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Staying on a budget in a city where lack of space sends rates soaring can be a bit of challenge, but Suzanne van der Erf has found affordable hotel rooms in every district
• As featured in our Hong Kong city guide
Bishop Lei International House
Space is a rare commodity in Hong Kong, especially in the hustle and bustle of Soho. This hotel features small (sometimes very small) rooms, but the magnificent views over Victoria Harbour, the convenience of the location and the outdoor swimming pool (a blessing during the hot Hong Kong summer months) compensate. The hotel is a local institution, run by the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong and pitched at budget business travellers who walk into Central each morning. Book well in advance for good deals, or scour the aggregator websites.
• 4 Robinson Road, Mid-Levels, +852 2868 0828, bishopleihtl.com.hk, doubles from HK$650 (around £55)
Caritas Oswald Cheung International House
An excellent off-the-beaten-track choice, this large hotel with 119 rooms opened for business in 2006 in one of Hong Kong's oldest fishing villages, Tin Wan. Even though the interior may be a little old-fashioned, rooms are rather spacious by Hong Kong standards and offer great views over the South China Sea and Aberdeen. The beaches of the Southern district are within easy reach, as is the Jumbo floating restaurant in Aberdeen. Public transport or taxis can take travellers to Central in about 15 minutes.
• 20 Tin Wan Street, Tin Wan, Aberdeen, +852 2903 0263, caritas-chs.org.hk, doubles from around £50
Espace Elastique B&B
Hong Kong isn't big on B&Bs, but it does have one of note in Lantau's Tai O village: two spacious rooms connected to a bistro-style cafe on the top floor of the three-storey building run by Veronica. A perfect place to unwind and explore the other sides of Hong Kong – this ancient fishermen's village is laced with hiking trails and mountain biking tracks, and is an ideal foil for the perpetual motion of the city. Add a few days to your trip.
• 57 Kat Hing Street, Tai O, Lantau, New Territories, +852 2985 7002, espaceelastique.com.hk, doubles from £50
Cosmo Hotel Mongkok
A smart choice for those looking to soak up the bustle of crowded Mongkok. With its stylish, high-ceilinged, glass-fronted lobby on Ivy Street, and light, bright rooms, it's a peaceful contrast to the old, jam-packed neighbourhood outside. Mongkok is perfect for exploring, with Sneaker Street (a street dedicated to, yup, shoes) and a variety of markets nearby – including the "Ladies" Market (for women's clothing), Temple Street Market (for men's clothing), and markets dedicated to flowers, fish and birds. Pitstop as often as possible at the numerous dai pai dongs in the area – street kitchens with tables and chairs scattered in front of them.
• 88 Tai Kok Tsui Road, Kowloon, +852 3987 2288, cosmomongkok.com.hk/en, doubles from around £60 (book 30 days in advance to get a 25% discount)
YesInn Hostel @Fortress Hill
The queen of the budget options on Hong Kong Island with vibrant warm colours and cosy rooms, the YesInn Hostel @Fortress Hill accommodates the budget traveller who likes to roam around the city and is happy with basic, clean accommodation. It has Wi-Fi and ensuite rooms. Bed linens are included, towels are not – although at under £1 per towel, picking one up won't break the bank. Fortress Hill is very conveniently located, with Central and Soho three MTR stops to the west and the old-meets-new districts of Quarry Bay and Taikoo a couple of stops towards the east. YesInn recently also opened in Causeway Bay, where there is a roof terrace.
• Flat B, 15F Front Block, Continental Mansion, 294 King's Road, Fortress Hill, no phone, yesinn.com, doubles from around £30
Y-Loft
A hidden gem and a relatively new player in the up-and-coming industrial district of Chai Wan, 20 minutes on the MTR from Central, a 20-minute taxi ride from the southern beaches of Hong Kong island, and a great starting point for hiking trails in the nearby Tai Tam Country Park. This affordable and contemporary ho(s)tel at the final stop of the island metro line features spacious rooms with wooden floors and large windows, and guests enjoy free Wi-Fi, fitness facilities and a 180-metre rooftop jogging track.
• 238 Chai Wan Road, Chai Wan, +852 3721 8989, youthsquare.hk, doubles from around £45
Hop Inn on Hankow
At the Hop Inn on Hankow, budget bedrooms are designed and illustrated by local artists, making each room a piece of art – Karen Pow's "Boom" room features calming blue walls and a light made of electronic innards, inspired by the industrial history of the city. Outside, the Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) district is always on a roll; ever-buzzing convenience stores, flashy neon lights, restaurants with kitchens from every corner of the world and a good mix of low- and the high-end fashion shops. Despite all that, the Hop Inn enjoys peace and quiet at night. In some rooms it achieves this by not having windows – this is Hong Kong after all – but the inventive decorations should make up for that, and the value for money is unquestionable. There is also a Hop Inn on Carnarvon, also in TST.
• Flat A, 2F Hanyee Building, 19-21 Hankow Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, or 9/F James S Lee Mansion, 33-35 Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, +852 2881 7331, hopinn.hk, doubles from around £45
Bridal Tea House Hotels
The first Bridal Tea House opened in Yau Ma Tei in 2003 in a residential building and has grown to become a franchise with 12 different locations across Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, offering simple, stylish and (yup) tiny rooms in each of the hotels. The Arthur Street Bridal Tea House is the pick of the bunch, in the traditional residential district of Yau Ma Tei, next to a century-old fruit market and dozens of bakeries and 7-Elevens.
• Locations around Hong Kong, +852 2780 6113, hkchhotel.com, doubles from around £40
InnSight
An excellent value for money option – a small hostel with only eight rooms close to TST MTR station, Kowloon Park, and the Star Ferry, which takes travellers to Hong Kong Island in 10 minutes for only a couple of dollars. The rooms are brightly yet tastefully decorated with natural motifs, and all come with air-conditioning, private bathrooms and free Wi-Fi. The hotel does not have its own website, but booking can easily be done via a variety of travel websites. A popular choice, so book well in advance.
• 3F 9 Lock Street, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, booking.com, doubles from around £50
Sohotel
With dimmed lights and a dark interior, Sohotel has rooms varying from 100 to 300 sq ft, and wall-to-wall windows making up for the lack of space. Its Sheung Wan location is full of surprising traces of history – in the middle of nearby Hollywood Road Park, Possession Point, where the British landed and took possession of Hong Kong in 1841, is now a pleasant green where locals practise t'ai chi. Sheung Wan is centrally located, and walking distance from ferry piers for outlying islands.
• 139 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, +852 2851 8818, sohotel.com.hk, doubles from around £75
• Suzanne van der Erf is a Hong Kong-based writer