Choose Hochschulen if it's CHF 250 cheaper per month, the commute to HB is 5 min shorter — more central and connected, there's a denser restaurant scene.
Choose Hottingen if it's noticeably quieter (48 vs 55 dB), it scores higher on safety (9 vs 7.5/10), it has better green-space access (7 vs 5/10).