Hong Kong's Best Inexpensive Hotels: Sleep Tight on a Tight Budget

Ovolo Southside is Hong Kong's first warehouse-to-hotel conversion. Originally built in 1976, the former multi-use industrial building now features 162 open-plan guestrooms, a fully-equipped 24-hour gym and a collection of social spaces that echo the warehouse's past in subtle details. Styled for maximum guest convenience and comfort, the hotel offers free breakfast and Happy Hour social drinks daily, alongside free daily replenished in-room minibar, self-service laundry facilities and a flexible check out. Ovolo Southside's comparably small number of rooms compared with other Hong Kong hotels ensures a high level of service, catered to meet the needs of each individual guest.

This part of Hong Kong Island has been colonized by numerous hotels in recent years. The Ibis is one of the best deals going, and unlike the slightly anonymous Central Business District this area has real character. The hotel itself is straightforward, decent hospitality: 550 rooms, with the 'city view' being the cheapest; just one restaurant, and one bar, but they cover all the bases between them; and that's just about it – but this is a reasonably priced inner city bolthole, not an urban resort. The area is undergoing more changes as the MTR line extends westwards; at present trams and buses are the main public transport.

Conveniently, the Empire Hotel Hong Kong is just five minutes from several shopping centers as well as area nightlife venues. Area attractions include the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Center, the city's central business district, the Hong Kong Arts Center, the Admiralty, Causeway Bay, Times Square, the Star Ferry, and Pacific Place. Guests will enjoy close proximity to leisure and business venues from this Hong Kong accommodation. Two mass transit stations are just a five-minute walk away from the Empire Hotel Hong Kong. Many area attractions are within walking distance of the hotel. Guests will find that the three hundred rooms of the Empire Hotel Hong Kong offer modern amenities. Guestrooms include high-speed Internet access, satellite television with on-demand movies, in-room safes, and room service.

You can't get much further away from the concrete jungle than Tai O, a fishing village at the westernmost extremity of Hong Kong on Lantau Island. Espace is a converted village house: there's a couple of regular rooms, a family suite, and a small annexe – that's it. This is very much a homestay – with kettle, fridge, books and board games for sharing in the common area on the ground floor. Bistro-style food is served in the cafe, and guests are welcome to chill out in the garden. This is a long ride from the airport, longer from the city center, but well worth it!

Like many hotels in this category, the Prudential reckons there's not much point in trying to do very much more than provide 400 or so rooms for guests to sleep. That said, there's one very nice restaurant, and a similarly amenable bar – both fairly busy whatever the time of day. As a bonus, there's even a pool (only open in the summer, sadly) and a gym. For visitors traveling about the city, the Prudential's chief bonus is its location right above Jordan MTR station, so pretty much the whole of Hong Kong is accessible without having to brave the elements.

Located in Tsim Sha Tsui, the B P International is close to the tranquil Kowloon Park and the city's business district. Multiple shopping and leisure opportunities are available close to the hotel. The Mass Transit Railway station, China Ferry Terminal, and Airport Express Kowloon Station are all located within close proximity of the B P International. The B P International boasts a total of 529 guestrooms, all of which are designed with the guests' comfort in mind. Each room is well-lit and contains a host of modern facilities. The B P International's café offers guests an international buffet as well as an a la carte menu that contains variety of Asian and Western specialties. In the restaurant, guests can enjoy mouthwatering regional delicacies and authentic Cantonese cuisine.

This Hong Kong hotel is situated in the city's SOHO District and commercial center, and is close to many of the area's attractions and points of interest. The Sohotel Hong Kong's close proximity to the piers allows guests to easily explore Macau and other nearby islands. The Macau Ferry, bus station, and MTR station are all within walking distance of the Sohotel Hong Kong. Guests may choose to stay in one of the hotel's standard rooms, superior rooms, or suites. All of the rooms in the Sohotel Hong Kong are outfitted with complimentary broadband Internet access, mini-bars, hairdryers, safety boxes, LCD televisions, and local call service. An en suite bathroom is also available in each of the rooms. Some of the services available in this hotel includes a limousine service, ticket service, laundry/dry cleaning, and postage service.

At the eastern end of Hong Kong Island, Chai Wan is unlikely ever to make it onto a list of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: but it is on the MTR line, and right next to the station is Y-Loft, whose 148 rooms make it something slightly less than a hotel, something rather more than a hostel. There are dorm rooms for traditionalists, twins with a balcony for those with a bit more cash to splash. And the facilities are truly a surprise – a jogging track, microwaves to heat up meals, washing machines, a fitness center, space to hang out, and even a mini business corner.

Located five minutes from downtown Hong Kong, the Bishop Lei International House is near to such attractions as Lan Kwai Fong, Soho, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, Man Mo Temple, Ocean Park, and Victoria Peak. Shopping, dining, entertainment, and business establishments are just minutes away. The amenities offered by the hotel include a swimming pool, a meeting room, a fitness center, a Jacuzzi, a tour desk, and several on-site restaurants. Guests can make use of a complimentary shuttle to local attractions and the downtown area from the Bishop Lei International House. The Bishop Lei International House offers 219 rooms with many amenities, including air-conditioning, satellite television, direct-dial telephones, wireless Internet access, minibars, and in-room safes. Rooms include views of Victoria Harbor. The Bishop Lei International House offers guests over two hundred rooms with modern amenities, contemporary décor, and views of the Harbor.

The Salisbury is probably one of the best budget hotels on earth. It's a short walk from some of Hong Kong's best-known attractions: Star Ferry, the Avenue of Stars, the Golden Mile, and the Cultural Centre. And it's right next door to the city's oldest hotel, The Peninsula. Yet The Salisbury's rates are all that the letters YMCA suggest. Rooms are clean, well fitted out, and staff are more than friendly. And the facilities are thoroughly user-friendly. No surprises that rooms fill up fast: if you are on a budget, book here if you can. Nearest MTR: Tsim Sha Tsui.