Hong Kong
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Club 97 is a snazzy mixed gay/straight spot with more of a "family" following early in the evening, especially on Fridays, for happy hour. Straight and gay hipsters also mingle at Solas, a sleek lounge, and at Finds, an ultra-trendy spot in SoHo with outstanding Asian-cum-Scandinavian food and a smartly dressed crowd.

Hotels in Hong Kong can be expensive, as many of the high-end properties cater largely to free-spending business travelers, but if you're willing to spend a few hundred dollars per night, you'll find some astoundingly fabulous properties. Leading the pack is the magnificent Mandarin Oriental, whose plush rooms and suites are outfitted with every imaginable creature comfort. Try to book an upper floor with a harbor view, although those facing the city's colorful skyscrapers are perfectly wonderful. Restaurants such as Pierre (helmed by 3-star Michelin chef Pierre Gagnaire) and the Mandarin Grill attract foodies, while scenesters couldn't possibly visit Hong Kong without stopping for a martini at the swank M Bar, a 25th-floor lounge with incomparable skyline vistas.

The nearby Ritz-Carlton is a clubby, low-keyed, and intimate property with just 216 rooms and a cloistered, serene pool and sundeck with great views of downtown skyscrapers. Enjoy the lavish high tea presented daily in the swank cafe just off the lobby, or plan a dinner here at Toscana, which serves superb contemporary Italian food.

On the east edge of Central Hong Kong, in the Wan Chai district, the Grand Hyatt is distinct for its magnificent setting on the edge of the harbor. There are few tall buildings around it, which means that rooms enjoy knockout views of the water and Kowloon as well as the city center. This is a star in the gay-popular Hyatt brand, with some of the most lavishly decorated rooms imaginable. Don't miss the 11th-floor outdoor pool, which is the city's largest - it adjoins the beautiful Plateau Spa, which is an exceptional choice if you're seeking a spa treatment while in town. On the Kowloon side, top upscale hotels include The Peninsula, a grand dame dating from the 1930s, and the Island Shangra-La, a regal, centrally located beauty with fine views of the harbor and several excellent restaurants.

Unfortunately, it can be challenging to find truly memorable accommodations for under $200 a night here, and Hong Kong is without any gay-oriented guest houses or B&Bs. In Kowloon, the Eaton Hotel is a perfectly respectable option - it's affordable and centrally located, right by the Temple Street Night Market and close to gay nightlife. On Hong Kong Island, a decent mid-priced option is the Metropark, a pleasant hotel near Victoria Park, a 10-minute cab ride from Soho.

One mid-priced option close to Central's gay nightlife action does truly stand out, however. The fashionable Ice House apartment-hotel - whose rooms have kitchens, free high-speed Internet, and sizable sitting areas - is a wonderful little find. There are just 30 units, which are available on a nightly, weekly, or monthly basis. This is the perfect choice if you're planning an extended stay, which can make good sense given all there is to see and do in this dynamic, emerging gay hub of East Asia.

Andrew Collins is the author of Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA and as well as numerous other guidebooks.