Alva Hotel Sha Tin Review 2026: Best Value Hotel in Hong Kong’s New Territories

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Hong Kong is one of the most expensive hotel markets in Asia. Central and Kowloon properties at anything approaching luxury tier will set you back several hundred USD per night without blinking, and even mid-range options in the tourist core carry a significant premium simply for their postcode. Finding genuine value in this city requires either a strong points strategy — which we deployed at both the Hyatt Sha Tin and JW Marriott during this same trip — or knowing where to look beyond the obvious neighbourhoods.

The Alva Hotel in Sha Tin is exactly the kind of find that rewards travellers willing to step outside the standard tourist geography. At $100–$150 USD per night it sits at the more affordable end of Hong Kong’s hotel market without compromising on the fundamentals, and its location in Sha Tin’s New Town district gives you something that central Hong Kong hotels often can’t: a genuinely liveable, walkable neighbourhood that feels like the real city.

We stayed two nights on cash and came away satisfied. Here’s the full review.

The Booking: Cash Rate in Context

At $100–$150 USD per night, the Alva Hotel represents strong value by Hong Kong standards — a city where that price bracket gets you considerably less at comparable properties in Kowloon or on Hong Kong Island. The New Territories location is the trade-off that makes the pricing possible, and depending on your plans for the visit, it may be no trade-off at all.

For travellers visiting family or friends in the Sha Tin area, attending races at Sha Tin Racecourse, or simply wanting a comfortable base with good MTR connectivity rather than a tourist-facing central location, the Alva makes clear financial sense. We used our points for the JW Marriott and Hyatt stays and paid cash here — a deliberate choice to preserve points for higher-value redemptions while using cash where the rate was already reasonable.

Check current rates on Agoda — prices fluctuate with demand and race day weekends at Sha Tin can push rates up, so booking in advance is worth doing.

The Room: Comfortable Where It Counts

The Alva’s rooms won’t appear on any design blog, and that’s fine — they’re not trying to. What they deliver is comfort done consistently well, without the pretension of properties charging three times the price.

The beds were genuinely comfortable — the detail that matters most after a long day of navigating Hong Kong — and the room was clean, well maintained, and functional throughout. Everything worked as it should. For two nights used primarily as a sleep and recharge base between days spent with family around Sha Tin and the New Territories, that’s exactly what was needed.

The rooms won’t offer the sweeping harbour views of a Central property or the design flourishes of a boutique hotel, but for the price point and the purpose, they do the job well. Don’t arrive expecting luxury and you’ll leave content.

The Service: Professional, Friendly, and English-Speaking

The service at the Alva was one of its quiet strengths. Check-in was smooth and professional — efficient without feeling transactional, handled by staff who were genuinely friendly rather than going through the motions. English was spoken confidently throughout, which matters practically in a city where language can occasionally create friction at smaller independent properties.

The staff were helpful across our two-night stay in the understated way that good hotel service often operates — present when needed, unobtrusive when not, and never making us feel like an inconvenience. It’s the kind of service that doesn’t generate a specific anecdote but leaves you with a consistently positive impression of the property.

For a hotel at this price point in Hong Kong, service of this quality is not guaranteed. The Alva delivers it reliably.

The Location: Sha Tin’s Best Asset

The Alva’s location in Sha Tin is where the hotel earns its strongest marks — and where the choice to stay in this part of Hong Kong rather than the tourist-dense centre reveals its advantages.

Sha Tin MTR Station is easily accessible on foot from the hotel, putting the entire MTR network within reach. Central Hong Kong, Kowloon, and the airport are all connected — the journey to Central takes around 30–35 minutes, which is longer than a walk from a hotel in Admiralty but entirely manageable for a visit where you’re not trying to maximise time on Hong Kong Island.

New Town Plaza — one of the largest and best-equipped shopping malls in the New Territories — is effectively on the hotel’s doorstep. Air-conditioned, comprehensive, and with a strong food court and restaurant selection, it provides a convenient option for meals, shopping, and general errands without needing to leave the immediate area.

Walking distance to restaurants — the streets around the Alva and Sha Tin town centre are lined with local Cantonese restaurants, cha chaan tengs, noodle shops, and the full spectrum of Hong Kong neighbourhood eating. This is where people who live in Sha Tin eat, which means the quality is high and the prices are considerably more reasonable than tourist-area equivalents. We ate in the neighbourhood on both evenings and ate well for very little.

Sha Tin Racecourse — on race days the proximity to the racecourse is a genuine bonus. Walking to one of Hong Kong’s premier sporting venues rather than navigating transport with race day crowds is a meaningful practical advantage. If you’re planning a race day visit — and we’d strongly recommend it — the Alva is arguably the best-positioned hotel in Sha Tin for the experience.

Quiet neighbourhood — Sha Tin’s residential character means the immediate area around the hotel is calm and unhurried by Hong Kong standards. If you’ve ever stayed in Mong Kok or the tourist core of Tsim Sha Tsui and found the density and noise overwhelming, Sha Tin offers a noticeably different atmosphere — still unmistakably Hong Kong, but breathing more easily.

Easy to find and navigate — the hotel is straightforward to locate from the MTR and from the surrounding streets, without the complex building podium navigation that some Hong Kong hotels require.

Sha Tin as a Base: Who It Works For

The honest assessment of staying in Sha Tin rather than central Hong Kong comes down to what you’re in town for.

The Alva and Sha Tin work well if:

You’re visiting family or friends in the New Territories
You’re attending race days at Sha Tin Racecourse
You want an authentic neighbourhood experience over a tourist-facing location
You’re comfortable with 30–35 minutes on the MTR to reach Hong Kong Island
Budget matters and you’d rather save money on accommodation for food and experiences

Consider a more central location if:

You’re in Hong Kong primarily for sightseeing and want to walk to Victoria Peak, the Star Ferry, and Tsim Sha Tsui
You only have one or two nights and want to maximise time in the city’s most iconic areas
You’re using points for a JW Marriott or comparable property that justifies the central location

We used both strategies on the same trip — the Alva for our family-focused Sha Tin days, the JW Marriott for one night of central Hong Kong luxury on points. The combination worked well.

Alva Hotel vs Hyatt Sha Tin: Quick Comparison

Since we stayed at both Sha Tin properties on the same trip, a direct comparison is worth including.

The Hyatt Sha Tin is a more polished, full-service property with the amenities and finish you’d expect from the Hyatt brand — but it sits in a less convenient location within Sha Tin, with fewer restaurants and local options in the immediate walking area. We redeemed a World of Hyatt free night certificate there, making the stay free — at cash rates, the Hyatt commands a significant premium over the Alva.

The Alva has the better day-to-day location within Sha Tin — closer to the MTR, New Town Plaza, and the local restaurant streets — at a meaningfully lower cash rate. For a cash stay in Sha Tin, the Alva delivers more practical value than the Hyatt at its standard rate.

The decision between them comes down to budget and whether you have Hyatt points to deploy. On cash, Alva. On free night certificate, Hyatt.

Practical Information

Address: Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong

Getting there: Sha Tin MTR Station on the East Rail Line — straightforward connection from Hung Hom, Kowloon Tong, and beyond. From Hong Kong International Airport, take the Airport Express to Kowloon or Hong Kong Station then transfer to the East Rail Line. Journey from the airport runs approximately 50–60 minutes total.

Getting around: MTR Octopus card for all transport — pick one up at the airport or any MTR station on arrival. The East Rail Line connects Sha Tin efficiently to the rest of Hong Kong. Grab operates throughout Hong Kong for point-to-point trips.

Nearby: New Town Plaza mall (walking distance), Sha Tin Racecourse (walkable on race days), local restaurant streets (walking distance), Sha Tin Park along the Shing Mun River (pleasant for an evening walk).

Booking: Check current rates and availability on Agoda. Race day weekends push demand up — book ahead if visiting during a Sha Tin race meeting.

Connectivity: Hong Kong e-SIM available through Airalo — use our link for 10% off. Coverage in Hong Kong is excellent throughout including the New Territories.

Day trips and activities: Book Hong Kong tours, racecourse visitor experiences, and day trips through Klook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Alva Hotel Sha Tin good value? Yes — one of the better value options in Hong Kong at $100–$150 USD per night. Comfortable rooms, professional service, excellent location within Sha Tin, and significantly cheaper than comparable properties in central Hong Kong or Kowloon.

Is Sha Tin a good area to stay in Hong Kong? For the right traveller, yes. Sha Tin offers a genuine neighbourhood experience, good local food, easy MTR access to the rest of Hong Kong, and proximity to the racecourse. It’s not the right choice if walkability to central tourist areas is your priority, but for an authentic local experience at a lower price point it’s excellent.

How far is the Alva Hotel from central Hong Kong? Approximately 30–35 minutes by MTR to Central or Admiralty on Hong Kong Island, and around 20–25 minutes to Kowloon’s main areas. Manageable for a visit where you’re not trying to maximise every minute in the tourist core.

How far is the Alva Hotel from Sha Tin Racecourse? Very close — the hotel’s proximity to Sha Tin Racecourse is one of its strongest practical advantages for race day visitors. Walking to the venue on race days avoids the transport crowds entirely.

Is the Alva Hotel better than the Hyatt Sha Tin for a cash stay? For a cash stay, the Alva offers better value — lower rate, better day-to-day location within Sha Tin, and closer to local restaurants and the MTR. The Hyatt Sha Tin is the better choice if you have World of Hyatt points or a free night certificate to redeem.

Final Thoughts

The Alva Hotel Sha Tin does exactly what a good value hotel should do — comfortable beds, professional service, a location that works, and a price that makes sense in one of Asia’s most expensive hotel markets. It won’t generate the kind of superlatives we reserved for the JW Marriott Hong Kong or the Vinpearl Landmark 81, and it isn’t trying to. What it delivers is reliability, warmth, and genuine value in a neighbourhood that rewards travellers willing to experience Hong Kong beyond the tourist geography.

For two nights as a base for family visits, a race day at Sha Tin, and evenings eating well in local restaurants — it was exactly right.

Check current availability and rates on Agoda.

For our full Hong Kong experience including Loi Fat Koon, Red Tea Cafe, and the Sha Tin races, read our Hong Kong local experience guide. For the JW Marriott Hong Kong stay on 85,000 Marriott points during the same trip, that review is coming soon on the blog.