back to hk, our accommodation in this expensive city was this hostel located in a very old building called mirador mansion in tsim sha tsui area. its location is over the top that you only need to go down to feel outright what hong kong stands for and that's shopping!
the reception of cosmic guest house is located at the 12th floor of mirador mansion but their rooms are spread across a few floors below and on top. we were on the 9th, by the way so, i'm not sure if anyone may end up on the 13th floor. that's superstitiously scary especially for filipinos since from what i know, there has been no 13th floor in the buildings here in the philippines. however, google said that there's another hostel on the 13th floor but i won't be talking about that because i'm so drifting away from this post's subject.
and yes, from the airport at a wee hour of the morning, we headed straight to our hostel. for the first-timers like us, we accidentally skipped one bus stop after getting dizzy from repeatedly looking right and left for our landmark, which was the mosque along nathan road. we got off at the last bus stop but it was no biggie since going back our way did not take that long. i even got the feeling that the last bus stop is nearer than the recommended bus stop. just an idea on where cosmic guest house hids itself in this bustling district, you can refer to this nifty guide in its website, here!
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| Mirador Mansion |
late night along nathan road did not evoke paranoia in me even if there were a lot of men hanging around the sidewalk. a couple of men tried to ask us if we were looking for a hotel while we were speeding to mirador mansion and mustering that confidence that we knew exactly where it was. it might give me the creeps if i was alone though. you can never be too confident and worry-free as they say. constant vigilance, i guess.
after we logged in, we then went to the building's floor-coded elevators while figuring out a simple maze. from the entrance, you can pass by shops selling souvenir items and everything hong kong which were apparently close at that time. after the shops, turn to your left and then, to your right and voila, elevators!
the elevator for the even floors is where that girl is going. we felt secure as there's that surveillance TV for anything that might go wrong inside the elevators. luckily for us, we didn't experience something panicky except that incident when we got a bit scared of a man who took time to press his floor because he seemed to be waiting for us and we'd rather not! better be too paranoid than sorry.
well, other than that, mirador mansion is just a typical building in hong kong with business is on the go and enough police visibility for security.
why did we choose to stay in this hostel to begin with? of course, because it's dirt cheap! and it's a great deal already when talking about hong kong. with all the madness during our reservation, booking, rebooking, and last minute cancellations, we ended up with a discounted rate of HK$3,470 (3 nights stay and 2 rooms!) which is roughly Php20,820 and it even included 5 disney tickets (because we're supposed to be 5) which was priced at HK$350 per ticket. be sure to note that they only allow 2 weeks before your intended stay for you to change your reservations and numerous cancellations.
talking about the hostel's rooms may bring different reaction from people who aren't used to cramped space and of course, from people who couldn't care less as the most important thing for them is safety. and we are part of the latter for we only needed a place to stay for the night after a whole day of exhaustion and euphoric activities.
what were their rooms like?
why did we choose to stay in this hostel to begin with? of course, because it's dirt cheap! and it's a great deal already when talking about hong kong. with all the madness during our reservation, booking, rebooking, and last minute cancellations, we ended up with a discounted rate of HK$3,470 (3 nights stay and 2 rooms!) which is roughly Php20,820 and it even included 5 disney tickets (because we're supposed to be 5) which was priced at HK$350 per ticket. be sure to note that they only allow 2 weeks before your intended stay for you to change your reservations and numerous cancellations.
talking about the hostel's rooms may bring different reaction from people who aren't used to cramped space and of course, from people who couldn't care less as the most important thing for them is safety. and we are part of the latter for we only needed a place to stay for the night after a whole day of exhaustion and euphoric activities.
what were their rooms like?
we have the average height of filipino girls which goes around a few inches of 5 feet and have typical petite and slim body frames so, the small room still gave us enough space to move around without bumping into each other. we got an LCD TV which we never turned on, not even once because the first time that i tried, i did not successfully figure it out!
apart from these two single beds, there's another single bed tucked in the opposite corner, alongside the toilet.
but the most noteworthy of all was their really small toilet! it definitely reminded me of an aircraft's lavatory except that there's a hot and cold shower cleverly attached to the tiled wall. i was really having a hard time in this toilet and i couldn't simply imagine those who have larger physique than us!
why did it still work for us?
(1) it's cheap! need i say more?
(2) we felt secure though there were 4 of us with one guy.
(3) the rooms were clean enough although our aircon in the girls' room was unfortunately not working. we even had the electric fans in full blast most of the time.
(4) the receptionist was accommodating and she speaks fluent english!
(5) it's along nathan road in tsim sha tsui district where everything is within reach.
why it may not work you?
(1) the rooms are excessively small.
(2) you want to be pampered.
(3) you can't entertain a single ounce of paranoia. if i will be traveling solo, i may opt to choose another option.
but in the end, it's always your choice.
--
Cosmic Guest House
12th Floor Mirador Mansion
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hongkong
*most pictures here were grabbed from hannah's facebook. ;) hope she doesn't mind.
o-O
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