カテゴリー: ASIA

My first solo trip to Hong Kong, and during the year-end holidays no less, brought a major challenge: choosing a hotel. Hong Kong is already expensive, and prices skyrocket at year-end, making it tough for a solo traveler to find affordable options.

I searched high and low for a place under 10,000 yen per night in a convenient location. However, all I could find were tiny rooms with just a bed and a shower crammed into a toilet space. Most of these were in the infamous Chungking Mansions or similar buildings.

Though I prefer staying in more comfortable hotels, I had no choice but to settle for one of these options.

One was located in Mirador Mansion, slightly north of Chungking Mansions. For New Year’s Eve, I stayed in a hotel within Chungking Mansions itself. While the setups were almost identical, my experience in the first hotel was so awful that the second felt much better in comparison. I’ll share my thoughts on both, including why the second one felt more manageable.

For the first two nights of my three-night Hong Kong stay, I stayed at an unnamed hotel in Mirador Mansion (I’ll leave the name out due to the negative review).

The Mirador Mansion is conveniently located just a short walk from the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station, making it an excellent spot in terms of accessibility. The entrance is on Nathan Road, and the elevator to the hotel I stayed at was immediately to the right after entering. Similar to Chungking Mansions, the building has two elevators—one serving odd-numbered floors and the other serving even-numbered floors. There is a caretaker stationed near the elevators, which adds a sense of security.

When I got off the elevator on the floor where my hotel was located, I looked for the hotel entrance, which was marked with a room number (similar to an apartment in the mansion). I rang the doorbell, and after hearing the sound of the lock being released, I entered. Inside, there was a reception desk where I checked in. I was given a key and then walked down the hallway to reach my room. Essentially, a portion of the floor was designated as the hotel, with multiple rooms available.

There are various hotels in the building, and in some cases, the reception and the guest rooms are located on different floors. However, having both in the same space was definitely more convenient.

1: The room was completely different from the photos shown at the time of booking.

When I entered the room, the first thing that surprised me was how completely different it was from what I had booked. For instance, the photos showed a window, but there wasn’t one. The listing also mentioned a security box, but it was nowhere to be found.

When I went to the bathroom, I noticed the door was damaged, and the toilet bowl had cracks in it. There was a small refrigerator, but it was tucked under the bed, making it extremely inconvenient to use.

2: I had no idea how to use the shower—it might have been broken.

The main issue was the shower. There were no instructions, and I couldn’t figure out how to use it. I pressed the switch near the entrance and waited, but no hot water came, even with the water running. After some time, hot water would come out for just a brief moment before turning cold again.

Looking back, I probably should have asked the front desk for instructions on how to use the shower. However, to be honest, I was so frustrated that I didn’t even feel like talking to them. In the end, I settled for a quick rinse, washing my hair and body with cold water.

3: There were times when the toilet wouldn’t flush.

At night, when I tried to flush the toilet, it wouldn’t work. Frustrated, I went to the front desk, only to be told that it was “under cleaning.” I was so fed up that I even considered switching to a different hotel for the second night. However, by morning, the toilet was functioning again. It’s possible that regular maintenance caused water outages at certain times.

As for the Wi-Fi, it worked without any issues.

There was a water dispenser and a microwave in the hallway between the front desk and the rooms, but I honestly didn’t feel like using them.

Overall, during the first two days, I avoided spending any time in the hotel aside from sleeping.

When returning at night, I could use the card attached to my key to unlock the door near the front desk and enter the building.

4: It was often difficult to get on the elevator, as it was frequently crowded or slow to arrive.

Another major issue with this type of accommodation was the elevator. The elevators are very small, with a maximum capacity of about six adults. If people have suitcases, the number of passengers that can fit decreases even further.

When going up from the first floor, you can eventually get your turn if you wait long enough. However, the real problem occurs when going down during busy times. Passengers boarding from higher floors often fill the elevator, leaving people on intermediate floors unable to get on.

For example, after I boarded, there were at least three floors where waiting passengers couldn’t get on because the elevator was already full. It’s especially frustrating if you’re in a hurry—it can feel like the worst possible situation.

5: There was no staff present at the front desk during checkout, causing unnecessary stress.

Another point to be mindful of is whether staff are always present at the front desk. I checked out around 7:30 a.m., but there was no one at the desk. There was a bell, so I rang it, but there was no response.

Since I had a train to catch to Shenzhen, I started to get anxious. After ringing the bell several times, a door in one of the nearby rooms opened. It seemed to be a room where the staff slept.

When I explained that I wanted to check out, they casually told me to just leave the key on the front desk. So, I placed the key on the desk and left the hotel.

In Shenzhen, I was able to stay at a much better hotel, so I managed to endure the experience. Still, after a busy day of traveling, coming back to a terrible room is honestly exhausting.

Even if it costs a bit more, I’ve realized it’s worth it to have a room with a proper shower and at least a desk for working on my laptop. I’m not asking for luxury, just the basics to feel comfortable.

The hotel I stayed at in Chungking Mansions on the final night of my trip was much better in comparison. I’ll share more about that experience in my next post.

At the end of 2024, I decided to spend New Year’s Eve abroad again this year. Among the candidates were Hong Kong and Bangkok. After much deliberation, the soaring airfare prices towards the end of the year became a factor, and I ultimately chose Hong Kong. For my first blog post of 2025, I would like to document the “Countdown Fireworks 2025.”

The situation at Victoria Harbour before the countdown

The tour assembly was at 6 PM in front of the restaurant. Until then, I walked from around the K11 MUSEA shopping mall to the Star Ferry terminal from a little past 5 PM. Even around Nathan Road, there seemed to be more people than usual, but in front of the harbor, it was almost entirely filled with people, and the front zone was closed off. By the evening, it was clear that it would be difficult to get a good spot to see the fireworks. I was surprised that it was even more crowded than in Singapore.

If you walk west, you will find the cruise ship terminal. There seemed to be fewer people in that area, but it might be because more people board the ships at night. Considering this, it might be better to choose a small paid cruise ship. However, when the fireworks start, people tend to gather in one place, and smaller ships may sway significantly.

The situation at Victoria Harbour before the countdown

After dinner, we were informed about the ferry boarding location, and until the boarding time, we had free time (about 40 minutes). However, the guide said, “We don’t know when the police will close the area due to overcrowding, so please don’t go too far.” The ferry boarding location was near the Star Ferry terminal, so it didn’t seem to be a problem as it wasn’t a place where you could see the fireworks.

Admission to the ferry is on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you want to choose a free seat inside the ferry, you need to line up early.

If you want to see the fireworks clearly, you should secure an outdoor seat. The interior has window glass and you don’t know whether the fireworks will be on the right or left side. Choosing a seat was very difficult.

When I boarded, I was able to enter early, so I secured a seat near the front deck. The inside of the ferry has two floors; the seats on the second floor are good, but they are behind glass. You can look outside from the front and back of that area.

The first floor has wooden benches and no windows. However, since it is the first floor, if a ship stops in front, it becomes difficult to see the fireworks. Additionally, depending on the temperature, you may feel cold while waiting for the fireworks.

I was wondering what course the 3-hour cruise would take, but it actually just proceeded to the fireworks viewing point and then waited there until the fireworks began. The viewing point for the fireworks was at the eastern end of Tsim Sha Tsui. I think the best place to see the spectacular fireworks and laser show is from the cruise ships on the Kowloon side to around the Hong Kong Museum of Art, so it ended up being quite far away.

Drinks and snacks were available for everyone on the cruise ship. I believe it was free drinks, but since it was somewhat cold, I didn’t really want any beverages. The viewing point moved slightly at times, and occasionally the police gave instructions from the boat, causing minor movements. By observing the surroundings, I roughly understood the position, so I waited in an outdoor position 20 minutes before the fireworks started to prepare for the viewing.

The fireworks viewing point was far, making it a bit difficult.

The New Year’s Eve fireworks in Hong Kong only last about 12 minutes from the start of the new year. (In Singapore, the fireworks were launched several times from 11:10 PM.) The screen displaying the countdown numbers was not visible from this location, so the fireworks started abruptly. I couldn’t tell how large the fireworks would be, but from this distance, they seemed quite far away. I had to zoom in twice to record the video. (I would have preferred to shoot it at the original size, though…)

Since it was far away, it was overall beautiful, but it lacked impact. That was a bit disappointing. The fireworks were actually over 1 km away, so it would have been more impressive if they were closer.

The overall fireworks were beautiful, but the distance was a drawback. I expected the climax to increase in intensity all at once, but it didn’t change much and was somewhat disappointing. Additionally, boats and cruise ships in front of us occasionally moved to change their positions. Other ships also approached us at times. Even ships as large as ours or smaller ones had masts that obstructed the view. It was indeed challenging to watch the fireworks without any obstructions, even on a cruise ship tour.

After viewing the fireworks and on the way back

After the fireworks ended, it was supposed to be until 1 AM, but there was no sign of movement. We were just waiting for other ships to move, and it started moving about an hour later. Many other passengers had already returned to the warm interior and were even sleeping (laughs). Eventually, we returned to the ferry terminal around 1:30 AM. Overall, even though it was called a cruise tour, it was just a round trip to the fireworks viewing location.

On the way back, it was already 1:30 AM, so there was no longer any congestion. Since my hotel was the Chungking Mansions in front of Tsim Sha Tsui Station, I had no problem walking back. Nathan Road was bustling with many people, so even though it was late at night, I didn’t feel unsafe on my way. Additionally, if I visit Hong Kong again for New Year’s Eve, I found out that the MTR runs on a special schedule and operates 24 hours, so staying at a hotel a bit farther away should be fine.

It was my first New Year’s Eve event in Hong Kong, and it was quite good. Regarding the cruise ship tour, honestly, the viewing location was disappointing considering the price, but it couldn’t be helped. Seeing how crowded Victoria Harbour was, I think it was good to be able to watch the fireworks leisurely. If I have the chance to go again, I would likely choose a similar tour. In that case, I would choose a tour that specifically describes the viewing point rather than the type of ship. Since it’s a large-scale fireworks display, I would like to see it up close.