Apple Hostel

I was nervous about booking here because Chungking Mansions is often described as Hong Kong’s most dangerous building. I stayed for 10 days, and while the building felt a little sketchy, it didn’t seem dangerous. The online videos made it look much scarier than it was. The hostel was actually better than the photos, and my room looked like the listing. It was clean, with staff cleaning it once a week. I did sometimes see tiny bugs on the table, but thankfully no cockroaches. The room was very humid for some reason, and the building smelled, though I got used to that after about three days.

The location is good, and the room was very small but okay. I paid $40 a night. Staff were 4/5, though they didn’t answer my messages when I was trying to find the hostel, and it took me 35 minutes to locate it. The shared bathroom was small and not clean, with the toilet and shower all together and hardly any room to shower. The hostel is surrounded by huge buildings and a dirty, crowded area that felt literally scary at night. There was no view, haha. For Block B, be ready to wait in line for the elevator. Check my photo for the entrance.

The location in Chungking Mansions felt chaotic and especially unsafe at night. People kept approaching me in the hallways, which made me uncomfortable as soon as I arrived. Apple Hostel was one of the worst hostel stays I’ve had. The room was far tinier than the online photos suggested, with paper-thin walls. I could hear arguments and TV noise from nearby rooms all night. The sheets looked dirty, and there was someone else’s hair on the bed. The shared bathroom was filthy, barely worked, had very little hot water, and was cramped for the number of guests. There were no amenities at all. Saving money here isn’t worth the stress and discomfort. Hong Kong has better and safer options.

For Hong Kong prices, this was great value. I stayed five nights in a private room with its own bathroom. They also have shared rooms and shared bathrooms. The owner was friendly, and my room was quiet and clean. The hostel is right outside Tsim Sha Tsui subway station. The elevator can be slow sometimes, but I never waited anything like the 20 or 30 minutes mentioned by some other reviewers. I liked it more than I expected and have no complaints.