I got mixed reviews for USA hostel while researching on it. Pinoyexchange forum recommends it but most of the foreign reviews usually do not. Still the reviews prepared me not to expect too much. More especially because we got this via mileage redemption and we did not pay a cent for it. I was already expecting we will be given a room that is not really within USA hostel (as most of the reviews had mentioned). Since they own a bunch of hostels within Mirador mansion, I knew that depending on availability we may or may not get a room that we prefer.
Booking and Check-in
We had booked for a double deluxe room via Delta.com (delta miles redemption). The official check in time is 2pm and checkout is 11am. Two days before our arrival, I emailed to inquire if their rooms have wifi. If you need this, you need to inform them beforehand. So that upon checkin they will know your preference (not all rooms have wifi access). Wifi is free of charge.
If you prefer a room with window/s, you also have to mention this beforehand. Note though that not all rooms have windows and therefore for deluxe rooms it is not guaranteed. It is only guaranteed for superior rooms. I am not sure if the superior rooms are actually advertised as when I booked through Delta the only choice was deluxe room. I think the window request goes with additional charge.
We arrived around 1pm and we were already allowed to checkin. We were given a room on the 10th floor in New Kowloon Hostel instead.
While waiting for the elevator, the lady who was assisting us to our room asked Rene if his luggage was heavy. He said no and that it was ok (thinking that she was intending to carry it). And then we were surprised that she directed us to the stairs instead. LOL ok that's when we realized - oops wrong answer! :p So there we went 3 floors down by the stairs.
Room and amenities
We got to the main door with its own key lock and there is a water dispenser by the entrance. If I remember correctly, we got room 33. I wasn't surprised that the room had no window. But I was pleasantly surprised that it was a triple room. We had an extra bed for our stuff to put on, yay! :)
As expected there is a TV although there were only local channels and there is no remote control. There were a lot of hooks and hangers for clothes. Glasses for drinking were also provided. There were also slippers (although I am not sure if this is sanitized). I then checked the bathroom if it looks clean. Looks ok. Unfortunately, I find the sink and toilet seat quite high. And I consider myself above average in height for an Asian.
As expected there is a TV although there were only local channels and there is no remote control. There were a lot of hooks and hangers for clothes. Glasses for drinking were also provided. There were also slippers (although I am not sure if this is sanitized). I then checked the bathroom if it looks clean. Looks ok. Unfortunately, I find the sink and toilet seat quite high. And I consider myself above average in height for an Asian.
I was so thirsty when we checked in that I got to try the free water immediately by the entrance. I was disappointed that it wasn't cold at all (seems the dispenser is not turned on) and the water seem to taste like tap water. Although I usually don't have a sensitive stomach, I just played it safe and opted not to drink from it anymore. We instead bought bottled water from nearby 7-11 at the ground floor.
As usual, space is an issue. The bathroom space is really small but this is already expected. I also noticed the tissue from the tissue dispenser was damp. Good thing we brought our own. I did overhear another Asian requesting for a new roll of toilet paper from the reception as theirs were also soaked.
The room itself is not so bad as we can still walk around, there is a huge mirror with a long table and a plastic chair. The air conditioning is good. The towels and linen are probably a hit and miss. Some look clean but some look a bit dusty and worn out. So we still used some. And I noticed they do clean up the room daily and change the sheets and towels. The replacements seem to be a hit and miss too.
To have an idea of what the room looks like check out the photos here. Our room almost looks similar (closest to photo #6) just without the windows and having 1 double and 1 single bed.
Checkout and other Services
We checked out around 10am and surrendered our key at the reception. We immediately got the key deposit back. As our flight is still in the evening, we left our luggage for storage with them (for a fee: HKD20=3 hours, HKD30=6 hours, HKD50=whole day).
The day before we had inquired about their offered theme park tickets. They mentioned that they sell discounted admission tickets but forgot to inquire beforehand. So I inquired with them on the day we were going to Ocean Park, but they said that prior reservation should have been arranged for them to get the tickets. Lesson learned: should have asked about this through email when I inquired about the booking.
Staff
The person who replies to my emails (Sandy), usually replies within a day. In general I find the staff at the hostel not too courteous. I guess I am used to Filipino hospitality so comparing to Filipinos they would appear to be quite rude. However, I'm sure it is not intentional. When a guest was also asking for toilet paper and their supplies room was locked, the staff knocking at the door kept shouting at the person inside that it sounded like they were in a fight. Turns out the shouting staff was Filipina when we checked out because she was speaking Tagalog with some of the guests checking out as well. When we asked her questions in Tagalog, she sounded polite in contrast to how she sounded the day before. I guess she has acquired the Hongkong ways, then.
Mirador mansion
If you're checking this hostel out, you're probably aware already that this hostel is located within Mirador Mansion. The building itself is huge. And there are a lot of establishments around it. As noted from a lot of reviews, the people surrounding the area seem a bit intimidating at first, a lot of Indian and African-looking nationalities. It might get a little bit scary if you're a lone female traveller. But if you're Asian-looking, you're usually ignored which is a good thing. :) It's the Caucasians that are usually being harassed with all kinds of sales talk, not really sure what they're selling though.
What I like about this place is its location. It's close to almost anything. The nearest MTR station is D1. Several 7-11 stores are scattered around it. There is also an I-Square mall with a supermarket just across the Chungking mansion which is about a block away from Mirador.
The elevators are quite difficult to get into especially when going down. They have dedicated elevators for odd and even floors. Once we took the stairs from the 10th floor all the way to the ground floor. Almost upon reaching the ground floor, the stairs got a bit creepy because of all the stains everywhere which looked like blood. I felt like I was in a scene from the game Silent Hill.
In getting up, if the line is long for our floor (10th - even) and the other elevator has ample space, we take the odd one until 9th floor and just take the stairs up. The main elevators are operational I think only until 10PM. But you can still take the service elevators at the far back.
There are several money changers at the ground floor of Mirador mansion. Best not to change at the main entrance as it has the worst exchange rates. I was able to get good rates at Wing Hoi and another one near the side entrance.
Overall, I find our experience at USA hostel and Mirador mansion quite tolerable. It's not something to rave about but I think it really wasn't so bad. If you get this at a low price, don't expect too much and just enjoy the experience.
