Thanks for the offer! Maybe if you can ask which side is better to stay on for 2 nights Kowloon or Hong Kong main island?
What hotels do you recommend on the preferred side?
My hubby's response:
Kowloon is always the preferred side for tourists due to the great shopping around Tsim Tsai Tsui. Mong Kok is only a stone's throw away with some of the best market shopping and there are plenty of great restaurants. At the absolute high-end the Peninsula Hotel is one of the best hotels in the world but has a price and 24 Rolls Royce’s to match. Something more affordable but equally central is The Langham Hotel.
Hong Kong Side – Central is a preferred place for many business travellers. It has some fantastic shopping and no-matter what side you stay on – Causeway Bay on Hong Kong side is a must visit with many great places to eat and shop.
My own comments:
I didn't tell him you only have 2 nights so keep that in mind. The MTR is pretty easy to navigate and a great way to get around quickly. We went to NYC last year and were wishing the subway there was as straightforward as HK!!
If you want the best price on Peninsula Hong Kong, go to Grand Luxury Hotels of the World. In my experience pretty much all sites sell their basic room at around $1000 per night with no brekkie etc. This site sells for $550 per might with welcome drinks at Salon De Ning (fabulous little bar) a HKD$300 voucher for the spa (best I have been to in the whole world, fantastic massage, and there is the most amazing view of the harbour from the sauna. I mean AMAZING. Try to be there as the sun goes down, it is like a man-made rainbow coming to life. The old clippers and ferries and fishing boats and cargo ships and mountains fade out and the neon lights come up.) plus American breakfast daily in the Lobby restaurant which offers excellent food, as well as the iconic afternoon tea in the daytime. Honestly you could spend 2 days in the hotel alone. If you want to do afternoon tea and are a hotel guest, email the concierge at the hotel before you travel and ask them to book you in so you have a guaranteed place. Needs to be done in advance though. You will see people waiting up to four hours for a table!
If you are a foodie, Peninsula do a 'culinary journey' that has to be booked in advance and includes wine for about $250 Australian. Starter in the Lobby, next two courses in Spring Moon (traditional chinese), dinner in Gaddhi's (best classical french fine dining in HK) and dessert in Felix (designed by Phillipe Starcke) with a view of the harbour. And you can always take your drink vouchers to Salon De Ning and boogie on down afterwards... There was an amazing african-american soul singer with a band there the last twice we visited and she is just fantastic. The place has a 'Shanghai in the 1920's' theme and is really small and funky. A bit like the speakeasy bars that are popping up in the USA.
There are two Langham hotels, one in Tsim Tsai Tsui and one in Mongkok. Make sure you book Tsim Tsai Tsui! You can get pretty good deals on this hotel if you look around, and it is very nice... but the Pen is another experience entirely.
Mong Kok is fabulous. I love the atmosphere in the markets and would go every day in HK if my hubby let me. If you watch carefully you can see the triads on their corner watching their patch... but it is very safe and so it has a great balance. I got a formula one BMW puffy racing jacket for my nephew there for $30 last time with the 'tags' and everything, so he was pleased. You get a mix of stuff to buy, but for me it is more about the atmosphere.
We are planning a trip in December for the hotel's 85th Anniversary celebrations so it is all very present in my mind
Also, i have read that the Hong Kong history museum is excellent but I haven't been yet. That is on the agenda for December
Feel free to post if you have more questions...
