Holiday Inn Express Hong Kong Kowloon CBD2 by IHG

I liked the hotel's quieter feel. I've stayed at the Mong Kok and Golden Mile (Tsim Sha) locations before, and while those are in prime spots, their lobbies and surroundings felt too chaotic for me. This one is a bit off the beaten path, but I'd definitely stay again. It's less than a 10-minute walk to the mall, restaurants, and MTR, and about a 20-minute MTR ride to most attractions. The airport bus took around 45 minutes and cost only $5 USD. The shower was spacious, and the hotel felt extremely comfortable and new, with professional, friendly staff. Breakfast has limited choices but is nicely arranged, with enough to try more HK food.

Breakfast had a decent selection, and the room fridge was free to use, which came in handy. The location was good, and the staff were all lovely. The room was spacious and clean, and I couldn't hear other guests or their doors, which was great. I could have used more light for doing my makeup and hair. The bed felt quite hard compared with what I'm used to in Europe or England. One drawback was the tea and coffee setup: there was no English breakfast tea or milk for the room, just an oddly flavored Earl Grey and Coffee-mate powder.

The laundry machines on the 7th floor seemed good, though the tokens cost HKD 60 each. You need one for washing and another for drying, and I think you buy them from reception on the 1st floor. The hotel is handy for restaurants in this business area, and APM shopping centre is a five-minute walk away, next to Kwun Tong Kwun Tong MTR station. From Hong Kong International Airport, the A29 bus takes about 40-50 minutes and leaves you a five-minute walk from the hotel. The room was comfortable and, by Hong Kong standards, reasonably large. We liked the bed, though we'd have preferred it a little softer. The air conditioning cooled well but was loud, so we switched it off before sleeping. The bathroom was very good, and I liked the one-door design, though the shower cubicle is a little see-through. Check-in is on the 1st floor, reached by escalator from the ground floor lobby with its big glass doors. You need to tap your room key in the lift to reach your floor, which felt secure. Breakfast is served at Pizza Express on the same floor as reception. This is probably the best Holiday Inn Express I've stayed at.

Breakfast was clearly continental, which is what I'd expect from a Holiday Inn Express, but it was disappointing. We only took eggs and a banana; nothing else looked worth trying. I've stayed in cheaper hotels with much better breakfasts and no air conditioning trouble. The hotel itself looked fairly new, the rooms were decent for a Holiday Inn Express, and staff were professional and responsive to a point. The duty staff member kindly offered a dehumidifier, which was already lined up in the hallway. That makes me think this happens to a lot of guests. But the central HVAC seemed to have a wider problem: the air stayed humid, the sheets felt damp, and indoor humidity was close to 70%, leaving me sticky and uncomfortable. The front desk tried to move us, but the two rooms I checked had the same issue, which seemed to need management attention. At checkout, when I raised it again, the staff member brushed me off and didn't really listen. That's unacceptable. Basic comfort matters, and guests should be taken seriously when they report this kind of issue. I don't think Hong Kong's climate is the explanation, because the nicer malls have cool, dry air. It's 2026, and the technology should be able to handle this unless there are financial reasons for cutting corners on cooling the building. We ran the dehumidifier all night, but humidity only fell from 68% to 62%, and didn't go lower. I woke up unrested and unhappy. Paying to be stressed isn't kosher. I'd give the hotel four stars if everything else were right, but took off one for HVAC and another for the staff's indifference to guests' comfort. I've attached a picture to show what I mean. I won't return until they fix the problem.