Cheap Accommodations in Hong Kong: Cosmic Youth Hostel, Mirador Mansion, Kowloon

During my recent trip to Hong Kong, I spent 3 nights in youth hostels located in the Mirador Mansion, Kowloon, Hong Kong. One night was spent at the Cosmic Youth Hostel and 2 nights at the USA Hostel. I would recommend the Cosmic Youth Hostel for very cheap accommodation, but please read this article to make sure you know what you are getting into. Contact information is at the end of this article.

The Cosmic Youth Hostel is located on the Kowloon Peninsula. The Kowloon Peninsula and Hong Kong Island are separated by Victoria Harbor. Kowloon and Hong Kong Island are very close, next door, and are connected by subway (5-minute ride), The Star Ferry, and local buses and taxis. Don't worry that staying in Kowloon will make you feel separate from Hong Kong because as a tourist staying in Kowloon feels like you are staying in Hong Kong except everything is cheaper on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbor.

The Cosmic Youth Hostel is a 2-minute walk to the MTR (subway), a 10-minute walk to The Star Ferry and a 5-minute walk to Starbucks and other western, Korean and Chinese food restaurants (including vegetarian).

The Cosmic Youth Hostel offers several levels of accommodation for the budget traveler, the most expensive being a private room / private bathroom with window that looks out onto the street. Some rooms have windows that face a wall and it is as if you have no window at all. The Cosmic Youth Hostel also offers private rooms with shared bathroom facilities and the traditional youth hostel style shared room with shared bathroom.

At the Cosmic Youth Hostel I spent the night in a room with a window that faced the interior of the Mirador Mansion building. It was very cheap, $23 USD, and very small, I would say clean but prison cell like (please see my pictures). The only space to walk in the room was about 6ft by 2ft hallway that led from the door and bathroom to the double bed. The Cosmic Youth Hostel provides you with a friendly staff, air conditioning, soap, toilet paper and TV with English channels such as the National Geographic Channel and the Star Movie Channel. The linens were clean but the mattress, blanket and pillow were hard and definitely old.

The bathroom was clean but micro in size even by Hong Kong youth hostel standards (and I am a woman who is 5ft3 and 48kg). The Cosmic Youth Hostel also has slightly larger more livable rooms that have a comfy chair, but those have a window that faces the outside. Be sure to specify your room preference when making your reservation.

Most rooms at the Cosmic Youth Hostel are separate from the reception area. There is a locked security gate to enter the hallway where the rooms are located, you are provided with this key. I felt safe there. My room however was located 2 rooms away from the security door and it opens and closes quite loudly which resulted in my not getting much sleep. The phone did not work and there was no alarm clock.

Cosmic Guest House& Youth Hostel, 12/F, Mirador Mansion, 54-56 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel:(852)2369-6669. Www.cosmicguesthouse.com, email: cosmicgh@rogers.com.

(Please view my Tesl Goddess content page for more travel articles on Hong Kong vegetarian restaurants and budget accommodations.)