Hong Kong has an abundance of fine hotels, but arguably the best addresses in town are The Peninsula, The Mandarin Oriental, The Island Shangri-La and the Grand Hyatt. Ultramodern facilities meet colonial splendor at “The Pen” (Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2920 2888, from HK$2,700 plus 13 percent service charge and tax), Hong Kong’s oldest (and only) historic hotel, and it’s in by far the best strategic location on the Kowloon side of the harbor.

The Mandarin Oriental (5 Connaught Road Central, 2522 0111, from HK$2,900) occupies the equivalent position in Central, and its bars, restaurants and lobby are the most popular meeting places in the heart of the business district.

Art-deco opulence is very much the style of The Grand Hyatt (1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, 2588 1234, from HK$2,990), which forms part of the same complex as the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and is usually booked solid during Hong Kong’s busy calendar of trade shows.

The Island Shangri-La (Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, 2877 3838, from HK$2,400) combines a Chinese aesthetic of elegance with international-style efficiency. All four properties feature frequently at the top end of “Best Hotels in the World” polls, and are homes away from home for a loyal return clientele. Service standards here are set permanently at a level that is the envy of most hoteliers outside the Far East.

The Mandarin Oriental will soon have competition in Central, however. Four Seasons will be opening in the International Finance Centre next year, and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is responding by opening a new boutique hotel in the Landmark building, with lavish spa facilities. No firm date has yet been set for either opening.