9 Best Family Hotels in Hong Kong

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Plenty of Hong Kong hotels cap a room at three guests, so a family of four ends up booking two rooms or hunting for a quad. Book a room that already has a bed for each of you, such as a quad or two double beds. Skip the sofa bed. Rooms here are small, and a sofa bed on night one after a long flight is a rough start. I’d pay for the right beds before I’d pay for a view.

Hong Kong Family Hotels

Fitting Four in One Hong Kong Room

Hong Kong rooms are small, and the bed count decides whether four fit.

• Three-Guest Caps: Standard rooms at many Hong Kong hotels take three people, whatever their ages. Read the occupancy line before you pick a room.
• Sofa Beds Do Not Count: A king bed with a sofa bed sleeps four on paper and leaves one child on the sofa. Read the bed line on the room page, because a room named family can still be a king and a sofa. Two doubles, or a double with two singles, gives four real places to sleep. A double plus a bunk bed works too.
• Connecting Rooms: Two connecting rooms are the fallback when no quad is free. Ask for them when you book. A family of five needs this setup at most hotels.

Where to Base a Family in Hong Kong

Kowloon and Hong Kong Island suit different days out.

• Tsim Sha Tsui for Museums and the Harbour: Both the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Avenue of Stars sit on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. The Star Ferry crosses to Central in under ten minutes.
• Markets Around Mong Kok: The Ladies’ Market on Tung Choi Street is a short walk from Exit E2 of Mong Kok MTR station. The Goldfish Market and the Flower Market are a few streets north.
• Ocean Park Days Start at Admiralty: Admiralty is the interchange for the South Island line to Ocean Park. The Island side is the short base for a park day, and Kowloon needs a harbour crossing first.

Reaching Disneyland and Ocean Park

Both parks have their own MTR station.

• Disneyland via Sunny Bay: Take the Tung Chung line to Sunny Bay and cross the platform to the Disneyland Resort line. The short last ride runs on a Disney-themed train. Allow 35 to 50 minutes from Hong Kong station.
• Ocean Park Is One Stop From Admiralty: Change at Admiralty to the South Island line and get off at Ocean Park station, which has direct access to the park entrance. The ride is one stop. From Kowloon, add the harbour crossing by MTR.

When Hong Kong Hotels Fill Up

Hong Kong Tourism Board data shows November and December running fullest and May the quietest.

• Busy Months: November and December run fullest of the year. Christmas week runs near 90 percent full, and rates rise 10 to 15 percent on top.
• When Rates Drop: May has the lowest occupancy, and June and September the lowest room rates. Those are the months to book if price matters more than weather, though June is also the wettest month, so pack for rain.
• Lunar New Year Week: Lunar New Year week fills hotels to about 90 percent. Check the date before you book, because it moves every year.

Weather for Kids by Season

Hong Kong weather splits into a cooler winter and a hot, humid summer.

• Cool Months: January afternoons reach 18 to 19°C with nights near 15°C, and December afternoons reach 20°C. October to December brings the clearest skies and lower humidity.
• Summer Heat: June to September afternoons sit at 30 to 32°C with nights near 26 to 27°C. Humidity stays near 80 percent, so schedule outdoor park time early in the day.
• Watching for Signal 8: About four in five signal 8 days fall between July and September, and August has the most. Check the Observatory’s warning each morning of a park trip in those months.

From the Airport to the Hotel

The Airport Express runs straight to the city.

• Arriving on the Express: The Airport Express reaches Central in under half an hour, with trains about every 10 minutes daily. Hong Kong station is the stop on the Island side and Kowloon station is the stop on the Kowloon side. A short taxi or MTR ride covers the rest.
• Bags Before Your Flight: If your airline offers in-town check-in at Hong Kong or Kowloon station, hand your bags over there before the airport. That frees the last day for sightseeing without bags.

FAQs

1. Can a family of four share one room in Hong Kong?

Yes, but only in a room built for four. Many Hong Kong hotels cap standard rooms at three guests, so a king bed and a rollaway will not take four. Family quads and rooms with two double beds sell with a real bed for each person. Check the occupancy line and the bed line before you pay.

2. Which bed setup suits two school-age kids?

Two double beds give each child a bed and leave the parents one to share. A double with a bunk bed works when the room page names the bunk. Avoid any room shown as a king with a sofa bed, because one child ends up on the sofa. Connecting rooms solve the problem for a fifth person.

3. Is Kowloon or Hong Kong Island better for families?

Kowloon suits a first visit, because the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront and the Mong Kok markets are a few MTR stops apart. Hong Kong Island suits a trip built around Ocean Park, since the South Island line leaves from Admiralty and reaches the park in one stop. The Star Ferry and the MTR link the two sides in minutes. Pick the side that matches your first two days.

4. How do families get from the airport with kids and luggage?

Take the Airport Express, which reaches Central in under half an hour with trains about every 10 minutes daily. Hong Kong station serves the Island side and Kowloon station the Kowloon side, and a short taxi or MTR ride gets you to the hotel. On the way out, check whether your airline takes bags at those stations, and spend the last day sightseeing without bags.

5. When is the best time to visit Hong Kong with children?

October to December brings the clearest skies and the lowest humidity of the year. Hotels are fullest in November and December, so book those months early. June and September have the lowest room rates, but June is the wettest month and September is a peak month for typhoon signals. Summer afternoons reach 30 to 32°C, which is hard going for small children at the parks.

6. How long does it take to reach Disneyland and Ocean Park?

Allow 35 to 50 minutes to Disneyland from Hong Kong station, including the platform change at Sunny Bay, where a Disney-themed train makes the last short ride. Ocean Park is one stop from Admiralty on the South Island line. Each park has its own station, and Ocean Park’s gives direct access to the entrance.

7. Do typhoons close Hong Kong’s parks and light show?

Ocean Park and Disneyland close while signal 8 or higher is up. The evening harbour light show is cancelled when signal 3 or higher, or a red or black rainstorm warning, is issued from mid-afternoon on the day. Typhoon season runs from May to November, and July to September bring most signal 8 days, though June and October get them too. Check the Observatory’s warning each morning before a park day.