Hotel in Hong Kong

We will be in Hong Kong in March, 2014, for 2 nights. We have done some research and have almost decided between 2 hotels. One is the Salisbury and the other is the Royal Park. Has anyone stayed at either or both? I have looked at reviews and both have good ones. What can you tell me about either one?

Jimanne

One is the Salisbury and the other is the Royal Park. ... What can you tell me about either one?

If you mean the Royal Park Hotel in Shatin, then IMHO all you really need to know is that one is in town and in the middle of everything - and the other is not.

Which one is which?

The Salisbury is as close to downtown and the Star ferry as you can get. Closer than the famed Peninsula.

I have an Aunt that lives in Shatin, that's waaayy far from "downtown".

The Salisbury is as close to downtown and the Star ferry as you can get. Closer than the famed Peninsula.

Yep, just to clarify I don't think any hotel in HK is better-located than the Salisbury. And you can book harbour-view rooms (11th floor or higher, the Space Museum is between hotel & harbour-front). The Peninsula is next-door.

It has a YMCA tag, but broadly that's just to do with ownership - it's a well-run regular 3 or 4 star hotel.

Sha-Tin, if that's where the other hotel is located, is in the suburbs - not a good location.

JB :)

Which one is which?

Did you mean the Royal Park Hotel in Shatin?

I'm sorry to have omitted that. I (wrongly) assumed that if you'd researched a number of hotels including these two, and read reviews of them, you would already have looked them up on an online map to see where they are.

 

Did you mean the Royal Park Hotel in Shatin?

Yes, I did. I did look at the maps but I was not sure about the location. Thank you for your help.

You might want to check the PARK hotel in Kowloon. Excellent location, nice hotel. I paid about $160 usd per night and was very happy with it. ....not the royal park...just plain ole park...you can google their website.

Shatin is mainly a residential area, with good public transit out to the city - depends on whereabout at Sha Tin, it could be 25 to 45+ minutes MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui, which is where the Salisbury is located. This will help: http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/homepage/cust_index.html

New Town Plaza at Shatin (http://www.newtownplaza.com.hk/eng/index.html) is one of the largest shopping malls in Hong Kong. Shatin is also the home of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Shatin Racecourse. Hyatt Regency is another option at Shatin, and staying a hotel here will be good if you are staying for a week or more, want to experience the local middle-class families daily lives, and to visit the New Territories or day-trip to mainland China. However, if you just have 2 nights and want to mainly hit the "hot spots" then avoid Shatin and just find a hotel in the city - Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side, or Admiralty, Central or Causeway Bay etc on the Island side.

Last time I stayed at the Hotel Panorama by Rhombus at Tsim Sha Tsui and I feel it is a great value based on its location and facility.

edit: this map here will give you more information about the location of different regions in Hong Kong:

I personally like to stay in the Sheung Wan area since it's on the Hong Kong side, near the port, and also accessible to so many different subway stations.

The cheapest place I recently stayed in was the Rhombus right by the harbor. The rooms are pretty good sized, very awesome view of Kowloon, but the only drawback is that their bathroom. Why might you ask? It's not really a door on the bathroom as much as its a glass privacy screen. If you're not comfortable with knowing what your companion does in there beyond brushing their teeth, you might want to pick something a bit more traditional. Otherwise, it's a great hotel if you want a place to crash without breaking the bank. Also, they can hold your bags for a couple of days of you want to go to Macau.

My favorite hotel is the Sohotel, also in the same neighborhood. The rooms are tiny and not luxurious, but they are cheap, closer to the subway, and within walking distance to bars/clubs. They are also close to the pickup spot for the express shuttle to the airport too.

We stayed in a harborview room at the Salisbury Hotel for 7 nights in January, 2013 and enjoyed it. When we return to Hong Kong, we will stay there again. There is an Outback Steakhouse about one block from the rear entrance to the hotel. Also two 7-11s nearby by for supplies. The McDonalds is also only one block away.

There is an Outback Steakhouse about one block from the rear entrance to the hotel. Also two 7-11s nearby by for supplies. The McDonalds is also only one block away.

Also two 7-11s nearby by for supplies. The McDonalds is also only one block away.

Like Starbucks here, which McDonalds:confused: There's sometimes there's one McDonalds across the street from another McDonalds...the upstairs one or the one in the basement :D

Salisbury gets my vote. Stayed there twice and found it convenient and comfortable. They have a restaurant upstairs, book a table by the window and enjoy the light show and buffet at the same time.

Like Starbucks here, which McDonalds:confused: There's sometimes there's one McDonalds across the street from another McDonalds...the upstairs one or the one in the basement :D

One MacDonalds is in the basement and one is on the main floor. They are not stand alone units like here in the USA. The Outback Steakhouse is on the second floor. I do not recommend these restaurants but some people do not like Chinese food. I personally can't stand Mexican food and will not go to a Mexican restaurant.

One MacDonalds is in the basement and one is on the main floor. They are not stand alone units like here in the USA. The Outback Steakhouse is on the second floor. I do not recommend these restaurants but some people do not like Chinese food. I personally can't stand Mexican food and will not go to a Mexican restaurant.

Hong Kong style food and Chinese food are essentially 2 different things, IMO

http://www.openrice.com/english/restaurant/sr1.htm?district_id=2008&cuisine_id=1999

This is the most popular website in HK about eating out. It is very convenient. You can search by different types of cruisine (there are 27 types of chinese cruisine) or by district or by MTR station.

http://www.openrice.com/english/restaurant/advancesearch.htm?mapType=1&tc=top2

You can also use map search to find all the restaurants closest to you.

eg. select Tsim Sha Tsui district and select "One Peking" as landmark, then you can see all the restaurants near Salisbury Hotel, including their signature dish and opening hours.

http://www.citygateoutlets.com.hk/miscellaneous/about_us/Pages/about_us.aspx

This is a shopping outlet just next to the cable car station and the tung chung station is located within the shopping complex. There is a big supermarket at the basement too. It is about 5 mins by taxi from the airport.

If you are considering the Salisbury Hotel, book it early because it fills up fast.

Thank you all for your help. As of right now, we have our name on a list for the Salisbury since the rates are not yet out for March. We also have a reservation which can be cancelled at no charge for the Royal Park. We will make the decision, after weighing the pros and cons about each site, shortly.

Thank you all again.

... but some people do not like Chinese food.

Hong Kong style food and Chinese food are essentially 2 different things, IMO

So just why would anyone recommend an Outback Steakhouse or a McDonalds?

Well, I for one will go to a McDonald's in HK. They have items on their menu that can't be found in the U.S., like the rice burger one year we were there.

Another suggestion is a chain restaurant called "Cafe de Coral", I believe, if you want something cheap. Locals go there for a quick meal. They have western and Chinese items on their menu. Check out the menu posted near the front entrance, order and pay at the podium, find a table and watch the numbers on the screen, pick up your food when your number is shown. Easy. They are all over the place in HK. If you don't see anything you like, go somewhere else. No embarrasement.

I went to MacDonalds twice for a cup of coffee at 6:00 AM when they opened. The hotel did not start serving breakfast until 7:00 AM.

We sometimes spend a month or more "in country" and McD's & Starbucks is a welcome break, especially breakfast.

There's only so much jook, noodles, dim sum, and bao one with a western palate can take. I once told SWMBO I was ready to kill for a decent ham & eggs (sunnyside up) breakfast, so they let me go to the Hilton one morning to indulge.

:p