Hotel Indigo

By embracing the neighborhood and thoughtfully encouraging guests to do the same, this individually decorated, 138-room hotel distinguishes itself from the blander boutique and business competition in the Wan Chai area.

• Engaging neighborhood outreach program that helps guests explore Old Hong Kong
• The 29th floor rooftop swimming pool, cantilevered over the busy avenue down below
• The modern art here, like photographer Alexi Yip’s 3D images in the hallways, which guests have bought straight off the walls

Insightfully written guides, available to guests of the Indigo in both hard and soft copy, lead the way to fascinating aspects of Wan Chai’s past. Don’t miss the 1872 Blue House (on nearby Stone Nullah Lane), Nam Koo Terrace that locals believe is haunted, the charming 1912 Wan Chai post office across the street and an outdoor market around the corner specializing in vintage toys. For a close look at these under-the-radar cultural experiences, Indigo offers Wan Chai architecture walks, Chinese cake-making classes with neighborhood pastry chefs, kung fu demonstrations and even tips of the best local tailors from Hong Kong fashionistas.

The hotel itself is no less beguiling: the exterior’s surrounding eco-screen resembles a golden dragon and those who head straight to the top story will find themselves at the 29th floor glass clad Skybar, where liquid enticements include a swim in an infinity pool cantilevered over the street below.

Rooms are no less stylish, thanks to more modern art and sleek finishes, even in the standard, 300-square-foot accommodations. Beds are as cloudlike as those found in Hong Kong’s more expensive hotel suites. Views, while urban in all directions, do offer glimpses of Old Hong Kong for those who look carefully. Do not miss breakfast, a generous spread of eastern and western flavors, as well as Hong Kong’s favorite insider caffeine jolt, Rabbithole Coffee.

Hip travelers of any age; those on a budget who still want convenience and a chic factor; contemporary art lovers and city explorers who will appreciate this property’s neighborhood outreach.