Hong Kong Hostels in Mansions Aren’t Really in Mansions

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Generally speaking, the words “hostel” and “mansion” don’t often go together. In fact, budget accommodation of any sort doesn’t typically come attached to the word “mansion” – there’s just nothing budget-y about a mansion, after all. But in Hong Kong, many of the biggest and best-known hostels are housed in what are called “mansions.”

What do you need to know about these Hong Kong mansions? That they’re no more like mansions than a crowded apartment building in any other big city. In fact, the mansions in Hong Kong are just that – crowded (and some would say unpleasant) apartment buildings.

Now, some of the hostels in these Hong Kong mansions are perfectly clean and pleasant, and they’re usually some of the cheapest beds you’ll find in the city, but it’s just good for you to know before you arrive at the hostel’s front door (expecting a Beverly Hills-esque estate) that you should basically ignore the word “mansion” in the address.

Having prepared you adequately, here are some of the hostels in mansions-that-aren’t-mansions in Hong Kong.

>> And for a more complete look at what’s available in this bustling city, check out our list of hostels in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong City Guesthouse

The HongKong City Guesthouse is in the Chungking Mansions building on Nathan Road in the Tsim Sha Tsui area. The famous harbour is within walking distance, as are all your public transportation options to make getting around the city easy. The front desk is staffed round the clock for your security, and everyone working at the desk is multi-lingual (so you don’t have to be).

All 45 rooms in the Hong Kong City Guesthouse are air conditioned, and guests get free linens, towels, WiFi, and local calls. The rooms can hold between 1-4 people, so they’re not dorm-style (and this isn’t really a hostel), but the prices are pretty good and the rooms are clean and bright.

Las Vegas Guesthouse

Don’t let the name fool you, the Las Vegas Guesthouse is most definitely in Hong Kong. It’s another guest house in the Chungking Mansions building on Nathan Road, and like the City Guesthouse above it’s more like a budget hotel than a hostel. This guest house just opened in 2009, and so is offering special discount prices through the end of 2009 to celebrate.

Las Vegas Guesthouse offers rooms accommodating between 1-5 people, and there’s also a family suite designed to hold 6-7 people – so if you’re traveling with a group of friends, it’s worth packing everyone into one room to save money. There are only 15 rooms total, however, so this isn’t a sprawling guest house. Guests get free internet access, and there’s a restaurant on-site.

Cosmic Guest House

Another mansion building on Nathan Road is the Mirador Mansion, and that’s where you’ll find Cosmic Guest House. The location, like the Chungking Mansion, gives you easy access to public transportation as well as the harbour. Like most budget-friendly rooms in Hong Kong, the rooms at this guest house aren’t big – but all rooms still manage to squeeze in their own toilet and shower.

Guests with their own laptops can take advantage of the free WiFi at Cosmic Guest House. While there are rooms that sleep up to six people, most of them are not really dorm-style. In most cases, you’re paying for the room, not just the bed – so round up five of your friends to save the most money.

International Inn Hotel

We’re back to the Chungking Mansion on Nathan Road for the next place on the list, the International Inn Hotel. Once again, the location makes using the city’s public transport easy, and the harbour and several other attractions are also nearby.

The International Inn Hotel might call itself a “boutique hostel,” but take the word “boutique” with the same grain of salt with which you took “mansion.” Guests get free linens, free towels, free WiFi and free local telephone calls, and all the rooms have their own shower and toilet as well as air conditioning.

New International Guest House

When you read that the New International Guest House is yet another budget-friendly accommodation option in the Chungking Mansion on Nathan Road, you may start wondering just how big that Chungking Mansion building actually is (it’s big). This is another non-hostel guest-house-y place that’s close to the harbour and public transport options.

The New International Guest House, like most of its mansion-occupying counterparts, offers free WiFi, free linens, free towels, and free local telephone calls, as well as air conditioning and en suite facilities in every room. If you want to make your room feel a bit more special, ask about one of the “sea view” rooms.

Park Guest House

The Park Guest House is yet another Chungking Mansions guest house, so the same things apply to this one as they do to the others in the same building – the location means you’re a few steps from public transport, and the harbour is within walking distance, too.

Among the freebies available at Park Guest House are free linens, free towels, free WiFi, free local telephone calls, free coffee & tea throughout the day, and free air conditioning. All the rooms have en suite toilet and shower, and the guest house offers a walking tour of the city as well.

Kowloon New Hostel is located in the other mansion building, Mirador Mansion, also on Nathan Road. Public transportation (like the subway and ferry) are a few minutes’ walk from the front door, and the harbour and some of the city’s famous shopping are also nearby.