Brilliant staff and cozy rooms at the cheapest accommodation in Hong Kong (Alisan Guest House (Hong Kong, China))

Member Name: aylawarner

Product:	Alisan Guest House (Hong Kong, China)
Date:	03/04/09 (73 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Perfect location, friendly and helpful staff, cozy room

Disadvantages: Beds in single room were hard, long wait for the internet

In the great location of Causeway Bay, Alisan Guest House was the cheapest accommodation we could find on Hong Kong Island as Hong Kong doesn't really have hostels and cheap accommodation for backpackers. I made my reservation easily by emailing the hostel and the owner, Tommy, was very helpful and cooperative. Once we had booked our stay he sent us a map and some great directions. He told us step by step what to do when we arrived at the airport and everything he told us really helped us out. When you get to the airport you can either get the Airport Express or an Air Bus. We found the Airport Express to be the easier option (HKD160/£14 for 2 people one way), then we catch a free shuttle bus from Hong Kong Station. Tommy told us to get off at the Excelsior Hotel where there are free phones in the lobby and to call the guest house from there. We did this and in a few minutes someone came and met us and walked us to the guest house as it is quite hard to find, tucked away in between shops through a small door. We were a bit apprehensive at first going through this small locked door that did not look like accommodation at all but they have a few locked doors just for safety.

The reception area was tiny but quaint and check in was easy and again they were very helpful. Tommy had advised us to pay with cash as there is a 10% Gov tax charge when paying by card. Our double room cost HKD380 a night which is about £35. As I said above, Hong Kong doesn't have hostels and, even though this is still fairly pricy, this was the cheapest we could find on Hong Kong Island.

The first night the room we had booked wasn't available so we were put into a room which had 3 single beds which faced onto the Bay which was a lovely view. The single beds were really hard and not at all comfortable so we were glad when they told us our double room was ready the next morning.

The double room was so much nicer. It was on a different floor and you had to use a key just to get into the guest house area where there were 4 or 5 other rooms. There was a small room you could use which provided a microwave and kettle. Our room, although so tiny you hardly had enough space to move around the bed, was all we needed. The bed was comfy and we had a small TV and a direct phone so that family could call us on our own private number. The bathroom was a shock as we didn't realise that in Asia the shower is in the same room as the toilet without a shower curtain or anything, and when you have a shower the toilet gets soaked!

Alisan Guest House is in a great location overlooking Causeway Bay. It is in the middle of lots of shops and around the corner from a supermarket. The metro (MTR - the cleanest and best metro service I've ever used) is on the next road, a minute away from the guest house. A big shopping centre with a few cafes and restaurants is on the next block and we ate in the Starbucks here every morning for breakfast. There is also a cafe in the centre which has free internet as long as you've purchased something. The guest house does provide free internet access but we found it easier to go to the cafe as there is only one computer in the guest house so you might be waiting quite a while to get on it. Especially as the staff's children spend a lot of time playing on it!

All the staff were very friendly and extremely helpful and they even let me use the phone for free to call home to let them know we had arrived. Overall, we had a lovely stay at Alisan Guest House and it was the perfect start to our 5 months backpacking trip.

Summary: Definitely the place to stay if you're looking for somewhere cheap on Hong Kong island