Apartment style lodging
Apr 15th, 2010, 11:36 AM
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Apartment style lodging
Hello, travelers!
DH and I are planning to travel to Asia with our two boys, who will be 9 or 10 when we go, and possible his mother, who will be in her upper 60s. We are going to Vietnam (south to north), Hong Kong, and Japan (probably Kyoto and Tokyo). We're planning on 3 to 4 weeks in Asia.
Given the makeup of our group, we will need two or three standard hotel rooms. I'd prefer to get a flat/apartment style lodging for the price, partly so that I can prepare some Western style foods for them since they'll be overwhelmed with the Asian food. Do you have any suggestions of where to look for such lodgings? I'd imagine that we would not stay a full week at any one location so something with more flexbile scheduling would be great. And as any parent would say, some place with a pool would be a definite plus!
Thanks for your help!
DH and I are planning to travel to Asia with our two boys, who will be 9 or 10 when we go, and possible his mother, who will be in her upper 60s. We are going to Vietnam (south to north), Hong Kong, and Japan (probably Kyoto and Tokyo). We're planning on 3 to 4 weeks in Asia.
Given the makeup of our group, we will need two or three standard hotel rooms. I'd prefer to get a flat/apartment style lodging for the price, partly so that I can prepare some Western style foods for them since they'll be overwhelmed with the Asian food. Do you have any suggestions of where to look for such lodgings? I'd imagine that we would not stay a full week at any one location so something with more flexbile scheduling would be great. And as any parent would say, some place with a pool would be a definite plus!
Thanks for your help!
Apr 15th, 2010, 07:12 PM
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There are “serviced apartments” in Hong Kong and Japan and some limited parts of Vietnam. These are like hotels as they have daily maid service but also have kitchen facilities in the room. They also have laundry service and some have laundry areas where you can do self-service laundry. For Hong Kong, see some ideas at the end of this post. For Japan, check guidebooks. Marriott and Sheraton have some (not sure if they have them in Japan) and there is a company called Oakwood which runs a number of them, they have one in Tokyo and some in Hong Kong, see http://www.oakwood.com/ for locations. (The downside of some of these is that they won’t have pools.)
For flats in Hong Kong and Japan, and possibly Vietnam, try vrbo.com. I have had a lot of luck with them in Europe and Canada for vacation rentals. I believe there is also a short-term let apartment service specially for Japan, I will hunt around as I think I have a name somewhere which I saw recently. Guidebooks like <i>Lonely Planet</i> (or their website) may have links as well. Again, these may not have pools, although in Hong Kong, many apartment buildings do have pools.
Note that apartments in Japan, and many in Hong Kong, will tend to be <i>very</i> small, so read the ads carefully. 500 square feet might be typical, and that would be 2-3 bedrooms, plus kitchen and 1 small bathroom in that amount of space. (By way of comparison, 500 square feet is about half the size of a typical motel room in the United States.)
I don’t think you will have much luck in Vietnam. Their tourist market is not really developed enough, esp. outside of the major cities, to have branched into serviced apartments or short-term rentals of flats. You can find serviced apartments in Ho Chi Minh (my least favourite place in Vietnam), but I don’t think you will find apartment type lodging in the smaller towns or really even in Hanoi. But try vrob.com and see if anything is there.
But bear in mind that you can find lots of Western restaurants in Hong Kong and Japan, so I would not be overly concerned with needing a kitchen. (If nothing else, there are many fast-food options in both.) There are some Western options available in Vietnam as well, although in the smaller towns probably less so, although French-inspired is usually found everywhere (and lots of bakeries, the French were there). What I think would actually be more of a pain is in Japan (and Vietnam) is finding a grocery store where you can find products in English. Try buying milk when you can’t tell whole milk from buttermilk, because none of it is in English. And the staff doesn’t speak English either. And wait until you see the prices for meat and vegetables in Japan!! (Of course eating out isn’t cheap either. But the price of like a head of lettuce will just make you laugh – or cry.) I am not saying it is impossible to cook meals, but I would not focus overally on getting an apartment with a kitchen, as it may not turn out to be as “convenient” as you think. Hong Kong is fine, as products are dual-labeled, and most grocery staff speak some English. (But note that your kitchen in Japan and Hong Kong may not have an oven, as oven roasting/baking is not a typical way of preparing food in Asia. This may limit your recipes as well. Your refrigerator is also likely to be a tiny one with a very small freezer. Asians shop every day for fresh food if they can.)
For Hong Kong, while there are apartment options (see below), you might look at The Salisbury, which is a YMCA, but more like a very nice 3 star hotel (possibly a 4 star) in a superb location with stunning harbour views. They have very good prices and also offer a self-service laundry room and a pool (indoor, but Olympic size). They have family rooms and suites. They are usually booked solid several months in advance, but as you have some lead time, you might be able to get in. See http://www.asiatravel.com/hongkong/y...ury/index.html.
<u>Serviced Apartments in Hong Kong</u>
For serviced apartments in Hong Kong, sort of in descending order of price, on Hong Kong Island, try the Four Seasons Place at http://www.fsphk.com/, the Pacific Place Apartments at Parkside, go to http://www.pacificplace.com.hk/living/live_index.html. I am not sure either will rent for a short period. I believe that the Parkview apartments, which is a very nice luxury flat complex up on top of the hill above Happy Valley has some serviced apartments which they let on a short-term basis, go to http://www.hongkongparkview.com/. Some of the best walking and hiking in Hong Kong would literally be out the front door, there is a pool, kids play area and grocery store in the complex, and a free shuttle bus to Central. There is also the Convention Plaza in the Grand Hyatt Hotel complex, (go to http://www.conventionplazaapartments.com, again I am not sure they would rent for only a week).
I would certainly recommend the serviced apartments at Two MacDonnell Road (at http://www.twomr.com.hk). They have a nice location near to Bowen Road, quiet, green (for Hong Kong) and close to a good walking flat walking path, and a grocery store across the street. These would not be at quite the same luxury level as the ones above, but not as pricey either.
There is a chain of serviced apartments with various location on Hong Kong Island, take a look at http://www.thev.hk/. I don't know anything about this group or the quality of the apartments. Most of these are in the Causeway Bay area or Happy Valley, two areas on Hong Kong Island, both convenient for seeing sights and more in the mainstream for tourists. The area of Causeway Bay in which they are located is quite congested (not really more so than Kowloon, however), but very close to Victoria Park and there is some great shopping in the area. The one in Happy Valley is in a bit quieter location, yet pretty convenient to transport. The area has some good restaurants and is a mix of European expats and locals (the French international school is nearby). Although the map does not show it, the street is on a somewhat steep hill.
On the Kowloon side, the only service apartment I know of in the main tourist area is The Gateway, which is at the Star Ferry Pier and would be a nice location, I have never seen the rooms so don't know anything about them. See http://www.gatewayapartments.com.hk/. Again, I don’t know if they would let for only a week. The Langham Place Hotel has serviced apartments, see http://hongkong.langhamplacehotels.com/en/index.html, not sure of your price range, it’s a very densely populated busy area, but overall might be OK. Close to a subway.
There are some serviced apartments in Tolo Harbour area called the Horizon Suite Hotel, go to http://www.horizonsuitehotel.com/eng/index.html. I don't know these apartments at all, but you might take a look. It is not close to the city parts of Hong Kong, probably 30 minutes by subway. This is not a tourist area, I don’t know what you are looking for; it would certainly be a very local experience. Hong Kong is very safe, so I would not have any concerns with this area with regard to that, but as I don’t know if you want to be close to main tourist sights or not, it is hard to advise. However, I know the area fairly well, and the countryside there is probably the most beautiful in all of Hong Kong (or in a tie with the Sai Kung area certainly), and there is some great walking nearby (including the easy and scenic Bride's Pool walk), and there is a bike path all around Tolo Harbour and across Plover Cove dam that is a lot of fun. The town area is quite built-up, but you can get to green areas quickly, and there are lovely water and mountain views.
As mentioned above, also try Oakwood, which has several serviced apartments in Hong Kong, see http://www.oakwood.com
For flats in Hong Kong and Japan, and possibly Vietnam, try vrbo.com. I have had a lot of luck with them in Europe and Canada for vacation rentals. I believe there is also a short-term let apartment service specially for Japan, I will hunt around as I think I have a name somewhere which I saw recently. Guidebooks like <i>Lonely Planet</i> (or their website) may have links as well. Again, these may not have pools, although in Hong Kong, many apartment buildings do have pools.
Note that apartments in Japan, and many in Hong Kong, will tend to be <i>very</i> small, so read the ads carefully. 500 square feet might be typical, and that would be 2-3 bedrooms, plus kitchen and 1 small bathroom in that amount of space. (By way of comparison, 500 square feet is about half the size of a typical motel room in the United States.)
I don’t think you will have much luck in Vietnam. Their tourist market is not really developed enough, esp. outside of the major cities, to have branched into serviced apartments or short-term rentals of flats. You can find serviced apartments in Ho Chi Minh (my least favourite place in Vietnam), but I don’t think you will find apartment type lodging in the smaller towns or really even in Hanoi. But try vrob.com and see if anything is there.
But bear in mind that you can find lots of Western restaurants in Hong Kong and Japan, so I would not be overly concerned with needing a kitchen. (If nothing else, there are many fast-food options in both.) There are some Western options available in Vietnam as well, although in the smaller towns probably less so, although French-inspired is usually found everywhere (and lots of bakeries, the French were there). What I think would actually be more of a pain is in Japan (and Vietnam) is finding a grocery store where you can find products in English. Try buying milk when you can’t tell whole milk from buttermilk, because none of it is in English. And the staff doesn’t speak English either. And wait until you see the prices for meat and vegetables in Japan!! (Of course eating out isn’t cheap either. But the price of like a head of lettuce will just make you laugh – or cry.) I am not saying it is impossible to cook meals, but I would not focus overally on getting an apartment with a kitchen, as it may not turn out to be as “convenient” as you think. Hong Kong is fine, as products are dual-labeled, and most grocery staff speak some English. (But note that your kitchen in Japan and Hong Kong may not have an oven, as oven roasting/baking is not a typical way of preparing food in Asia. This may limit your recipes as well. Your refrigerator is also likely to be a tiny one with a very small freezer. Asians shop every day for fresh food if they can.)
For Hong Kong, while there are apartment options (see below), you might look at The Salisbury, which is a YMCA, but more like a very nice 3 star hotel (possibly a 4 star) in a superb location with stunning harbour views. They have very good prices and also offer a self-service laundry room and a pool (indoor, but Olympic size). They have family rooms and suites. They are usually booked solid several months in advance, but as you have some lead time, you might be able to get in. See http://www.asiatravel.com/hongkong/y...ury/index.html.
<u>Serviced Apartments in Hong Kong</u>
For serviced apartments in Hong Kong, sort of in descending order of price, on Hong Kong Island, try the Four Seasons Place at http://www.fsphk.com/, the Pacific Place Apartments at Parkside, go to http://www.pacificplace.com.hk/living/live_index.html. I am not sure either will rent for a short period. I believe that the Parkview apartments, which is a very nice luxury flat complex up on top of the hill above Happy Valley has some serviced apartments which they let on a short-term basis, go to http://www.hongkongparkview.com/. Some of the best walking and hiking in Hong Kong would literally be out the front door, there is a pool, kids play area and grocery store in the complex, and a free shuttle bus to Central. There is also the Convention Plaza in the Grand Hyatt Hotel complex, (go to http://www.conventionplazaapartments.com, again I am not sure they would rent for only a week).
I would certainly recommend the serviced apartments at Two MacDonnell Road (at http://www.twomr.com.hk). They have a nice location near to Bowen Road, quiet, green (for Hong Kong) and close to a good walking flat walking path, and a grocery store across the street. These would not be at quite the same luxury level as the ones above, but not as pricey either.
There is a chain of serviced apartments with various location on Hong Kong Island, take a look at http://www.thev.hk/. I don't know anything about this group or the quality of the apartments. Most of these are in the Causeway Bay area or Happy Valley, two areas on Hong Kong Island, both convenient for seeing sights and more in the mainstream for tourists. The area of Causeway Bay in which they are located is quite congested (not really more so than Kowloon, however), but very close to Victoria Park and there is some great shopping in the area. The one in Happy Valley is in a bit quieter location, yet pretty convenient to transport. The area has some good restaurants and is a mix of European expats and locals (the French international school is nearby). Although the map does not show it, the street is on a somewhat steep hill.
On the Kowloon side, the only service apartment I know of in the main tourist area is The Gateway, which is at the Star Ferry Pier and would be a nice location, I have never seen the rooms so don't know anything about them. See http://www.gatewayapartments.com.hk/. Again, I don’t know if they would let for only a week. The Langham Place Hotel has serviced apartments, see http://hongkong.langhamplacehotels.com/en/index.html, not sure of your price range, it’s a very densely populated busy area, but overall might be OK. Close to a subway.
There are some serviced apartments in Tolo Harbour area called the Horizon Suite Hotel, go to http://www.horizonsuitehotel.com/eng/index.html. I don't know these apartments at all, but you might take a look. It is not close to the city parts of Hong Kong, probably 30 minutes by subway. This is not a tourist area, I don’t know what you are looking for; it would certainly be a very local experience. Hong Kong is very safe, so I would not have any concerns with this area with regard to that, but as I don’t know if you want to be close to main tourist sights or not, it is hard to advise. However, I know the area fairly well, and the countryside there is probably the most beautiful in all of Hong Kong (or in a tie with the Sai Kung area certainly), and there is some great walking nearby (including the easy and scenic Bride's Pool walk), and there is a bike path all around Tolo Harbour and across Plover Cove dam that is a lot of fun. The town area is quite built-up, but you can get to green areas quickly, and there are lovely water and mountain views.
As mentioned above, also try Oakwood, which has several serviced apartments in Hong Kong, see http://www.oakwood.com
Apr 15th, 2010, 11:45 PM
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I'm travelling in Viet Nam(primarily south i.e HCMC) in the end of May,we are a group of around 6 people.I did some basic search & found Somerset Chancellor Court.Seems conviently located.
http://www.somerset.com/vietnam/ho_c...lor_court.html
Sedona Suites:
http://www.sedonahotels.com.sg/oh_vie_hcmc_loc.asp
Riverside Serviced Apartments too is close by,I could'nt get the link to it.There are a few more like Sherwood Residence,there again could be in the industrial district.Will get back if I get more info.
http://www.somerset.com/vietnam/ho_c...lor_court.html
Sedona Suites:
http://www.sedonahotels.com.sg/oh_vie_hcmc_loc.asp
Riverside Serviced Apartments too is close by,I could'nt get the link to it.There are a few more like Sherwood Residence,there again could be in the industrial district.Will get back if I get more info.
Apr 16th, 2010, 12:52 AM
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Riverside is very nice, but quite popular with expats working in HCM, and I have a feeling you won't be able to get a short-term let, or may find it pretty expensive for a short-term let. It's worth a try of course. It's a bit isolated from the tourist areas in District 1 and along the river.
Apr 16th, 2010, 03:43 AM
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Even if you would like to cook you may still have shopping issues. Food is available 24 hours in these cities even for picky (or simple) eaters. You just have to be organized and think ahead. For snacks in between meals, my son ate tons of steamed rice, plain noodles, bread, and fast food like pizza.All of this is readily available.
