Silka Far East Hotel

The beds barely felt like they had mattresses, more like cardboard. Maybe my expectations were too high, but you get what you pay for, after all this is HK. This will be my first and last time here. At check-in, the front desk said the room was non-smoking and asked whether we smoked. I said no, and she said good. But when we got in, there was a pungent smoke smell. I called the desk and she said they'd change rooms, so I went back down and asked whether they hadn't checked the rooms. She seemed oblivious to my question or didn't care, then gave me new keys.

The location is fantastic, close to a mall, restaurants, buses, and the MTR. The room is fairly old, and not having bottled water is a downside.

There are parks, malls, local restaurants, and small shops close to Silka Far East, with a bus stop right outside and roadside parking available. The neighborhood felt clean and safe, though halal food choices seemed limited for Muslim travelers. My room was small, clean, and tidied daily. Staff at reception were polite and helpful. There was no free drinking water or laundry service. Breakfast was a basic but decent buffet, with the same selection each day: bread, jam, butter, eggs, fried rice, apple and orange juice, milk, tea, coffee, soup, and fish dumpling congee. It worked well as a budget stay if you’re fine with a compact room and sorting out your own food options.

The cleaning ladies were great, and the service was otherwise adequate for most needs. Prices can be good, depending on the season, and local facilities are about a five-minute walk away. My room was a bit small. What bothered me most was smelling cigarette smoke every morning despite staying on a non-smoking floor. I complained to several staff members, but nothing seemed to change. They offered to move me, though I worried the same thing could happen on another floor. Maybe the hotel was reluctant to upset mainland Chinese visitors, who seemed to be an important source of income, but that was only my impression. If you smoke or can tolerate secondhand smoke, you may be fine here. I can’t stand it, so I wouldn’t recommend Silka Far East.