Where to stay in Hong Kong: L’hotel Elan

BY ONEIKA RAYMOND

This 4-star hotel is the definition of luxury on a budget.

As much as I love Hong Kong, life there isn’t cheap, especially when it comes to short-term accommodation of a high standard.  The city abounds with 4-star hotels but the bulk of them are not particularly easy on the pockets.

Enter L’hotel Elan. I discovered that the newest offering from Hong Kong’s L’hotel chain is the epitome of what I call “luxury-lite” — 4-star quality with a 3-star price.  I was invited to spend one night here during my last trip to Hong Kong and was duly impressed.

IMG_6265

Why?  Firstly, upon my speedy check-in I realized that the structure is basically brand new, the decor fresh and slick.  The room (and in particular, the bathroom) is spotless. The breakfast is ample. The minibar, stocked with soft drinks,  is free, as is the wifi. None of the skimping on beverages and internet that you often find in North American or European hotels here. I like.

IMG_6266

IMG_6271

Secondly, the room comes with an iPad.  I’ve never seen this before in a hotel.  Though I have come with my own laptop, this is an exciting discovery.

IMG_6284

Thirdly, the premises are gorgeous.  The general manager charged with taking me on a tour brings me to the rooftop so I can see the pool and the gym. Though both are small (the gym consists of only a few treadmills/crosstrainers), their physical situation, 35 stories above the city, make my eyes widen.

IMG_6247

IMG_6232

IMG_6252

How’s this for a view while you sweat or swim?

IMG_6262

IMG_6242

However, for all the positives there is one big disadvantage for me: the location. Hong Kong is small enough, but the 35-minute commute on the metro to HK’s Central station feels very long, especially when it involves a line change and a 5-minute walk from the nearest metro stop (Kwun Tong) to the hotel.  The location makes it difficult to dip into your room for short breaks between sightseeing — and if you’re planning on going out until late in Soho or partying it up in Lan Kwai Fong, know that getting yourself back here will cost you a pretty penny in cab fare. That said, the location could be a plus for some: if you’re looking to stay far from the tourist traps and stay in a more “local”, “authentic” area, this is definitely a place for you.

One thing is sure: the reviews on TripAdvisor don’t lie.  This is a top-notch facility with great rates: $100 USD for a 4-star hotel in a place like Hong Kong is a steal.

Have you ever sacrificed location for luxury?

I was a guest of L’hotel Elan but all opinions are my own.

 

SHARING IS CARING

49 Comments

  • Is it just me or is that the same hotel that was used in the latest James Bond movie. I am probably incorrect, it just looks so familiar to me.

    $100 a night. Thanks so much for that tip. My family and I are planning on visiting next year and that hotel sounds absolutely perfect!

    • I’m not sure! But regardless it is excellent value if you can handle the commute!!

  • What a gorgeous hotel. I’m staying there when I come visit you! Notice how I said WHEN and not IF!

  • Girl, those pictures you took look straight out of the Travel and Leisure magazine!!! For now, I will have to travel through you to Asia. I have to conquer Central and South America first, lol.

  • I like the helpful info you provide in your articles.
    I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here frequently.
    I’m quite certain I’ll learn lots of new stuff right here!
    Good luck for the next!

  • Can I just say what a comfort to discover an individual who truly understands what they are talking about on the internet.
    You definitely understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important.
    A lot more people have to check this out and understand this side of your story.

    It’s surprising you are not more popular because you definitely possess the gift.

  • Hi there, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one
    and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam comments?
    If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can recommend?

    I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any assistance is very much appreciated.

  • This is really interesting, You’re a very skilled blogger.
    I’ve joined your rss feed and look forward to seeking more of your wonderful post.

    Also, I have shared your website in my social networks!

  • Spot on with this write-up, I really believe that this amazing site needs a great
    deal more attention. I’ll probably be returning
    to read through more, thanks for the information!

  • Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I really enjoyed reading it,
    you might be a great author. I will ensure that I bookmark your blog and will eventually
    come back very soon. I want to encourage yourself to continue your great job,
    have a nice holiday weekend!

  • I don’t even know how I ended up right here, however I thought
    this publish used to be good. I do not realize who you are but definitely you’re going
    to a famous blogger in case you are not already. Cheers!

  • I all the time used to read piece of writing in news papers but now as I
    am a user of web thus from now I am using net for articles, thanks to web.

  • If some one desires expert view about blogging after that i recommend him/her to visit this
    blog, Keep up the nice job.

  • I was suggested this web site by my cousin. I’m not sure whether
    this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my trouble.
    You are amazing! Thanks!

  • Wonderful article! We will be linking to this great content
    on our website. Keep up the great writing.

  • Howdy! Do you know if they make any plugins to protect against hackers?

    I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve
    worked hard on. Any tips?

  • Hi, I do think this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon it 😉
    I may revisit once again since I book-marked it. Money
    and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to
    guide other people.

  • Good post however , I was wondering if you could write
    a litte more on this subject? I’d be very grateful if you could
    elaborate a little bit more. Many thanks!

  • I have read some just right stuff here. Definitely price bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how so much effort you put to create one of these magnificent informative web site.|

  • Hi there, I want to subscribe for this webpage to obtain most
    up-to-date updates, so where can i do it please help out.

  • If you desire to obtain a good deal from this post then you have to apply these strategies to your won webpage.

  • Hello There. I found your weblog the usage of msn. That is a very
    neatly written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your helpful information.
    Thank you for the post. I’ll certainly return.

  • Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon on a daily
    basis. It will always be helpful to read content from other
    authors and use something from other websites.

  • I was curious if you ever considered changing the layout of
    your site? Its very well written; I love what youve
    got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect
    with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having
    one or two pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?

  • This is the perfect webpage for anyone who hopes to find out about this topic.
    You know so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that
    I personally would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic that has been written about for years.
    Wonderful stuff, just excellent!

  • Hello, this weekend is nice in support of me,
    for the reason that this occasion i am reading this impressive educational piece of writing here at
    my residence.

  • You’re so cool! I don’t believe I’ve read a single thing like this before.
    So good to find someone with a few unique thoughts on this subject matter.

    Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up.
    This site is one thing that’s needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!

  • There is certainly a great deal to learn about this subject.
    I like all of the points you made.

  • With havin so much written content do you ever run into any issues of plagorism
    or copyright infringement? My site has a lot of exclusive content
    I’ve either written myself or outsourced but it appears a lot of it is popping
    it up all over the internet without my agreement. Do
    you know any ways to help stop content from being ripped
    off? I’d really appreciate it.

  • It’s actually very complex in this full of activity life to listen news on Television, so I only use world wide
    web for that purpose, and take the latest information.

  • Please let me know if you’re looking for a author for your weblog.

    You have some really great articles and I feel I would be a good
    asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d really like to write some articles for your blog in exchange for a link back
    to mine. Please shoot me an email if interested. Regards!

  • Howdy this is kinda of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or
    if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have
    no coding experience so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience.
    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

  • Wonderful post but I was wanting to know if you could write
    a litte more on this subject? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit more.
    Thank you!

  • Woah! I’m really enjoying the template/theme of this blog. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s very difficult to get that “perfect balance” between usability and visual appearance. I must say you have done a amazing job with this. Also, the blog loads extremely quick for me on Opera. Excellent Blog!|

Comments are closed.