Hostel Venus

The location is very central. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The room was clean. We got woken up early because the doors beeping and got slammed continously.

The hotel is conveniently located in Kowloon. The room is small, the private bathroom tiny. The shower head is actually mounted on the wall over the toilet. The interactions I had with the staff was pleasant. This hotel is in one of the "mansions" which means it's a multi use building. The elevators are small and you frequently had to queue up and wait for a turn to your floor (12th in the case of Venus). My biggest aggravation had nothing to do with the hotel, it was the incessant offers for suits and fake Rolex watches, as well as occasionally hashish. You get tired of constantly having to shoo away these determined Indian chaps trying to hustle you.

Booked hotel for daughter an family but after reading reviews we stayed instead. The Hotel/hostel is located centrally on busy road across from train station. Ground floor is hive of activity with loads of stalls changing money, mobile phones food stalls and tailors. We were approached everyday by different people in and outside of the hotel entrance offering various item like tailoring but they left us alone when we politely declined. It's no different to walking around Turkey or Egypt. We booked a family room (thankfully) and were pleasantly surprised. The room was very basic but spotlessly clean. There was enough room for the two of us but it would be a squeeze for 4. Theres room under beds for cases an a few hangers on wall hooks to hang clothes so you'll need to live out of cases. The shower is with the toilet and boiler but this is normal practice in HK. The room was cleaned daily and fresh towels provided. Residents also live in the same block only some of the floors are used as hotel rooms. The back stairs and corridors are grubby but the small hotel corridors are clean and well cared for. The downside was the waiting around for lifts. Only two lifts each block one side odd and other even numbers but never waited more than a few minutes and it's monitored by cameras and security staff manage the queue so no one pushed in. I don't know if we were lucky But no real complaints - got what we paid for - after all we only slept and showered there as were out all day.

⚠️ 5 STARS FOR VISIBILITY ONLY - URGENT WARNING ⚠️ AVOID: "Hi-Inn" & "Hostel Venus" in Chungking Mansions, Tsim Sha Tsui in southern Kowloon, HK. Giving 5 stars ONLY so this warning appears first. Worst accommodation experience ever. Save your money and sanity. Hong Kong has countless better options. You've been warned. THE SCAM: Booked 'Hostel Venus'—upon arrival, manager demanded I take 'Hi-Inn' room instead (same operator runs both names, worse location). When questioned, rudely told my booked room was "given to someone else." Said I could get refund and find another hotel - this was late afternoon when options are limited (intentional). Later refused refund. I immediately booked elsewhere and left. Best decision made. THE REALITY: No matter how nice photos look, these are in Chungking Mansions - a 65-year-old (built 1961) poorly maintained complex. Reality vs photos: Extremely dated, maze-like interior Floors 1-2: chaotic cramped shops Upper floors: countless tiny budget guesthouses Nothing like the clean exterior photos shown online ROOM CONDITIONS: Poor cleaning standards Overwhelming air freshener smell Ancient, deafeningly loud A/C Microscopic bathroom - NO separation between shower/toilet (everything floods when showering) Windows reveal 65 years of grime on building exterior BOTTOM LINE: Operator runs multiple properties (Hi-Inn, Hostel Venus, likely more) using deceptive practices. Rude staff. Misleading photos. Building conditions shocking.