Hotel Indigo Hong Kong Island

It may seem surprising that a mid-tier IHG brand would make it onto a list of any city's best hotels, but Hotel Indigo Hong Kong Island (along with the brand's Shanghai outpost) is a global benchmark property for Indigo, and shares almost no resemblance to the US versions of the brand.

This is a relatively small hotel for Hong Kong (at 138 rooms), so expect intimate and attentive service—one more reason why the Indigo Hong Kong Island found its way onto a list of the city’s best hotels.

There really is no lobby to speak of in the hotel (Indigo Hong Kong is really just a slender shimmering glass structure, with very little land area), but the hotel’s common spaces kind of make up for this.

Many of the brand's faux design elements can be found here, but Indigo Hong Kong offers incredible value for the city’s pricey hotel market. Rooms start at 30sqm and are exceptionally well laid out, apart from the bathrooms, which can be a bit cramped for couples or friends traveling together.

There is only a 3sqm difference between the two main room types, and we found the basic one (Superior) to be more than adequate. Sound-proofing here is excellent, so even rooms on the lower floors are fairly well-insulated against the street noise below. And with floor-to-ceiling windows and cute little sofas, rooms at Hotel Indigo actually provide a nice refuge from the chaos of busy Hong Kong.

Don’t be fooled by the photos on IHG’s website, which suggest the hotel’s rooftop open air pool is a palatial aquatic sanctuary—it’s really just a tiny pool with an open glass bottom (a cool feature, admittedly). Perfectly adequate for a relaxing dip or catching some rays.

Dining and drink options at Indigo are pretty straightforward (and limited), but you are in the middle of historic and buzzing Wan Chai, which has plenty of interesting options within walking distance.