View Hong Kong from rooftop pool at plush Catholic hotel

Four-star Bishop Lei House offers prime location on Central-Mid Levels escalator for a taste of shopping, culinary heaven.

Bishop Lei International House is a four-star hotel in one of the best tourist locations in Hong Kong. (Photo by Trish Clark)

Hong Kong:  There is nowhere quite like Hong Kong, where space is at a premium and East meets West in a jumble of Chinese and British culture, which makes this ever exciting city so unique.

Massive skyscrapers dominate the skyline. This is best viewed from a rooftop lookout on Kowloon, from where the island resembles an expensive work of art, or from a Star Ferry meandering across the ever-shrinking Victoria Harbour.

Shopping in this thriving enclave is on most visitors' to-do list. Pick up a bargain at high-end boutiques, giant shopping malls, or from market stalls selling silk garments, knick-knacks, jewelry, and big name knock-offs.

Take the No. 6 bus to Stanley Market and enjoy the scenery along the way, or jump aboard a ferry to an outlying island and relax on a beach or hike up its hills.

In this gourmet paradise visitors are spoilt for choice between classic street food and fine dining, with many gems hidden in between. No matter how many times you visit, there is always something to discover.

While five-star hotels abound, Bishop Lei House stands as an attractive four-star hotel on Robinson Road, a prime location. It is a member of the Hong Kong Hotels Association and has been owned and managed by its local Catholic diocese since 1996.

A number of renovations have been completed since that time. The guestrooms may feel a bit on the smallish side (although not by Hong Kong standards) but they are fitted with all the comforts and amenities you would expert from a four-star hotel.

The hotel also has something many more expensive properties lack — a rooftop swimming pool.

Meanwhile, many of the guestrooms offer sweeping views of Victoria Harbour, as does the hotel restaurant.

The property is located away from the hustle and bustle of Central and is next to the Hong Kong Zoological Gardens.

Shuttle bus services regularly ferry guests between the hotel and Central, Admiralty and the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in Wan Chai.

Save your energy and use the 800-meter escalator to explore Central and Mid Levels, which links a number of fascinating districts and passes over wet markets, eateries and hipster hangouts alike.

It ranks as the world's longest outdoor covered escalator system and is a great way to get around, especially on rainy days.

The escalator runs from Queen's Road Central to Conduit Road in Mid-Levels. Owing to a shortage of land, only one set of escalators was constructed, necessitating the implementation of a de facto "time-share system." This means you can catch a ride downhill to Central from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. (but have to walk upwards), after which the escalator reverses direction.

Written by Trish Clark for Good Night and God Bless. If you want to explore more travel options like the above visit Good Night and God Bless, the essential online booking tool for today's travelers. The site offers unique accommodation in the world's convents, monasteries, religious guesthouses and hotels.

Source: UCAN