I had never been to Hong Kong before this trip, and I really didn’t know what to expect. What I found blew me away. The city is unlike anywhere I’ve traveled before. It’s an extremely unique collision of cultures that somehow feels like Asia, London, and New York City all at once. British-era architecture next to bamboo scaffolding, double-decker trams you’d find in London running past Michelin-starred Chinese restaurants, a skyline that makes Manhattan look modest. If you’re wondering where to stay in Hong Kong,
Motto By Hilton Hong Kong SoHo
I fell in love immediately and hard, and I already can’t wait to go back. And Sheung Wan, the neighborhood where I stayed, is the part of the city that sealed it for me. Think of it as Hong Kong’s Brooklyn. It’s a creative, slightly gritty, deeply local counterpart to the polished financial center just next door. Motto by Hilton dropped me right into the middle of it.
I was recently hosted at the property on Jervois Street on Hong Kong Island, and it exceeded my expectations by a lot.
Where to Stay in hong kong
Motto by Hilton
The best place to stay in Hong Kong: a boutique-feel hotel right in Sheung Wan, the coolest neighborhood on the island.
The Neighborhood Is Half the Stay
If you’ve never spent time in Sheung Wan, you absolutely need to add this to your itinerary. It sits just west of Central, connected via the MTR and the famous Central-Mid-Levels Escalator, but it has a completely different energy. It’s slower, much quieter than Kowloon and Central, more residential, more interesting. Upper Lascar Row, better known as Cat Street, is a short walk away, lined with antique dealers and curio sellers. Man Mo Temple is around the corner (this was a highlight!), and PMQ, the former police married quarters turned creative complex, is practically on your doorstep.
The SoHo dining district bleeds into the neighborhood, so the restaurant options are excellent. You could eat well for a week without retracing a single step. For travel content, the visual variety alone is worth it: old signage, steep staircase streets, incense smoke drifting out of doorways. It’s one of the most photogenic parts of the city and feels nothing like the Hong Kong most people picture.
The Room Was Beyond Comfortable
The rooms at Motto are designed beautifully and come in a few different sizes and layouts. My single room could be considered compact by Western standards (this is Hong Kong & space is a luxury), but it felt much more spacious than hotels I’ve stayed at in other major cities like New York City, Paris, and London. The layout made the most of every square meter. I really loved it. The bed was super (!) comfortable, the kind you actually want to fall into after a full day of walking, and the room had a clean, modern aesthetic that felt very elevated.
The bathroom was a highlight. Properly designed, well-lit, with nice finishes, beautiful tile, and real counter space, which might sound basic or not important, but it really made a difference. The shower was fantastic and exactly what I needed each day after exploring the hot and humid city. Everything felt intentional rather than generic, which is exactly what you want from a boutique-leaning property.
Club 38: Rooftop Views That Justify the Elevator Ride
The hotel has 38 floors, and the namesake Club 38 restaurant sits right at the top. The views across Hong Kong and the harbor are amazing. I went for dinner on my first night and enjoyed the city lights and reflections on the Victoria Harbor. The food is very good. Don’t miss a lunch up there, either. The harbor in the background and the city bustling below you are hard to beat.
The rooftop access alone is reason enough to stay here over a comparable property without it. In a city this dense, having outdoor elevated space to decompress is not a small thing.
There is an open rooftop above as well.
The Details That Make Travel Less Stressful
One thing I genuinely appreciated: in-hotel laundry. It sounds mundane, but when you’re packing for longer trips or moving between cities, clean clothes without a frantic search for a local laundromat is a small luxury that saves real time. Motto has it sorted, and it’s one of those practical details that actually shapes how good a stay feels day-to-day.
Where to Stay in Hong Kong
Where to Stay in hong kong
Motto by Hilton
The best place to stay in Hong Kong: a boutique-feel hotel right in Sheung Wan, the coolest neighborhood on the island.
Motto by Hilton Sheung Wan sits in a genuinely interesting part of Hong Kong, delivers on comfort where it counts, and gives you rooftop views that most hotels in the city can’t touch. The neighborhood is walkable, endlessly interesting, and well-connected enough that you can get anywhere you need to be without much effort.
If you’re planning a Hong Kong trip and want to be somewhere with character, rather than just somewhere convenient, this is the spot.
Have you stayed in Sheung Wan? I’d love to know your favorite spots in the neighborhood!
