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Which Side of the Harbour? Choosing Your Hong Kong Base

Hong Kong, ChinaFebruary 6, 20262 min read
By MASA Editors
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The red-brick Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, mirrored in a long reflecting pool lined with palms and pink bougainvillea under a deep blue sky.01
The red-brick Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, mirrored in a long reflecting pool lined with palms and pink bougainvillea under a deep blue sky.Photo: DAVID TANG / Unsplash

Island or Kowloon is the first real decision of a Hong Kong trip. A neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood guide to where the landmark hotels sit and what each side gives you.

Every Hong Kong itinerary begins with the same question, and it is not about budget. It is whether you sleep on Hong Kong Island or across the water in Kowloon. The harbour is only a kilometre or so wide, the MTR crosses it in minutes, and yet the two sides offer completely different trips.

The rules that actually matter

  • Proximity to an MTR station beats almost every other consideration
  • A harbour view costs a significant premium; a high floor facing the right way is the thing to confirm
  • Kowloon looks at the Island skyline — which is the view people picture
  • Rooms are small by international standards, at every price level

Tsim Sha Tsui: the view side

The obvious first-timer choice. TST sits at Kowloon’s tip, facing the Island skyline across the water, with the Star Ferry pier, the waterfront promenade, the Museum of Art and the enormous Harbour City mall all within walking distance.

The Peninsula, open since 1928, is the grande dame of Asian hotels — colonnaded lobby, fleet of green Rolls-Royces, and afternoon tea that people plan trips around. Rosewood Hong Kong anchors the Victoria Dockside development slightly east, above the K11 Musea complex. Kowloon Shangri-La and the Regent hold the harbourfront positions in between. Below that tier, TST has more mid-range and budget rooms than anywhere else in the city.

A green and white Star Ferry crossing the turquoise water of Victoria Harbour with Hong Kong's Central waterfront behind
A green and white Star Ferry crossing the turquoise water of Victoria Harbour with Hong Kong's Central waterfront behindPhoto: Himmel S / Unsplash

Central and Admiralty: the business side

Where the money and the walkways are. Elevated footbridges connect the towers, the ferry piers and the malls, so you can cross the district in the rain without touching a street. SoHo’s restaurants are up the Mid-Levels Escalator; Tai Kwun and the galleries are a short walk west.

Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong has been a Central institution since 1963. Four Seasons Hong Kong sits above the IFC complex and the Airport Express station, with Michelin-starred Cantonese dining downstairs. In Admiralty, The Upper House is the design choice — calm, understated rooms above Pacific Place — with Island Shangri-La and the JW Marriott in the same complex.

Wan Chai and Causeway Bay: the local side

Cheaper, busier and more lived-in. Wan Chai has the Convention Centre, tram lines and excellent street-level eating; the Grand Hyatt is the landmark address. Causeway Bay is shopping territory — Times Square, department stores, Victoria Park — and good value if you do not need a view.

Red taxis cross a Hong Kong street painted with bilingual Central and Kowloon East lane markings.
Red taxis cross a Hong Kong street painted with bilingual Central and Kowloon East lane markings.Photo: Nick Young / Unsplash

Sheung Wan and West Kowloon: the quieter options

Sheung Wan, just west of Central, is smaller-scale: dried seafood shops, Man Mo Temple, PMQ and a strong independent restaurant scene. West Kowloon puts you beside M+ and the Palace Museum, with the Airport Express one stop away.

Tip: Stay in Tsim Sha Tsui on a first trip. The Star Ferry becomes your daily commute, the skyline is on your side of the water rather than under your feet, and the same money buys a noticeably better room than it would in Central.

In pictures
A close view of the Tian Tan Buddha's raised hand and face at Ngong Ping, Lantau Island.Photo: Goh Win Nie / Unsplash
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