comprehensive storehouse of HK-hotel-info.

the price of ALL real estate here is high as the land itself is expensive. i've lived in flats in HK that were half the size of my six-mat in Tokyo. what kind of hotel suits you depends on your budget, length of stay, and how much room you REALLY need.

if you can tolerate a small room you will be happier in Hong Kong. yes, many places offer monthly rates. not all hotels/service apartments have restaurants, but HK is loaded with all types of places to get a bite. again it depends on you: do you want Michelin-guide Western food or can you subsist on takeaway ricepods from Cantoeateries? for those of us who live here, it's usually a mix--i have a Filipina maid who comes in one day a week, cleans up and cooks great food. i eat much like a local unless it's a bizlunch. at work we spot places we'd like to visit and plot to see if we can get the big boss or another party to sponsor a fab lunch. there's almost everything here, and Hong Kongers love to eat. expensive hotels will offer breakfast buffets, but many hotels have lunch buffets that can be good value. places that are expensive for dinner will offer set lunches. i think Hong Kong has some of the best Indian lunch-buffets anywhere.

if you triangulate the basic equation of room-size, duration of stay and location (you don't want to stay in far-flung areas if yr here for mongering/enjoying HK), u have an idea of your requirements. it can be good to book a couple of nights if yr flying in from overseas to look around for monthly rentals and such. remember that you can spend a LOT of money here: say u book an HK$2300 hotel room and dally for 45 mins with a "Japanese" HG. you just spent five grand (about US$650) and you haven't tipped anybody yet, or eaten a bowl of noodles. or you can rent a cheaper place, enjoy 141 walkups and that same amount will take you a lot further.

all kinds here, from old ladies collecting discarded cardboard for a few dollars to gazillionaires with customized license plates on their Benzes. you'll see.

JtB

PS: what scootermonger said below--c'mon, any opinions on hotels welcome. esp w/websites or pix. guys wanna come visit and keep the fun/naughty gals employed and warmed up!

[ Last edited by  JackTheBat at 4-4-2011 21:27 ]

I'm a bit surprised that there's only 3 contributions to this thread.  Come on guys, share your info with fellow bro's.

Check out post 5 of THIS LINK and my points on "geography". Staying in a hotel so close to the action has advantages and disadvantages.

Assuming you ultimately decide you do want to stay near the action, consider the following:

Charterhouse Hotel is located in the bottom RH corner of the image below, 3.5 star, reasonable, close enough to be convenient but far enough away to discourage the WG from trying to leave early and head back to Lockhart Rd.

South Pacific Hotel is located near the Happy Valley race track. Just off the map below but a short walk past the Charterhouse. Again 3.5 star, nothing flash but for sure OK.

The Wharney is right on Lockhart, rooms are small and you are literally next door to Escape. I think 3.5 star.

Century Novotel is also on Lockhart. A little nicer than the Wharney, around 3.5 - 4 star.

Renaissance Harbour View is located right next to the Convention Centre, beautiful hotel with nice lounge bar with great views. 5 Star.

The Grand Hyatt is also located next to the Convention Centre. 5 Star Quality + 5 Star price!

All these hotels are 100% Girl Friendly. Night staff couldn't care less what you are doing or who you are bring back to your room. Absolutely NO PROBLEM bringing WGs back and no problem having them stay the night.

Personally I prefer to stay in TST even when I am punting in Wan Chai. Late night / early morning cab from WC back to TST costs peanuts... < HK$70 inc toll. You can grope in the cab on the way to your hotel. Cab drivers are usually happy to go cross harbour that time of night because little traffic. Taken away from Wan Chai, your WG is far more likely to abandon any idea of leaving early to find another punter... staying overnight with you is much more appealing even for no extra money.

[attach]41614[/attach]

Keep in mind, "most" of the Wan Chai Bar action takes place on or "near" Lockhart & Jaffe between Fenwick & Flemming Rds.

[ Last edited by  TonyToro at 6-4-2011 08:22 ]

excellent job, thank you. i especially like "Taken away from Wan Chai, your WG is far more likely to abandon any idea of leaving early to find another punter... staying overnight with you is much more appealing even for no extra money." that is DYNAMITE information.

that entire area has a lot of variety...much more Southeast Asian that YMT/MKK which tends to be more local/PRC-oriented. the Luk Kwok Hotel doesn't much look like it did in THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG (1960). i have friends who've stayed at the Wharney, they call it "The Whorney." dunno about rates, but if u wanna be in Wanchai, cd work. the Wesley used to offer monthly rates and probably still does.

Jaffe Road is loaded with eateries and sauna/massage places. HK expats do sometimes go for "a rub and a tug"...Lockhart is of course where the girlie bars are but i hear the prices are absurd. for info on Wanchai and some TST action, be sure to check out TT's superb thread:

http://forum.sex141.com/eforum/viewthread.php?tid=18272

almost 400 replies, a treasure trove of on-the-ground info on the HK scene.

as far as the map, it's top-notch. u will notice that Gloucester Road (if u haven't been to HK, it's more like a highway with pedestrian-overpasses) is a dividing line between two worlds. the Immigration and Revenue Towers are toward the sea, but could be a thousand miles from the densely packed streets near the MTR station. great shopping and eating in this area as well.

any other gents with info? thanks.

JtB

Two good ones on HK Island side I've stayed at are the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Wanchai and the Emperor Hotel in Happy Valley.  They run about $100 to $125USD per night.  If you want to stay somewhere nice but don't want to break the bank then these are 2 good options.  They're both local hotels but clean, modern, and good service.  

1. Cosmopolitan Hotel Hong Kong
387-397 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3552 1111  Fax: +852 3552 1122

This is a fave of my buddies when they come in town from the States.  Standard room is usually ~$100USD per night unless its major peak times.  Its new and modern looking, clean, free wifi in the lobby, free shuttle bus to Times Square, and the rooms are decently sized for HK.  Its cheap b/c its right next to the Muslim cemetery.  If you're a traditional Chinese type then this might be a dealbreaker.  But otherwise, its great.  One downside is that its not right next to a MTR stop but like I said, there's a free shuttle bus service that'll take to Times Sq in CWB and you can jump in the MTR from there.  Oh, they've got 24 hour room service too so you got options when you get back to your room after a long night out.  I don't know about you guys, but I love me a good burger after drinking for hours and hours.

As for in-hotel services, I'm not sure what they offer, but there's a fair amount of mainlanders that stay here so I wouldn't be surprised if they did offer some massage services and the like.  Definitely no issue bringing in outside talent for a spin...


Pic of the lobby where you can sit and use free wifi.  Like I said, its a local hotel but its not some cheapo dingy place.


This is a pic of a superior room.  The standard room I've had usually has 2 twin beds and room for another cot.  For $100USD in HK, its a good deal.


2. Emperor Hotel Happy Valley
No.1 Wang Tak Street, Happy Valley, Hong Kong

Standard rooms usually go about $125USD per night but can be more expensive during peak times.  Breakfast is included and they have a killer sichuan restaurant on the 2nd floor.  The rooms are not quite as posh as the Cosmopolitan though.  For most people, this probably doesn't make as much sense b/c its farther from Central, there's really no way to get around other than taxi back and forth, and Happy Valley tends to be a quiter neighborhood.  BUT, this place gets a lot of mainland customers so they're very accomodating about bringing in outside guests and helping you arrange services.  In fact, they've got a mainland style KTV business in the basement.  Not really a secret, but still very few ppl seem to know about it.  You'll see some super attractive girls coming in and out.  If that's your cup of tea, then go for it.  It will be a hell of a lot more expensive than KTV in China though.

I'd like to add The City View hotel to the mix...  It's the old YMCA, renovated in recent years to a classier hotel.  The corporate rooms are the best of the rooms they have - updated deco and an overall new/clean feel.  It's really close to the Mong Kok MTR station and has the added perk of being close to 37D if you're interested.  There's a ton of restaurants and shopping around for a SO if you need to keep them busy It's admittedly out of the way for Wan Chai girls, but they're still willing most times (and a short term hotel is available if not).

In TST, I've also stayed at (in the last 4 years):
BP Hotel - Wouldn't return here - it's out of the way and there's really nothing around.  I mean nothing - and for HK, that's impressive.
Ramada - As previously stated, this place is a dump.
Kowloon - Not girl friendly when I stayed there and expensive small rooms.  However, they are clean and have an upscale feel.

www.priceline.com have some really good deals if you book ahead enough. worth checking it out

Yep.....big  differences in the the rates depending on when you go...
WiFi is now 900HKD in late Sept.(direct w/hotel)
With the exception of last minute bookings thru discount sites like Priceline.
I have found the best rates are usually with the hotel direct, or with Agoda or Expedia.

My short list so far...(base price, no tax incl)

Newton Hotel  in Fortress Hill....102USD/798HKD
City Garden in Northpoint....118USD/920HKD
Island Pacific  in HK island west....103USD/800HKD
Royal Plaza  in Mongkok......115USD/893HKD
the above all include free Internet, have a pool and a fitness facility (these are my needs )

then, as second choices.....

WiFi in CausewayBay....116USD/900HKD
Holiday Inn Express in CausewayBay.....127USD/990HKD
Holiday Inn Golden Mile in TST.....199USD/1545HKD  (because TT recommends )

Hope this may help  others.

Thanks Bro, very helpful. Just to simplify for other Bros who may read this later, can you indicate that dates you got these quotes and how you got them. Edit you post and include all together would help. Thx.

I agree with your comments. The web sites are good for well in advance OR last minute deals where a hotel has too much space available. However if you are a regular visitor to HK, Building a relationship with 1 or 2 hotels and negotiating a corporate rate DIRECT with the sales staff will give you the best possible deal.

Going through agents or using pre paid travel vouchers is a good solution if you don't know your way around and don't want to get ripped off.

[ Last edited by  TonyToro at 24-4-2011 14:14 ]