Youth Hostels in Kowloon, Hong Kong: Chung King Mansion

If your are curious about Youth Hostels & Guest Houses in the Chung King Mansion, Kowloon, Hong Kong this is the article for you. Both the Chung King and Mirador Mansions (Please see my Associated Content article on the Mirador Mansion for the list of contact information for the 17 Youth Hostels and Guest Houses that are located there)are located in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Kowloon is a great location for any traveler as it is a very convenient and central location, and generally cheaper than Hong Kong proper.

Although Hong Kong proper is over the river, the city itself is not that big, the subway in Kowloon will have you there in about 5 minutes. Or you can cross the river using the scenic route via the Star Ferry which is a 10 minute walk from the Chung King Mansion. The Chung King Mansion is home to Youth Hostels, Guest Houses, businesses and residences. (For directions to and amenities in the Chung King Mansion, please see the end of this article.)

I have read some online reviews describing the safety & accommodations of the Kowloon, Hong Kong, Chung King Mansion as superior to the Mirador Mansion which was described as "sketchy". I would have to say that simply is not true. The Mirador Mansion is as safe and secure as the Chung King Mansion and they are located 1.5 blocks from each other, in the exact same Kowloon neighborhood. Just for some information on my perspective, I am a woman who traveled to Hong Kong alone and spent 3 nights in 2 Youth Hostels in Kowloon, Hong Kong.

The crime rate in Hong Kong and Kowloon is very low, I felt safe at all times and at all hours day or night. The sketchiest thing about both The Mirador Mansion & the Chung King Mansion is the elevator (lift) situation. While the Mirador Mansion elevator usually takes approximately 5-10 minutes to arrive, I found that the elevator situation in the Chung King Mansion was far worse.

To be exact, there are 4 sets of 4 elevators in the Chung King Mansion. Each servicing the different "blocks" of the building. In the middle of the afternoon the line for each elevator was at least 12 people deep, the elevator holds approximately 5 or 6 people. When the elevator becomes over crowded a bell rings and 1 person must get off, so the elevator is at full capacity at all times.

The Chung King Mansion building in Kowloon, Hong Kong is divided into 4 (cell) blocks"A, B, C, D", with 1 set of elevators serving just the one block. Within the building the blocks are not connected, they are separate. So you are stuck using the 1 set of elevators specific to your block. In the Mirador Mansion the entire building is connected and you can use any set of elevators you want (like the elevator with the shorter line).

While in Hong Kong doing my research for this article on the list of Youth Hostels in Chung King Mansion I began my journalistic adventure at the top floor of the A block (and after the A block I felt so insane I could not go on to the B, C, and D blocks) and simply walked down the stairs to each floor to find the Youth Hostels and Guest Houses. When I reached the 3^rd floor the steps ended, so I tried to take the elevator to the 1^st floor of the Chung King Mansion. It took forever, so long in fact I began to sweat and feel claustrophobic. I tried to take the stairs but found that the doors on the 2^nd and 1^st floor were locked, clearly a fire hazard (and not helping my claustrophobia).

I returned to the 3^rd floor and the same guy who was waiting with his suitcase for the elevator, he was cute, when I was there before was still there. Sweating and waiting. Elevators were going by but all were filled to the weight capacity as was indicated by the indicator light on the elevator panel. Finally, 20 long minutes later, we got onto an elevator that was on its way up. We had to ride the packed elevator all the way up to the 14^th floor of the Chung King Mansion from the 3^rd floor just to get down to the 1^st floor. It was crazy to say the least.

As promised, here is a list of some of the Youth Hostels and Guest Houses available to you at the Chung King Mansion in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Sometimes the room rates are cheaper if you contact the hostel in person via email or phone (try Skype.com). Rates may be slightly different from Youth Hostel to Youth Hostel. Accommodations in Hong Kong can be very expensive and that's what makes these hostels and guest houses so attractive. However, these rooms are very small in size and provide minimal amenities.

The most expensive kind of room is a private room with a private bathroom that has a window. Yes some rooms, as a matter of fact, many rooms do not have a window, so be sure to specify if you need a window when making your reservation. Even cheaper are rooms that utilize shared bathroom facilities. You can also get a private room with a shared bathroom. The rate I paid, at the Mirador Mansion, for a private room with a private bathroom, no window, $23-35 US dollars, and the Chung King Mansion should offer similar rates.

1 Capital Guest House, 13/F, Block-A6&7, Chung King Mansion, 36-44 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: (852)2366-3455 or 9336-5358 or 6071-7421 or 2366-3020, Mgr. Jhony.

2 Travellers Hostel, 16/F, Block A1-A4, 36-44 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: (852)2368-771- or 2368-2505. Http//travellershostel.com.hk .

3 Hong Kong Happy Guest House, 11/F-12/F, block B1-B2-B3. Reception 9/F B3. 36-44 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: (852)2368-0318 or 9363-0892. Mgr. Mr. Chan Kin Kwan.

4 Pay-Less Guest House, A Block 7/F, A-9, 36-44 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: (852)2368-0920 or 2369-5525 or 2369-5535 or 9061-3132 or 3119-2888. Mgr. Jacky.

5 Ashoka Guest House, A Block, 13/F, 36-44 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: (852)6801-2325 or 2311-2170 or 6801-6462. Mgrs. Peter Gurjit, Gurdev Singh, Darshan Singh. Email: ashoka_guest_house@yahoo.com.

6 Fortunate Guest House & Youth Hostel, A Block, 11^th Floor, A2, Chung King Mansion, 36-44 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: (852)2366-5900 or 2316-7826 or 9581-6606 or 6275-7740. Mgr. Ms. Alice. Email: fortunate_guesthouse@hotmail.com
7 The Welcome Guest House, A5, 7^th Floor, A Block, Chung King Mansion, 36-44 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: (852)2721-7793 or 2721-1733 or 9215-2798 or 9671-9216. Mgrs. Mr. Lau & Ms. Jenny. Www.guesthousehk.net Email: guesthousehk@hotmail.com. 8 Chung King House De Luxe Hotel, A Block, 4^th & 5^th Floors, Chung King Mansion, 36-44 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: (852)2366-5362, Email: chungkinghouse@yahoo.com.hk

Directions to the Youth Hostels in Chung King Mansion and Mirador Mansion: Take the Mass Transit Rail (aka the subway) Red Line to Tsim Sha Tsui Station. Exit D1. At the top of the stair of exit D1, go left. Walk 60 paces up Nathan Rd to The Mirador Mansion & Chung King Mansion is 1.5 Blocks further on your left.

List of amenities in and nearby attractions, Chung King Mansion: Laundry services, Internet available 24hrs, commission free currency exchange on 1st floor. The office to obtain your China Visa is on the top floor. Western Union.

The Chung King Mansion is close to: Starbucks, Outback Steakhouse, The Spaghetti House, TGIF & PJ Murphy's Irish Pub, Holiday Inn and YMCA International House.

Nearby tourist attractions include: Star Ferry (takes you to the Hong Kong side of the river, the subway does too), Hong Kong Art Museum, Nightlife, Korea Town, the Esprit Outlet and lots of other shopping.