Budget Accommodation
If you are researching where to stay in Hong Kong, we have done some research for you below. These are also the hotel/inn/hostels where you will find our maps and information about our tours!
What to avoid is Chung King Mansion – Even though this is at the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, it is NOT a nice place and at times could be dangerous.
Causeway Bay & Wan Chai area
Yes Inn has two locations in Hong Kong Island – One in Causeway Bay and one in Fortress Hill.
Causeway Bay location is a hostel near subway station and has a good size common area for meeting people during your stay. There are many great restaurants and bars in the same area which makes it easy for you to return to hostel after your meal or your night out. Everything is located within the building (common area and the rooftop garden) so there is really not much to complain here! Maybe the only problem here is access to the building: there is no elevator from ground floor. You need to carry your luggage for one floor then catch an elevator from first floor to second floor reception.
Fortress Hill location is a hostel also near the subway but it is a harder to find. It is located on 15/F of a old commercial building across a old theater (now converted to a shopping arcade). This location is less convenient compare to Causeway Bay but it is cheaper compare to the rooms there. Your room maybe placed at a different building after your check in which needs further walk before you get to your room. Generally it is a good hostel if saving budget is your priority. There is no common area for this hostel so please choose the causeway bay location if you want to meet other travellers.
Check Inn is a great hostel located in Wan Chai. They have a pretty sizable common area and they even organize hiking tours within the hostel (I think it is peak hiking every Thursday)! The location is great because you are near many attractions around town. The only problem you may find is that it will always be a short walk from the closest subway station (if you choose to use subway as the main transportation in Hong Kong).
Pandora after 80s is a smaller hostel in Causeway Bay area but manage to provide a common area, which is a plus for meeting people. This place is a bit harder to find from the subway station if it is the first time you go there: The address says it is on Gloucester Road, but the entrance is actually on Cannon Street. When you get to the door, the security guide is usually not very friendly with travelers so he may not let you in if the gate is locked. This is located centrally in Causeway Bay so there are many great restaurants and bars in the same area which makes it easy for you to return to hostel after your meal or your night out.
If you go to Hostelworld to look for hostel in Causeway Bay area, you will find six to seven hostels cluster at the cross street of Kingston and Paterson road and they all have different names – They are ALL part of Hong Kong Hostel. Instead of a hostel, I would say this is like an inn where they provide rooms in the Causeway Bay area. Even though there is a common area next to the reception, there are no other common area in different buildings. Depending on how fun the your roommate in your dorm, there will not be as much interactions with other travelers available if you stay in this hostel.
Tsim Sha Tsui area
This is probably one of the best inn in town. Friendly staffs, quality rooms, try very hard to make sure the environment is nice and comfortable. I have visited them many times and really have no complaint as an inn. They have two locations: one is called Just Inn and the other is called Just as Inn. Both locations are in Tsim Sha Tsui which central in Kowloon and very near subway station. Because this is an inn, there is no common area.
Hop Inn is one of the nicest hostels & inn centrally located in the Tsim Sha Tsui area. They have two locations: Mody Road (hostels with dorm room) and Carnarvon Road (inn with private room), both are near subway station and both are nicely decorated with similar look and feel. Each location has a common area which is great for meeting other travelers (Carnarvon Road hostel also has a rooftop garden!). Very nice and surprised by the quality they offer for their guests!
Rainbow Lodge has two locations in Tsim Sha Tsui and they are both near the subway station. Each location has its own common area with clean and simplistic decoration. This hostel also organizes a fair bit of activities for the guests to enjoy their time in Hong Kong and meet other travelers, it is great for those who travel solo and want to meet new people during their visit in Hong Kong.
Panda Hostel has the features of both inn and hostel but it operates more like an inn. Minimum reservation is at least one room (can be private room or dorm room) so it is not possible to book just one bed. They got four different locations and all within walking distance to the subway station. The staffs and management are very nice and helpful but there is no common area for travelers to meet each other. This is a good place if you visit Hong Kong as a group of friends/family and what you need is a nice & central place to stay.
Urban Pack is a very fun hostel! It is a great hostel if you want to meet a few people during your time in Hong Kong and have some fun. They are centrally located near the subway station and each of their level has its own facility which is great. They do have common area even though it is a bit small, having one is great already as we are in Hong Kong. People who stayed in this hostel sometimes complain about the slow elevator: it is a slower elevator but it is not as bad as you may read.
Other Kowloon Area
The Mahjong is the best hostel in Hong Kong. They are quite far away from everything else (located in To Kwa Wan) but it does not deter travelers to go to this hostel! In fact the transportation is not too bad as the staffs (who were born and raise in the same community) there will teach you how to catch a bus to most places in Hong Kong. They have a very big common area which is fantastic for meeting other travelers. Their rooms are nicely designed with a contemporary touch and max at two beds in one column. One funny thing is that they have a queen bed dorm where couples can sleep with other couples in the same dorm! LOL!
Instead of hostel, I felt HoHo Hosteal is more like a home away from home. You are required to take off your shoes as soon as you step into the hostel which helps the owner to keep the place clean. While it is a small hostel, they still squeeze in a common area for travelers to meet each other. While this is not centrally located in Tsim Sha Tsui but Jordan is just one MTR stop away from TST.
Alohas is a small inn located in Jordan. Perhaps it is due to its location and a smaller inn, the price of Alohas is more competitive compare to its competitors in Tsim Sha Tsui area. There is no common area for this inn. Again, Hong Kong is a compact place so staying in Jordan is probably as central as you can find in Hong Kong.
