Courtyard Hong Kong Sha Tin

The Courtyard by Marriott Hong Kong Sha Tin is housed in a 30-floor tower. Guests enter to a high-ceilinged contemporary lobby with huge floor-to-ceiling windows that let in light and frame views of the mountains and surrounding area. The space also includes tall pillars, low-slung sofas, carpets with a concentric circle design, and a winding staircase with glass railings. The hotel's interiors are well constructed -- with lots of wood, stone, metal, and glass -- and feature stylish lighting and furnishings. Overall, the look is polished and sophisticated. With its conference center and location near corporate offices, the Courtyard draws business guests, and tourists who want to snag an upscale hotel while save some money by staying away from the city center. 

The Courtyard by Marriott Hong Kong Sha Tin overlooks the Shing Mun River in the Shek Mun section of Sha Tin, a five-minute walk from Shek Mun MTR station (on the Ma On Shan line). A small shopping mall, a supermarket, a fast food restaurant, and a Chinese restaurant are all next door. It's a fairly new area with some industrial buildings, offices, and residential buildings, so it's not great for tourists and there's not much of interest within an easy walk. It takes 45 to 60 minutes and three transfers on the MTR to get to central Hong Kong. Sha Tin Racecourse is an eight-minute drive from the hotel, and both the Hong Kong Heritage Museum and Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery are within 10 minutes by car. The hotel offers free shuttle service to Sha Tin Station and New Town Plaza shopping mall (12 minutes), Kowloon Station (20 minutes; drop-off only), and Tsim Sha Tsui Station (25 minutes). Hong Kong International Airport takes around half an hour to reach.

The 524 spacious rooms at the Courtyard are spread over 30 floors, and both smoking and non-smoking rooms are available. Rooms are stylish and thoroughly modern, if a bit generic, with a white, beige, and brown color palette accented by blond wood veneer furniture, pale-green chairs, and white bedding with beige striped throws. Rooms get good natural light through large soundproofed windows, and some rooms have fireplaces and/or views of the Shing Mun River. Marble bathrooms offer bathrobes, slippers, and rainfall showers, plus plenty of counter space. All rooms have large desks with ergonomic chairs, minibars, electric kettles, free bottled water, iPod docks, and 42-inch flat-screen TVs with satellite channels and plug-in panels to connect devices to the TV. Wi-Fi is available for a fee, though it's free for Marriott Rewards members. Rooms come in Deluxe, Premier, Executive, Studio, and One Bedroom Executive Suite categories. Studios and suites have sitting areas, while Studios and Executive Rooms offer evening turndown service and access to the Executive Lounge, which features a host of extra amenities detailed below.

The Courtyard offers a seasonal outdoor pool, open April through October, plus a sauna. Guests can work out in a large, high-quality fitness center -- open 24 hours a day -- with cardio and weight equipment. The hotel restaurant is open all day and offers international a la carte and buffet menus, along with an interactive open kitchen. A breakfast buffet and room service are also available, though the breakfast buffet is not free for most guests. The 30th-floor cocktail lounge serves tapas and has sweeping views of Tolo Harbour, Sha Tin Racecourse, and the mountains. The lobby lounge offers morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails. Guests in Studio and Executive Rooms have access to the Executive Lounge offering free continental breakfast, mid-day snacks, appetizers, dessert, late-night snacks, cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, business services (for a fee), a meeting room, and three work stations with computers.The hotel also has a conference center, a business center, baggage assistance, concierge service, 24-hour front desk, and parking (for a fee). Wi-Fi is free in common areas. Free shuttles run to various locations throughout Hong Kong, helping to make commutes into the city center easier.