Where to stay · Hong Kong · China
Where to stay in Hong Kong
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Wing1990hk, CC BY 3.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Central. Bank towers, the Mid-Levels escalator, SoHo restaurants and Lan Kwai Fong bars. Best alternatives — families: Causeway Bay; budget: Wan Chai.
Key facts
- First visit
- Central
- Families
- Causeway Bay
- Budget
- Wan Chai
- Nightlife
- Central
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Central | Bank towers, the Mid-Levels escalator, SoHo restaurants and Lan Kwai Fong bars |
| Families | Causeway Bay | Department stores, Times Square and Victoria Park |
| Couples | Sheung Wan | Dried-seafood shops, Hollywood Road antiques and Man Mo Temple |
| Budget | Wan Chai | Old markets, local diners and harbourfront convention halls |
| Luxury | Central | Bank towers, the Mid-Levels escalator, SoHo restaurants and Lan Kwai Fong bars |
| Nightlife | Central | Bank towers, the Mid-Levels escalator, SoHo restaurants and Lan Kwai Fong bars |
| Food lovers | Central | Bank towers, the Mid-Levels escalator, SoHo restaurants and Lan Kwai Fong bars |
| Solo travellers | Sheung Wan | Dried-seafood shops, Hollywood Road antiques and Man Mo Temple |
| Shopping | Causeway Bay | Department stores, Times Square and Victoria Park |
| Quiet stays | Sai Kung | Seafood waterfront, sampans and gateway to beaches and the Geopark |
| Beach | Sai Kung | Seafood waterfront, sampans and gateway to beaches and the Geopark |
Hong Kong neighbourhoods in detail
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, luxury, nightlife and food lovers
Central
Central is the island's business and nightlife core: glass towers around Statue Square, the hillside Mid-Levels Escalator climbing through SoHo's restaurants, Tai Kwun's restored police compound and Lan Kwai Fong's bar streets. The Star Ferry, Peak Tram and Airport Express all start here, which makes it the most convenient — and expensive — base.
- Good
- Transport hub for the whole territory; Excellent restaurants and bars; Walk to the Peak Tram
- Watch out
- Very expensive rooms; Steep streets and stairs
- Nearby
- Tai Kwun, Peak Tram, Lan Kwai Fong, Star Ferry Central Pier
$$$ · Best for culture, couples, food lovers and solo travellers
Sheung Wan
West of Central, Sheung Wan mixes old trading streets selling dried seafood and herbal medicine along Des Voeux Road West with galleries and cafés on Tai Ping Shan Street and the antique shops of Hollywood Road. Boutique hotels are slightly better value than Central, and the MTR and trams run through.
- Good
- Characterful streets; Good cafés and small bars; Ferry terminal for Macau
- Watch out
- Hilly side streets; Rooms are compact
- Nearby
- Man Mo Temple, Hollywood Road, PMQ, Macau Ferry Terminal
$$ · Best for budget, food lovers, nightlife and solo travellers
Wan Chai
Wan Chai runs from the Convention and Exhibition Centre on the harbour to old lanes of street markets around Tai Yuen Street and the hip cafés of Star Street. It has a broad range of hotels, local cha chaan tengs and an easy tram ride to both Central and Causeway Bay.
- Good
- More affordable than Central; Lots of local food; Trams and MTR on the doorstep
- Watch out
- Some streets of girlie bars on Lockhart Road; Busy traffic
- Nearby
- Blue House, Golden Bauhinia Square, Star Street, Hong Kong Park
$$$ · Best for shopping, families and food lovers
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is Hong Kong's densest shopping district, with Times Square, SOGO and Hysan Place, plus late-opening restaurants. Victoria Park is a breathing space with jogging paths, and the Happy Valley racecourse is a short tram ride away for Wednesday-night racing in season.
- Good
- Shopping and dining open late; Good family rooms; Tram and MTR links
- Watch out
- Pavements are crowded, especially on weekends; Few sights of its own
- Nearby
- Victoria Park, Times Square, Happy Valley Racecourse, Tai Hang
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, shopping and budget
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon's tip faces the Hong Kong Island skyline across the harbour. The waterfront promenade, Avenue of Stars and the nightly Symphony of Lights show are steps away, and Nathan Road runs north past malls, Chungking Mansions' budget guesthouses and curry houses. It has the widest range of hotels in the city, from hostels to harbourview luxury.
- Good
- Classic skyline views; Hotels for all budgets; Star Ferry to Central
- Watch out
- Touts for tailors and watches on Nathan Road; Crowded around Canton Road
- Nearby
- Avenue of Stars, Star Ferry Tsim Sha Tsui Pier, Hong Kong Space Museum, Kowloon Park
$$ · Best for budget, shopping, food lovers and solo travellers
Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei
North of Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei holds Temple Street Night Market and the Tin Hau temple, while Mong Kok's grid of streets has the Ladies' Market, the Goldfish Market, the Flower Market and sneaker shops on Fa Yuen Street. Hotels are plainer but good value, and the street food is excellent.
- Good
- Good-value hotels; Markets and street food at the door; Major MTR interchange
- Watch out
- Very crowded and noisy; Small rooms
- Nearby
- Temple Street Night Market, Ladies' Market, Flower Market Road, Yuen Po Street Bird Garden
$$ · Best for quiet stays, beach and couples
Sai Kung
Sai Kung town in the eastern New Territories has a waterfront of seafood restaurants with tanks of live fish, plus kaito boats to quiet beaches and the volcanic rock columns of the UNESCO Global Geopark. There are few hotels — mostly guesthouses and holiday rentals — and the city is about 45–60 minutes away by minibus and MTR.
- Good
- Beaches and hikes nearby; Relaxed seaside pace; Seafood dining
- Watch out
- Far from city sights; Limited hotel choice
- Nearby
- Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, Sai Wan beaches, Sharp Island
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Central | $$$$ | Tai Kwun, Peak Tram, Lan Kwai Fong, Star Ferry Central Pier |
| Sheung Wan | $$$ | Man Mo Temple, Hollywood Road, PMQ, Macau Ferry Terminal |
| Wan Chai | $$ | Blue House, Golden Bauhinia Square, Star Street, Hong Kong Park |
| Causeway Bay | $$$ | Victoria Park, Times Square, Happy Valley Racecourse, Tai Hang |
| Tsim Sha Tsui | $$$ | Avenue of Stars, Star Ferry Tsim Sha Tsui Pier, Hong Kong Space Museum, Kowloon Park |
| Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei | $$ | Temple Street Night Market, Ladies' Market, Flower Market Road, Yuen Po Street Bird Garden |
| Sai Kung | $$ | Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, Sai Wan beaches, Sharp Island |
Getting to your hotel
Hong Kong International Airport is on Chek Lap Kok off Lantau. The Airport Express reaches Kowloon in about 20 minutes and Hong Kong Station in Central in about 24 minutes; Cityflyer buses are slower but cheaper, and a taxi to Central takes about 30–40 minutes.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Hong Kong for first-time visitors?
Central. Central is the island's business and nightlife core: glass towers around Statue Square, the hillside Mid-Levels Escalator climbing through SoHo's restaurants, Tai Kwun's restored police compound and Lan Kwai Fong's bar streets.
+Where should families stay in Hong Kong?
Causeway Bay: Shopping and dining open late.
+Which area of Hong Kong is best for a budget stay?
Wan Chai ($$): Old markets, local diners and harbourfront convention halls.