Where to stay

Always bright and exciting, Hong Kong is a city of great contrasts. Frenetic with human activity and commerce, Hong Kong also has its pockets of serenity - even within the whirl of shopping and eating and exploring you’ll discover Tai Chi in the park, and time for a formal afternoon tea.

Warsaw’s atmospheric Old Town, or Stare Miasto, feels centuries old, a graceful neighbourhood of open squares liked with impressive buildings… but in reality central Warsaw was so damaged by the end of WW2 that much of it had to be rebuilt, and the impressive sights you see there now are a monumental rebuild that does something to suggest the energy bubbling under this proud and beautiful city.

Bright, effervescent and often quite thrilling, it’s easy to argue that Las Vegas is the world’s capital of hedonism. It can be all that and more, but it can also be a great place to spend time with your family and friends, seeing the desert, the Grand Canyon, and enjoying some of the crazy sights of Las Vegas...

Because the Hawaiian winds makes all the difference to weather conditions and terrain, Kauai is often divided into four regions, the South Shore, the North Shore, the East Side and the West Side. There are centres in each region, but it’s not a bad idea to start your search by the weather conditions you most fancy...

Osaka is grittier, more entrepreneurial and more vibrantly fun-loving than Tokyo. It’s also a much more affordable destination, and the best place in the whole of Japan for a bar crawl. It’s got great food, and great shopping, and a reputation for friendliness. Osaka is an historic destination too, though, you probably recognise Osaka Castle? it’s one of the most famous landmarks in Japan, a vast, many-roofed building built on two rock platforms - both with moats? And Osaka also has a number of important shrines, an important history museums, several art museums and galleries, an aquarium, and an outpost of Universal Studios. Accommodation in the neighbourhoods around the castle, and the older parts of town, is a mix of ryokan, luxury and boutique hotels, and aparthotels. While the downtown neighbourhoods, with their sparkling, contemporary bars, restaurants and shopping precincts, offer more in the line of high tech. and contemporary accommodation - including capsule hotels.

Our detailed guide to Venice’s neighbourhoods is full of tips to help you work out which one is perfect for the trip you’re planning, whether you’re here for a romantic escape, to marvel at the sights, to live very well, to write a novel, or just to lose yourself in the wonder of a city of marble palaces built on a lagoon… Or a combination, the Hotel Gurus can recommend a neighbourhood to you.

Discover the best neighbourhoods in London. In our detailed guide we’ll help you find the right area, whether you're here to enjoy the museums? the landmarks, the shopping, the nightlife, live theatre, to explore this great city with your family, or if you're here for a wonderful combination of everything!