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HOTEL JEN
One of the newest hotels on Hong Kong Island is Hotel Jen. It opened in March so barely anyone I spoke to had heard of it – even the top concierges. One way to solve the problem and get taxi directions is by identifying it as the old Novotel; then everyone says "Ah!" and nods in comprehension. Jen is actually the Chinese character which symbolizes the Confucian ideal of love and goodwill towards people and that's what the hotel aims to do. The best and worst part about the hotel is that it's in a local neighborhood. It's in the Western District, amidst the traditional shops and restaurants of the unique old Chiu Chow district. When you first pull up, it might look a little sketchy but it actually has a lot of character. The hotel has 280 rooms on 28 floors and the decor is very zen, very Asian and minimalist in style. Unlike all the other hotels Natalie and I stayed at, we weren't attacked by porters here. Instead, we had to lug our bags up and escalator to the front desk. Then the porter took over from there. The lobby was filled with Indians and after we got our room key, the bellman escorted us to our room. They key didn't work so we waited in the hot, 27th-floor hallway as he ran back down to get a new one.

MY ROOM
I'll be honest: Waiting in that hallway, I really had a bad feeling about the place. But once we opened the door to the room ... wow! We were pleasantly surprised. The room was bright, clean, new, with so much light-colored wood, it could have been a showroom at IKEA. The flooring was laminate but it looked good. The bedroom with a tub was in the center of the square-shaped room with walls all the way around so it separated the living room, bathroom, kitchenette and hallways. There were two 32" and 26" LCD TVs with DVD players and MP3/audio player connectors and a desk with free wireless Internet but the connection was slow and kept cutting out. The floor above us had the Skylounge (drinks, breakfast for club members), pool and fitness center. Hotel Jen, 508 Queen's Road West; Western District; Tel: (852) 2974 1234.



SHANGRI-LA KOWLOON
For something completely different, try the Shangri-La Kowloon. Shangri-La has two hotels in Hong Kong and I hear the one on Hong Kong Island is outrageous. But the 700-room Shangri-La Kowloon is one of their originals. It's got a classic style and is a favorite amongst business travelers. When Natalie and I pulled up, the service was spectacular and it wasn't because we rolled up in a Rolls Royce from the Peninsula Hotel. Check-in was quick. We were in a good-sized, nicely decorated standard room. The bed was comfortable and the shower with stone floor worked well. The TV was a bit outdated but the room did have a 110V plug so I didn't need to go looking for my adapter. Broadband Internet cost HK$40 ($5 USD) for an hour, and HK$120 ($15 USD) for 24 hours. I also liked the fact that the rooms came with two big, free bottles of water and the breakfast buffet was quite tasty. The view of the harbor skyline was peaceful and when I woke up at 2am to use the loo, I noticed the only two signs still illuminated were for the MGM and Wynn Macau but by 3am, all had gone off and the city slept. Shangri-La Kowloon, 64 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Tel: (852) 2721 2111.

TSIM SHA TSUI
The Shangri-La is in the Tsim Sha Tsui East shopping and entertainment district. It's across the street from the harbor and is not far from the Star Ferry (just five minutes by taxi). One night, Natalie and I walked around looking for a restaurant – the hotel actually had lots of choices but we were looking for something a little more local and inexpensive. This area must be Hong Kong's Little India because we saw so many Indian people but few Indian restaurants. We settled for a great, inexpensive Vietnamese place called Vietnam Rest that was quite popular with non-Westerners.

JUNK BOAT
The Hong Kong Tourism Board has a helpful website with lots of information and opportunities to enroll in classes and excursions, many of which are free. They all need to be reserved in advance so be sure to make reservations. We took a one-hour harbor cruise on the Duk Ling (website), which was built in 1955, restored in the 1980s and designed like a typical Chinese junk boat that used to crisscross Hong Kong's waterways 150 years ago. It operates on Saturdays and Thursdays and is worth the HK$50 ($6.40 USD) per person. On a clear day, people scramble for the best seats, which are in the back on the top deck, along the railing. If it's sunny, bring lots of sunscreen and a hat otherwise you will get fried like me. Although the boat was much smaller than I thought and it looked like it was going to be a rough ride, that wasn't the case. For more information, check out dukling.com.hk.

TEA CLASS
Some of the free classes offered by the Hong Kong Tourism Board include Feng Shui and Tai Chi classes but since Natalie is a tea-lover, we chose the Chinese Tea Appreciation class. The class is located inside the Lock Cha Tea Shop in Hong Kong Park, a haven from the packed central sidewalks ... and for brides, we learned. Mr Ip, the regular instructor, wasn't available but his substitute did a fine job explaining that a cup of Chinese tea holds a great deal more than tea and water. If it wasn't for my A.D.D. I would have learned about the many varieties of tea, its proper preparation and tea-drinking etiquette. Classes are offered on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 4pm and 5pm. For more information, visit DiscoverHongKong.com.

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