The Cityview

Set among skyscrapers in downtown Hong Kong, this hotel’s tall tower blends into the busy street and its modern frontage opens onto a clean lobby, renovated after our visit to include sleek new counters, wooden flooring, and plant-covered columns. Other areas, such as the rooms in the hotel's old wing, are still a bit dated, especially in contrast to the newer wing refurbished mid-2015. The bright and brown-hued City Café, has long communal tables and '90s-style brown patterned carpet. But it's pleasant overall and offers a few tables on an elevated outdoor balcony area. The Balcony restaurant is both more formal and more dated, with white tablecloths and black-patterned high-backed chairs, plus old-fashioned floral-design carpets. The Amazing restaurant takes a more minimalist approach to design, with wooden tables and chairs, and a pergola-style enclosure. This space opens to the hotel's atrium, meaning it is bright throughout, and is probably the most modern, elegant, and pleasant of the three restaurants.

The Cityview’s location is among its best features, putting it within a two-minute walk of the nearest MTR train station at Yau Ma Tei. There are lots of dining options nearby, and it's a six-minute walk away from Nathan Road -- Kowloon’s main thoroughfare known as an eating and drinking destination. Other sights in walking distance include the Temple Street night flea market (12 minutes away), the Mongkok market area (seven minutes), and the Ladies’ Market (11 minutes). Hong Kong’s airport is a 30-minute drive away, but the hotel offers a free and convenient shuttle bus transfer service, which runs to and from the Kowloon train station on the Airport Express line. From there, the airport is a 22-minute ride away.

The Cityview hotel offers several different rooms, from the smallest Economy Rooms, to larger Deluxe and Premier Rooms, as well as suites. Rooms are bright and modern, if a bit small, with contemporary decor that varies depending on the room category. In Economy and Deluxe Rooms, earth-toned striped accents jazz up a neutral backdrop. In Premier Rooms, a gray-and-white color palette is paired with pops of color from electric blue desk chairs, abstract art on the walls, and yellow patterns on gray carpeting. Amenities include flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, coffee- and tea-making facilities, work desks, safes, and free Wi-Fi. Suites have separate living spaces, and some have extra amenities like Nespresso machines and smartphones with 3G Internet. Small but attractive bathrooms have either walk-in showers or shower/tub combos (Deluxe Suites have both). Though rooms don't have balconies, they offer decent views of neighboring buildings and of a patch of greenery just behind the hotel. Note that rooms on higher floors and away from the elevators are quieter; even so, there are isolated reports of noisy housekeeping staff in the early mornings.

Features at the Cityview are fairly typical for an upper-middle-range hotel in central Hong Kong. The hotel's breakfast buffet includes a wide spread of local and international dishes, but it's not included in all room rates and can be pricey if purchased separately. The on-site three restaurants serve up a good range of dishes, and are particularly good at catering for those with specific food intolerances. Hotel guests have free use of the gym, indoor pool, sauna, and hydro pool at the neighboring YMCA. Wi-Fi access is free and generally reliable throughout the hotel. Some rooms -- among them Premier Rooms and suites -- come with 3G-enabled smartphones that guests can use free of charge both in the hotel and while out sightseeing; service includes Internet access and some international calls. And business travelers can make use of a plain but bright and functional boardroom that has its own flat-screen TV.