Hop Inn Hong Kong Review (2024)

A few months ago, I went on a trip to Hong Kong and decided to stay in the Hop Inn Hong Kong hostel for 5 nights.

Hop Inn Hong Kong is a budget hostel, and this is the main reason I chose to stay there. On the website, you can see a price of between 400-600 HKD per night for a dorm, but you can get an even cheaper price when booking on third-party websites. For example, I booked my stay from Hostelworld for a price of only around 200-300 HKD per night, a very good deal for budget travelers like me.

In addition, the hostel also comes with many advantages, such as great location and facilities. However, the pocket-friendly price also carries some downsides that I figured out during my stay. To help you decide on whether the Hop Inn Hong Kong is the best place for you to stay, I’ll share my first-hand experiences here.

Room Tour

I booked a bed in an 8-bed female dorm room. However, in reality, I got a bed in a 6-bed female dorm room instead. I don’t know why so, but I had no complaints as having fewer people in the room is better.

The room is very small. It was only enough for 4 bunk beds lined up facing each other and a passage to walk. Gladly enough, there were only 3 bunk beds in my room so we still have some space for a desk setup and an armchair. But still, with people bringing large suitcases, the room feels very packed and tight.

However, I still find it acceptable as most hotel rooms and apartments in Hong Kong are small. Land is scarce and expensive here. So, at such a price, it was bearable.

The room is air conditioned, and the remote control is there so you can adjust it to your preference.

I like that the bed has curtains, giving some sense of privacy. However, I was unlucky enough to get the upper bed, which unfortunately has no curtains. Having to climb the ladder every time was also quite annoying, so I requested changing my bed into the lower bed. It was possible but they charged me an extra 50 HKD. If you hate getting an upper bed like me, I suggest you to contact the hostel upon booking to guarantee a spot in the lower bed.

Each bed comes with a reading light, two sockets, and a shelf to put small stuffs on. You also get a clean linen, blanket, and a fluffy pillow.

I had no complain in this aspect. You can’t expect a luxury-level comfort but the bed was great enough for me to have a restful sleep.

Every female dorm has an en-suite bathroom, but you can also use the shared bathroom outside in case the en-suite bathroom is occupied.

I like that the bathroom is divided into a toilet and a shower room separately, so you can still get to the bathroom area even when someone is doing their business.

In the shower room, you will find two dispensers for liquid soap and shampoo, so you’ll be covered if you don’t bring one from home. There are towels available for rent at HKD 10, but you also need to pay a deposit of HKD 90.

The toilet, unfortunately, has no bidet. For muslim women, I recommend you bringing a portable bidet.

The front area of the bathroom is equipped with a mirror, a sink, hanger, and a soap dispenser. I usually brush my teeth here at night or do my make up in the morning.

Facilities

Hop Inn Hostel boasts an artistic common room. The vintage space designed by Hong Kong local artists is pleasing to the eye and also make your stay Instagrammable.

It is rather quiet though. Unlike most youth hostels I’ve ever been to, there are not many people hanging out in the common room. In one morning, I got to be acquainted with another guest, but that’s it. I rarely see people hanging out in the common room, and even if there is, it is not a very lively scenery. It was only two people quietly having their breakfast or someone sitting down and playing with their phone.

So, if you expect to stay at a party hostel with lively atmosphere, many events, and active social live, the Hop Inn Hostel is totally not it.

In one corner of the common room, you’ll find a range of entertainment items, from books, a guitar, a monitor, and even an arcade machine. I’ve never personally tried any of them, but they should probably work.

Another side has tables and chairs, which I usually sit down at for eating. I like that this side has many green plants, which not only make it look aesthetic but also fresh and relaxing.

There is also an electrical outlet in the center of the room, so you can use this space to work with your laptop if you’d like.

Next to the common room, you’ll find a dining area. The hostel provides free drinking water, both hot and cold, as well as tea and coffee. You can use the available cups for drinking, but you need to wash and put them back after use.

Behind the dining area, you’ll find a small cooking pantry where you can prepare your food. You can use the microwave, stove, plates, as well as all the available utensils. However, you need to clean them up yourself after use.

There is also a fridge located near the front desk area where you can store your food and drinks. You have to label them with the sticker provided so other guests won’t touch them.

Hop Inn Hostel has two shared bathroom spaces. Each bathroom space has several toilet rooms, shower rooms, sinks, and a mirror.

Similar to the shower room in the en-suite bathroom of the female dorm, the shower room in the shared bathrooms is equipped with two dispensers for liquid soap and shampoo. You can also use either cold or hot water to shower.

The shared bathroom is much larger and has more complete amenities than the en-suite bathroom in the female dorm. For example, it has a hairdryer and dishwasher sponge for cleaning cups or kitchen tools after use.

However, unfortunately, the shared bathroom in Hop Inn Hostel is not gender-divided. That means, any male or female is allowed to enter the shared bathroom space without gender restrictions.

Overall, I personally think that Hop Inn Hostel has complete facilities, at least when compared to some Airbnb places.

I also like that it provides an iron and ironing board, which can keep my clothes neat and tidy.

Location

Hop Inn Hostel is located at 5/F Lyton Building, 36 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tsim Sha Tsui is a busy urban area located in southern Kowloon. It is popular for shopping and nightlife, packed with luxury malls, restaurants, and local shops.

For tourist, I recommend you to stay either at Tsim Sha Tsui or Hong Kong Central. Both areas are strategic, crowded, and provide easy access to many points of interest, including convenience stores, restaurants, public transport, and tourist spots.

However, I prefer staying at Tsim Sha Tsui because the famous Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade is there, where I can enjoy viewing the lovely Hong Kong skyline views by the river. I visited this place almost every day, usually in the morning for breakfast with a view or at night to enjoy the spectacular light and music show, the Symphony of Lights.

If you have the same interests as me, Hop Inn Hostel is a great place to stay. It is located in a walkable distance to Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, Avenue of Stars, and other famous landmarks like Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Kowloon Park, Hong Kong History Museum, Sogo, K11, and many others. It is also close to bus stops and MTR stations, making it easy for you to take public transport.

Overall, the Hop Inn Hostel has a very strategic location. From this hostel, you can take:

• 1 min walk to 7-Eleven
• 4 min walk to Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station
• 7 min walk to Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade
• 13 min walk to Avenue of Stars
• 12 min to Kowloon Park
• 15 min walk to Hong Kong Cultural Centre
• 6 min to Kowloon Mosque

One downside is, the exact location of the hostel is quite hard to find. The hostel itself is located in the Lyton Building, which covers quite a large area and has many elevators. Each elevator takes you to a different part of the building, so you’ll need to take the exactly right elevator to get to the hostel.

In addition, the Lyton Building has many gates. The elevator that takes you to the Hop Inn Hostel is close to a gate. However, if you enter the building from the wrong gate, you’ll have to roam around the confusing building layout to find the right elevator.

It will be difficult for you to find the hostel for the first time. But once you find it, you can take note of the exact route and place, and you’ll become more familiar with the area over time.

Cleanliness

Hop Inn Hostel offers daily housekeeping, which means they mop the floor, take out the trash, etc. However, they don’t clean your bed on a daily basis. Beds are only cleaned after checkout. If you want them to clean your bed or if you want new clean linen, you’ll need to pay an extra fee.

With the daily housekeeping every noon, I think the room is generally clean. However, I often found that the toilet paper is damp sometimes, especially in the morning, so it feels disgusting to use it and I prefer to bring my own toilet paper.

Take note that the cleanliness largely depends on other guests as well. Despite the daily housekeeping, if you’re sharing room with people who lack personal hygiene, this can be very uncomfortable.

On my last night of stay, I found unflushed paper and urine splash in the toilet seat, which was very disgusting. However, I know it is not something I can blame the hostel for, as cleanliness is every guest’s responsibility, not just the housekeeper.

Services

My experience with the staffs of the hostel wasn’t really good. I found them to be quite unfriendly and unhelpful, but I guess that’s just how typical Hongkongese are, rude and friendly. They don’t smile and they don’t want to talk much.

I find it normal for hostel guests to ask the receptionists some questions like, “Can you recommend me a good restaurant nearby?”, “How do I go to the nearest bus stop?”, or “What’s the best local food to eat?”.

However, their short, unhelpful responses showed that they didn’t want to be bothered. They didn’t even look up when I asked questions and kept focusing on their phone. In sum, it’s not pleasing to talk to them at all.

My Verdict

Hop Inn Hong Kong is a great budget hostel with a very strategic location and complete facilities. The place is generally clean and comfortable, and the artistic design of the hostel makes it quite a pleasant space to stay,

Though the room is very small, and the staffs are not very friendly, you can probably expect the same experience in other places in Hong Kong as well.

I personally recommend Hop Inn hostel for people who just want a place to sleep at night. If you’re traveling to Hong Kong and planning to go out all day, then you won’t need a lavish type of hotel.

A comfortable bed, clean space, and most importantly, a great location for easy access to a lot of places, are all that you need. And it is exactly what the Hop Inn Hong Kong offers.

However, if you’re planning for a staycation where you’ll spend most of the time inside, then it’s better to find another place somewhere else.