The last time I stayed in Hong Kong, I stayed in M1 Hotel. It was a decent hotel, good for a short stay. However, in my most recent trip to Hong Kong, I had to stay for 2 more nights, so I was out to look for a cheaper alternative.
Inn Hotel Hong Kong (IHHK) was not tremendously cheaper than M1 Hotel (perhaps SGD 20 cheaper per night), but it fit the bill.
I reserved a Deluxe Room with Harbour View, and requested for a high floor. It cost slightly more than a non-deluxe room, but the rooms are on high floors (and non-deluxe rooms may not come with windows) and the package comes with free shuttle from the airport. In other words, I do not need to lug my suitcase around Hong Kong’s uneven pavements, trying to find my way from the MTR exit to the hotel.
Room
Like M1 Hotel, this room at IHHK has adequate space for 2 persons (granted, I wanted the queen size bed). Yep, by saying ‘adequate space’, I mean that there is enough space for even when both persons spread out their suitcases, which is a luxury for most budget hotels in Hong Kong.
The only downside is that the room had a stench. What was the stench like? It was as if I left a wet towel in the room for a few days, without ventilation. The stench appeared to come from the ventilation vent.
No matter how much perfume I sprayed, the stench stayed. It took me till the 3rd day to acclimatize to the stench.
Amenities
This being a budget hotel, the amenities provided was considered very good. In the bathroom, one can find toothbrush and shower cap at the sink, while the shower area had this 3-in-1 body gel, in a dispenser found typically in gyms and common showers.
Is that a bad thing? No, because it eliminates the need for one to bring shower foam. On the flip side, one staying in this room has to bring a shaver, and if you are particular, bring shampoo and/or facial cleanser. The towels looked clean. Even though I mentioned the stench in the room smelt like wet towels, the towels provided did not have that smell.
There was no wardrobe (a frequent traveler to Hong Kong and Tokyo would have been used to this), but there were hangers provided, and 3 locations to hang the clothes. 2 were stubs from the wall, where the empty hangers were at originally, and 1 at the window, for when you need to hang your wet towels, for example, because the clothes cannot touch each other.
Other in-room amenities included a safe, hairdryer, 2 towels, 2 hand towels, TV (with enough channels for surfing), free wifi, small side-table-cum-desk.
Safety
Hong Kong is known to be safe, even for traveling at night. The hotel entrance is situated one street from Nathan Road, so it is quiet, but not that deserted.
There are 2 entrances to the hotel. One is a small entrance, and one is from the driveway. The former was locked at night, so one will have to go in from the driveway, which was guarded.
The hotel reception is on Level 1, but on the Ground floor, there is a counter with a staff.
There is no special security at the lifts; in other words, one does not need a room key to activate the lifts and access the upper floors. This was an issue raised by reviewers on Tripadvisors, though I would say many budget hotels have removed such a feature.
Service
As mentioned earlier, even though the hotel reception (and cafe) is on Level 1, check-in can still be done on G floor. The staff was very friendly, and spoke good English, which was thankful as my Cantonese was floor-scrubbing level.
Also as mentioned, I was ferried from the airport to the hotel, via a 3rd-party shuttle service (so enroute, I was brought to a residence at Tsing Yi). However, I thought that was sufficient for me to overcome any initial headaches of travelling to a new place.
The safe was not working when I first checked in, but the staff (same guy who processed my check in) responded in 10 minutes and resolved the issue promptly.
I also did a boo-boo by ordering my concert ticket late, so I was forced to forward the ticket to my hotel. From my email correspondence, I felt that the staff was not very keen to help me, but nonetheless, I received my ticket in good time and condition.
Convenience
Circle K is on the right of entrance. 7-11 is on the left of entrance (though one has to turn right at junction and cross the road). Knowing these places is non-consequential, because the hotel is just a 2-minute walk from the MTR station, where one can find many kiosks selling food and amenities.
There is a Hong Kong cafe, called San Yang Cafe, which is a good place to have a quick breakfast.
Others
My room provided a good view of the city fringe. The harbour was in view, though in a strict sense, it was mainly obscured by the buildings in between. Nonetheless, it was still a good sight to see everyday, especially after a scorching day, one can see the sunset from the room.
For lazy bums like me who like to sleep in the room during 12pm (when the sun is high, bright and scorching), this is not a good room. There was a sun-blocking curtain, but the toilet door was translucent, and the toilet has a huge window. So the room will not be all-dark in the day, which makes napping non-ideal.
To make up for the lack of sleep, I must mention that I loved the shower jet. It was strong and the shower foam was decent, so one can expect a good shower after walking the streets of Hong Kong on a hot summer’s day. But strong as it was, the jets will wet the whole toilet floor despite the shower curtain. So do take care and place the floor rug outside of the toilet, rather than at the sink area.
Last but not least, this is a budget hotel, so do not expect gyms/pools or business centres. This is a decent hotel for shopping holidays in Hong Kong.
How To Get There
It was actually 1 block away from M1 Hotel, so IHHK was also at the exit of Yau Ma Tei MTR.
To reach the hotel, exit at D2. Once out of the exit, walk straight and turn right at the first junction. Walk past a San Yang cafe and the hotel entrance is right beside it.
Inn Hotel Hong Kong
60 Portland St,
Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong
+852 3610 8888
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