买东西，吃东西，买东西，吃东西 (mǎi dōng xī, chī dōng xī, mǎi dōng xī, chī dōng xī) – “shop, eat, shop, eat” – was the Tourism Hong Kong slogan that you might recall from your youth. In spite of all that the special administrative region has gone through in recent years, that’s still everything and more that you can get up to in Hong Kong.
If you’re planning a trip there, we’ve rounded up the best Hong Kong hotels from $53/night, and sorted them by neighbourhoods so you can save all your moolah for shopping and dining.
Table of Contents
If it’s your first time visiting Hong Kong, and even if it isn’t, the most popular areas to stay in are around Victoria Harbour. On the Kowloon side, you’ll find Tsim Sha Tsui, and a little further inland from that, there’s Mong Kok, Jordan, Prince Edward, and Yau Ma Tei. Running through all these is Nathan Road, which at 3.6km long is quite a hike. It’s a good idea to find out exactly where, should you be told, “Meet me on Nathan Road.”
Then, on the opposite side of the harbour, there’s Central, Causeway Bay, and Sheung Wan – these are where you’ll find SOGO, Lan Kwai Fong, the famous Central Mid-Level Escalators, Victoria Peak, as well as lots of cafes, bars, and quirky shops. Admiralty and Wan Chai are in the same general area, but these are considered the CBD and don’t have much in the way of tourist attractions.
Tsim Sha Tsui, or TST, is a major tourist destination in Hong Kong. It’s packed with luxury malls like Harbour City, K11 Musea, K11 Art Mall, and 1881 Heritage, while iconic photo spots such as The Peninsula Hong Kong and the Avenue of Stars line the TST Promenade.
For culture lovers, you’ll find the Hong Kong Museum of History, Science Museum, Museum of Art, and even a Space Museum here.
Image credit: Klook
Boutique hotel Attitude on Granville is located just a 4-minute walk from Tsim Sha Tsui Station and K11 Art Mall. The rooms, which start from $96/night, come with premium Simmons’ mattresses so you can rest in comfort after a long day of shopping and walking. Each room is thematically decorated, sporting hand-painted graphics, and decked out in handmade furniture.
Image credit: @bakehousehk via Instagram
P.S. It’s just 7 minutes, or 2 street corners, away from the famous Bakehouse, known for their sourdough croissant crust egg tarts.
Book your Attitude on Granville room.
Image credit: Klook
Just 230m away from Jordan MTR Station, Hillwood House Hotel is a real gem, with room rates from just $113/night. Inspired by dawn and dusk, the hotel provides travellers with a respite from the busy streets of TST, with curved lines and cool, calming colours.
Another perk of staying at this hotel is that they offer 100% flexible check-ins and check-outs if you book directly through their website – simply indicate your preferred time when you’re making your booking.
Book your Hillwood House Hotel room.
Image credit: Klook
Hong Kong is so bustling and crowded, it’s no wonder that the clean grey aesthetic of Hotel Hart is a welcome balm to your soul at the end of the day. The contemporary industrial chic design of their rooms stands in stark contrast to the vibrant TST district, and they will only set you back $99/night.
This hotel is just behind exit N1 of Tsim Sha Tsui Station, and 2 minutes from K11 Art Mall.
Book your room at Hotel Hart.
If you thought TST was crowded, wait till you get to Mong Kok. It’s more crowded, more intense, and your senses are overstimulated at every turn. Here’s where you’ll find the infamous Australia Dairy Company, a few doors down from Mak Man Kee Noodle Shop and their competitor Mak’s Noodles.
Some of the malls here are Bugis Street on steroids; you’ll also find Ladies Market, Sneaker Street and Flower Market right alongside the beautiful Langham Place.
Image credit: Klook
Less than a year old, Wake Concept Hotel is just 110m away from exit C of Yau Ma Tei Station. Designed by award-winning Hirsch Bedner Associates, with toiletries from Lu Ming Tang, it’s hard to believe that a night here starts from $108.
Image credit: @rach_eats via Instagram
Kai Kai Dessert, a Michelin Bib Gourmand eatery that’s known for their traditional desserts, is just an 8-minute walk down Nathan Road from Wake Concept Hotel. Just a bit further, at 12 minutes from the hotel, is Australia Dairy Company.
Book your room at Wake Concept Hotel.
Image credit: Klook
4-starred Metropark Hotel Mongkok is just 6 minutes away from Fa Yuen Street Market, which encapsulates the whole street market bazaar vibe of Mong Kok. On the way there, pop into Kam Wah Cafe & Cake Shop, said to serve some of the best pineapple buns in Hong Kong.
Fa Yuen Street Market.
Image credit: Michelle P
For all that you’re staying in the heart of Mong Kok, with Prince Edward Station just across the road, you’re looking at prices from $94/night.
Book your Metropark Hotel Mongkok stay.
Image credit: Klook
Even with an impressive 8.3 rating on Booking.com, luxury digs at Royal Plaza Hotel will set you back anywhere from just $138/night. You’re just a stone’s throw away from the various markets, as well as Argyle Centre, which you might compare to Platinum Mall in Bangkok, with floors of cheap fashion and beauty services.
Image credit: @hong_fooddiarryyyyy via Instagram
Here in Argyle Centre and its surrounding malls, you’ll find tons of cheap eats including bagged noodles,
Book your Royal Plaza Hotel stay.
Why stay in Causeway Bay? It’s a huge shopping district with malls like SOGO, Hysan Place, and Times Square; the area is full of cafes and Michelin-rated eateries, plus Victoria Park is just nearby.
Image credit: Klook
TBH, The Charterhouse Causeway Bay is at the midway point between Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, so if you’re in Hong Kong for business and pleasure, this sets you in the middle of both districts. Both Victorian-style rooms, as well as modern, newly renovated suites are available here, from $68/night.
Image credit: @alyt_ch via Instagram
Consider heading to the Blue House on Stone Nullah Lane, a short walk away from the hotel. This cluster of blocks were built in the 1920s, and are some of Hong Kong’s last wooden tenement buildings – the descendents of some original residents still stay here.
Book your rooms at The Charterhouse Causeway Bay.
Image credit: Klook
It’s not the Times Square of New York City, but Hong Kong’s very own Times Square, a massive luxury shopping mall, is located right across the street from Best Western Hotel Causeway Bay. Don’t write it off as just another chain hotel – the room rates here start from just $72/night, and you’re just 20 minutes from Ocean Park by car.
Image credit: @keagsdemelo via Instagram
If you’re thinking of heading to a race, the Happy Valley Racecourse, which opened in 1845 and is one of the most famous racing venues in the world, is just 10 minutes by car from the hotel. The sport is a huge part of Hong Kong’s history, ever since the British introduced it in 1841.
Book a stay at Best Western Hotel Causeway Bay.
Central is the ever-beating heart of Hong Kong – here’s where you find party capital Lan Kwai Fong, the famed Yung Kee Restaurant and Yat Lok, Kau Kee, and a ton of other eating and shopping spots along the Central Mid-Levels Escalator. If you’re headed up to Victoria Peak, the funicular railway begins here in Central too.
Image credit: Klook
Get right in to Butterfly on LKF Boutique Hotel Central from Hong Kong International Airport with no fuss at all – the Airport Express takes you straight to Hong Kong Station, and then it’s just a 7-minute walk to the hotel. Rooms here start from $136/night, and party central Lan Kwai Fong is literally on your doorstep.
If you’re on the lookout for good grub, SoHo is right around the corner. COA, the top bar in Asia, The Aubrey, number 17 on the same list, and Penicillin, ranked 26th, are also a short walk away.
Book a room at Butterfly on LKF Boutique Hotel Central.
Image credit: Klook
Hong Kong Island is well known for its steep slopes and hilly terrain – perched on the hillside above the Central district is an area known as Mid Levels. It’s as bougie as it sounds: the enclave houses some of the city’s most affluent residents, with an abundance of cool cafes and hangout spots hidden in the lanes.
From Garden View Hong Kong, situated in the heart of the Mid Levels, you’re just a 9-minute walk to The Peak Tram, and right across the road from the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens.
Book your Garden View Hong Kong room.
Image credit: Klook
Another Mid Levels stay you should consider is at Bishop Lei International House, especially if fireworks in the harbour are scheduled during your time in Hong Kong. Some of the rooms here, priced from $93/night, have excellent views of Victoria Harbour.
It’s also a 9-minute walk from the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum, a space dedicated to commemorating the revolutionary Chinese statesman, who spent his secondary and university years in Hong Kong.
Book your stay with Bishop Lei International House.
Image credit: Klook
With prices starting from $53/night, the rooms at Mini Central are some of the cheapest on this list. As the name suggests, the rooms are on the mini side, but they’re well-appointed nonetheless, and you’re within easy reach of Central MTR station, Landmark Shopping Mall, and Lan Kwai Fong.
Image credit: Michelle P
400m away from the hotel is the historic Stone Slab Street, AKA Pottinger Street, named for both the uneven granite stone slabs that pave the slope, as well as Henry Pottinger, the first Governor of Hong Kong.
Book a room at Mini Central.
Just off the glitz and glamour of Central is Sheung Wan, a neighbourhood where old and new coexist in a harmony that’s uniquely Hong Kong. Here, you’ll find historic temples and the Dried Seafood Street on Des Voeux Road West, right alongside hip new cafes and artsy streets.
Image credit: Klook
iClub Sheung Wan Hotel is just 5 minutes from Sheung Wan MTR Station, and 5 minutes from the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal, so if you’re looking for a place to put up ahead of your ferry, this is a good bet.
Another option nearby is the eco-friendly iclub AMTD Sheung Wan Hotel, where you can find rooms done up in a similar style from $106/night.
Book your room at iClub Sheung Wan Hotel.
Image credit: Klook
An alternative hotel to check out in Sheung Wan, with room rates from $72/night, is Ramada Hong Kong Harbour View. Note that most, not all, of the rooms face the harbour, but all of them are just a short walk away from the historic Man Mo Temple, built between 1847 and 1862. A little further away is Wing Lok Street, home to more than 200 dried seafood shops.
For those of you looking to hike, you’re not too far away from Hatton Road, which is the start of the Lung Fu Shan Morning Trail that takes you up to Victoria Peak.
Book your stay at Ramada Hong Kong Harbour View.
The MTR is a quick way to get around Hong Kong.
Image credit: MTR
Public transport, and your two feet, are the best way to get around Hong Kong. Don’t believe any Hong Konger who tells you, “It’s just a few streets away,” because it’s not going to be just a few streets. Going on foot is a great way to see the country, with all of its colourful history living in its buildings and streets, but you’ll want to know that there are 6 modes of public transport to take note of.
First, the MTR – there are 11 different lines which cover almost every part of the city. An alternative is the public buses, followed by minibuses, which run smaller routes that’ll get you to more specific destinations.
Note that green-topped minibuses follow specific routes, with fixed fares that you can pay via Octopus card: this is a rechargeable cashcard that you can use on most public transport options, as well as in convenience stores. Red-topped minibuses do not follow fixed routes, and you can stop anywhere along the way. On these minibuses, cash is king.
Image credit: @takuya_hk
On Hong Kong Island, you’ll find the famous 叮叮车, or trams, named for the “ding ding” sound they make, which have been running since 1904, and were one of the earliest modes of public transport in the former British colony.
Then there are taxis, which are also colour-coded according to territory. Most common are the red ones that operate throughout most of Hong Kong. Green cabs only service the New Territories, and blue taxis can only be found on Lantau Island.
Last but not least, make your way across the harbour on one of the Cross Harbour Ferries – it’s a great way to see the view and the sunset.
Cheap doesn’t mean dodgy, as these Hong Kong hotels under $150/night prove. Save these for your next trip to Hong Kong, and you’ll have a bigger budget to shop and dine with.
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Cover image adapted from: Klook
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