More questions about HK stay

I would appreciate it if anybody can offer any advice.

1) I have read about booking through hotel consolidators. What are some good ones? I am already aware of ratestogo.com and hotelclub.com, wotif.com. and expedia. Do people find it cheaper to book well in advance or wait for last minute specials?

2) Katetam has recommended Ashley Apartments a number of times. Has anybody actually stayed there because I don%26#39;t see any reviews or information here on tripadvisor.

3) Katetam also said Ramada Hong Kong is in a ';unique'; (I think that is the word she used) area. Can Katetam or anybody else elaborate? I just read that the Wharney hotel is in the middle of a red light district so I want to make sure I don%26#39;t choose a hotel like that.

4) My top 3 choices so far are Ashley Apartments, Ramada Hong Kong, and Royal Plaza in that order with regard to price within our budget, location, and quality. Katetam is right, it looks like April is a fairly expensive time to visit HK in terms of accomodations.

Thanks for responding and I am sure I will have other questions.

I usually find it useful to know how old a hotel is. I have found http://www.hotelhk.com/ (hopefully the info there is correct) to be a good source of such information. Just click on the hotel you are interested in.

Happy Chinese New Year to all Chinese readers.

More questions about HK stay

Ashley Apartments said they are targeting to FINISH renovations by end of Maych 2007. Right now, they will take 1-2 nights stay until March 2007.

After March 2007, they will accept bookings for monthly stays.

Ashley Apartments is NOT the same as a ';hotel';.

Therefore, depending on your needs, it%26#39;s hard to say between Ashley Apartments, vs. Royal Plaza or Ramada.

Wharney hotel is ';so-so';. My aunt works there as a manager..... it%26#39;s ALRIGHT, it%26#39;s smack in the Wan Chai district, with lots of bars and pubs, and clubs.....

Between Ramada and RP, I would choose RP for sure.

Ashley Apartments is going to be brand newly renovated... should be nice, and its location is unbeatable for convenience and dining options.

More questions about HK stay

I%26#39;m headed to HK next week. I booked my room at the Royal Plaza through their web site. They had some early booking deals that were better than any of the other sites that I checked out.

Thanks for that info Katetam. I should double check with Ashley that their renovations will be done by the time I am in HK.

Surprised they are renovating as the place is only about 4 yrs old if that site I posted is correct. Wonder what renovations they are doing. Ashley Apartments seems to be a tall thin building. I think I read some where that it only has 2 or 3 suites per floor.

Can anybody elaborate on Ramada Hong Kong%26#39;s location?

If you KNOW HK island... then it would have meaning to explain to you what the area is like... but if you are not familiar... then it%26#39;s hard to say.

basically it%26#39;s in Sheung Wan area...this area is an old area... with streets of shops that sells dried seafood products like Dried scallops, dried gizzards, dried fish...bird%26#39;s nest, etc. Shops and Shops of these..... very narrow streets, and tiny restaurants with specialty foods. herbal shops.... it%26#39;s not near the MTR station.... you have to take trams or Bus. Or it%26#39;s at least a 20 minutes walk.

Nearby areas, Kennedy Town, Po Fu Lam....

Hope this helps.

Hi speedyG,

My wife and I stayed at Ramada in November. This was our second trip to Hong Kong, we stayed in Kowloon on our first trip. The reason we chose the Ramada Hong Kong Island was more to do with our budget than location as we wanted a good hotel that had cheap rates but good quality rooms. We knew that Hong Kong was relatively small and the transport system second to none so no matter where the hotel was getting from A to B would be easy.

After trawling through loads of travel sites we narrowed it down to the Ramada and booked.

When we arrived I could not believe my luck, a beautiful modern room for 拢50 a night just because it%26#39;s a little bit out of the way.

As for the area we loved it%26#39;s great little restaurants and very friendly locals. It was a pleasure staying in this area, authentic Hong Kong.

But the best bit was the 10 minute 2HKD tram ride to central that stopped right outside the hotel door, a fantastic way to travel and so easy. Also the hotel has a free shuttle bus that takes guests to and from the IFC mall several times a day but this was not as much fun as the tram.

Yes the Ramada is in an old part of town but the area has great atmosphere and good restaurants that we ate in daily . I will be staying at the Ramada on our next visit and would recommend it to anyone.

hi

1) sometimes - if you have a specific one in mind they%26#39;re quite good

2)no idea sorry

3) when people say red light - its not like red light anywhere else - its wan chai - not hk%26#39;s best but perfectly safe etc

dont know what youer budget is but if its warney standards try also langham place (not langhams) which often has special deals (in in mongkok)

april is usually expensive sorry - its trade show time of year so many hotels are booked out by business%26#39; - you should still find somewhere pleasant though

enjoy