Regal Hongkong Hotel

The Regal Hongkong Hotel is a big, comfortable full-service hotel at 88 Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay, and its great strength is location. Victoria Park is a one-minute walk away, the Causeway Bay shopping plaza is just as close, and the Causeway Bay tram terminus is a minute on foot, so you can ride the Ding Ding tram along the island's north shore straight from the front door. Lee Gardens is three minutes away, Times Square six, and the harbour about six minutes. The hotel has 481 rooms, an outdoor rooftop pool that the hotel lists as open from February to December, a health club, a conference centre with twenty meeting rooms and a banquet hall, plus on-site shops and a concierge. Dining includes Cafe Rivoli, the Cantonese restaurant Regal Palace and Tiffany Lounge, which means you can eat well without leaving the building, though the surrounding streets are full of restaurants of every price. The hotel works equally well for leisure travellers who want to shop and eat in Causeway Bay and for business visitors attending events in the district.

Think about what you want from a room here. Higher floors give the best views, with the city on one side and, depending on orientation, glimpses of the park or the harbour on the other. Rooms are the standard size for a large Hong Kong hotel, comfortable and practical, and families can look at connecting rooms or suites when booking. Free Wi-Fi is provided, and electric car charging is available.

Because Causeway Bay is among the busiest districts in the city, the streets around the hotel are lively at night, so request a higher floor or a quieter side if you are a light sleeper. Check the pool's seasonal opening before you rely on it for a winter stay, and check rates for flexible bookings, since prices vary a great deal around events and holidays.

Causeway Bay is Hong Kong's great shopping and eating district, and the Regal puts you at the centre of it. Times Square, Sogo, Lee Gardens and dozens of smaller malls are within a few minutes, and the side streets hold some of the best ramen, dim sum and dessert shops on the island. Victoria Park next door is a green space where you see locals practising tai chi in the morning and, at the Lunar New Year, a large flower market.

The Noon Day Gun, a quirky local tradition, sits close to the waterfront. The tram is the most enjoyable transport: it runs west to Central and east to Shau Kei Wan, and a trip along it is a bargain sightseeing ride.

If you want quiet and character, look at the Murray or Lanson Place; if you want convenience, space and easy transport, the Regal is a sensible and well-located choice. Its rooftop pool is a bonus for summer, and the proximity to Victoria Park makes it a good family base.