Lantau Island’s verdant peaks and coastline wow travellers on the descent into Hong Kong International Airport . While the airport is an icon of efficiency, with convenient connections to the city centre as well as the Greater Bay Area, sometimes it makes the most sense to stay right on Lantau. It might be for the ease of catching an early flight, for proximity to the events hub of AsiaWorld–Expo, or for a shopper’s stopover at Tung Chung’s Citygate outlet mall.
Lantau is around half an hour from the big-city energy of Central or Kowloon, but for those mixing business and fun, it has its own blockbuster attractions – such as Hong Kong Disneyland and the Big Buddha, as well as nature trails and beaches. One of Hong Kong’s most enchanting areas is Tai O, a fishing village where you can settle into an intimate heritage hotel.
Read on for our reviews of the best hotels near Hong Kong airport and further afield on Lantau Island.
Full facilities for family and business at Hong Kong’s only on-site airport hotel. $$
Just a two-minute walk from Hong Kong International Airport’s T1 Arrival Hall A, the 1,171-room Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong is one of the city’s largest hotels – and the obvious choice for transiting travellers. Yet what’s on offer here goes way beyond your standard airport hotel. Six food and beverage outlets cater to different palates and dietary needs of all comers, while state-of-the-art meeting facilities suit events of all sizes. Those with young children can take advantage of family rooms, an outdoor playground and proximity to attractions like Hong Kong Disneyland and Ngong Ping 360 .
Detail You’ll Love: Double-glazed soundproofed windows in all rooms to block out runway noise.
Pool? Yes, an outdoor pool and an indoor pool.
9 Cheong Tat Road, Hong Kong International Airport, Chek Lap Kok; +852 2286 8888
Business travellers head here for an easy, pampered stay. $$-$$$
After the Regal, the Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel is the next-closest option for hotels near Hong Kong airport. It’s so close that guests wake up to views of the runway – or the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge – from the 658 plush rooms. The hotel boasts a grand ballroom; several meeting rooms; a 24-hour fitness centre; Hong Kong’s first Quan Spa, unique to Marriott; and restaurants, notably Man Ho for Cantonese food. Take advantage of the complimentary shuttle service to the airport – and to Hong Kong Disneyland. Next door is AsiaWorld-Expo , which hosts conventions and concerts.
Detail You’ll Love: Marble bathrooms equipped with THANN natural skincare products.
Pool? Yes, an indoor pool.
1 Sky City Road East, Hong Kong International Airport, Lantau, Hong Kong; +852 3969 1888
A convenient choice near the airport and Lantau sights. $$
Novotel Citygate in Tung Chung offers a hassle-free stay just a few minutes’ drive from the airport – with a complimentary shuttle bus for guests. The 440 rooms are generously sized, starting from 300 square feet, with contemporary decor. The facilities include an up-to-date gym, a pool and four restaurants to satisfy cravings from Asian to Mediterranean to classic comfort foods. Shoppers will find discounts on 80 international fashion brands at the adjoining Citygate Outlets mall, which also has restaurants and direct subway access to the city centre. You’re a bus ride from the quaint Tai O fishing village while the scenic Ngong Ping 360 cable car will bring you to Po Lin Monastery and the Big Buddha .
Detail You’ll Love: The 20-metre-long pool is part of a landscaped garden area with mountain and sea views.
Pool? Yes, an outdoor pool.
51 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung; +852 3602 8888
A refined destination for stopovers or staycations. $$-$$$
Sitting right on the water in fast-developing Tung Chung North is the area’s most luxurious hotel. The Sheraton Hong Kong Tung Chung , with its 218 rooms and suites, overlooks Hong Kong International Airport, but it’s not just catering to those in transit. The hotel is looking to become a destination in its own right – and a gateway to the many outdoor delights of Lantau including Tai O, Ngong Ping 360 and the island’s many hiking trails. There are four dining outlets – check out the excellent Sunset Grill and the Cantonese restaurant Yue – that underpin this ambition, as well as a swathe of event spaces for everything from boardroom meetings to weddings.
In the same complex resides a sister hotel, the just-opened Four Points by Sheraton Hong Kong, Tung Chung , featuring a staggering 1,001 rooms and several dining options of its own.
Detail You’ll Love: The outdoor terrace at the rooftop Sunset Grill – possibly the best in the city to watch passing planes with a cocktail in hand.
Pool? Yes, an outdoor pool.
9 Yi Tung Road, Tung Chung; +852 2535 0000
Gorgeous sea views fit for a romantic getaway. $$
The Auberge Discovery Bay is a popular venue for weddings given its picture-perfect white chapel and tranquil views of Discovery Bay, a family-friendly suburb with restaurants, beaches and access to hiking trails. It’s also less than 30 minutes from the airport by car. The hotel’s top floors are reserved for 64 one-, two- and three-bedroom suites with separate lounges and unobstructed panoramas looking out towards Hong Kong and Kowloon. For dining and drinks, there’s Café bord de Mer & Lounge as well as The Bounty sports bar. Couples can indulge at Spa Botanica and hang by the spacious outdoor pool; families will appreciate the kids’ club as well as organised bike tours.
Detail You’ll Love: Sundowners on the breezy outdoor terrace of Café bord de Mer & Lounge.
Pool? Yes, an outdoor pool.
88 Siena Avenue, Discovery Bay; +852 2295 8288
Old-school charm in a traditional fishing village. $$$
For about a century, marine police kept watch for smugglers from this perch on the west coast of Lantau – close enough to the mainland that you can see the neon lights of Macao and Zhuhai on a clear evening. Now the building is a graciously restored nine-room hotel with fireplaces, marble baths, brass light fixtures and studded wood furniture. Managed by the Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation , the hotel is on a mission to support the community and its traditions. About half the employees hail from Tai O or wider Lantau, and the glass-roofed restaurant features local ingredients like shrimp paste, mountain begonia and salted fish. A boat ride from the adjacent pier will ferry you into open water for the chance to spot rare pink dolphins – and then past stilt homes in the village. Tai O lies within an hour of the airport – near enough for an afternoon’s stopover visit, if you can’t stay the night.
Detail You’ll Love: Vivid reminders of the hotel’s past include two small holding cells by the check-in desk and bullet marks in a window shutter (ask staff to spill the story).
Pool? No.
Shek Tsai Po Street, Tai O; +852 2985 8383
$ = nightly room rates up to HK$1,000
$$ = from HK$1,000+
$$$ = from HK$2,000+
$$$$ = from HK$3,000+
This story was originally published in December 2020 and updated in January 2021