AKVO Hotel

We stayed in a premium city view room on level 12. It was quite spacious, and there were lots of restaurants nearby, with Sheung Wan station not far away. We were traveling with our six-month-old, and the cot we requested at booking was already in the room when we checked in. Of the hotels we stayed at in Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong, this was the only one that offered a baby bathtub. The lights were confusing. It took us a while to figure out that we had to hold the button down for about five seconds to switch on the light near the door. There was some mold and rust in the bathroom, and my wife found the kettle quite dirty and cleaned it before we used it.

The staff were generally pleasant, but the gym had apparently been under maintenance since August, and we only found out at check-in. They offered no alternative. It had already been more than two months, so why was it taking so long? The room AC also made a constant buzzing noise, which staff said was normal.

We arrived around 12:11 AM, but a system error held up check-in and we didn’t get a room key until 12:45. The delay itself was frustrating, and there was no proactive update or help. Then the fire alarm went off soon after we reached the room, and the elevators shut down without any explanation from staff. My husband was stranded on another floor for a long time. I called the front desk several times, but got no clear information or apology. During a safety incident, guests shouldn’t be left without updates, especially when they can’t get back to their room. The water heater in our room wasn’t working either. We were exhausted and hoped it would be fixed by morning, but it was still broken when we woke up. When I called, staff casually said, “Yes! The water heater was broken down last night,” as though it were a minor inconvenience. I later learned the team already knew that all rooms on the higher floors had water heater problems, yet they assigned us one of those rooms without telling us or offering another option. Why knowingly put guests in a room with a known, unresolved issue? This was a deeply frustrating stay, with failures in communication, guest care, and basic operations. A hotel should provide a safe, functional, comfortable room, not add preventable problems to travel fatigue and respond with indifference. I expect a sincere explanation and appropriate compensation for the disruption. I hope the hotel takes this seriously so other guests don’t have the same experience.

The neighborhood felt safe, lively, and easy to walk around, with food, cafes, and markets tucked into the alleys. The hotel is close to the metro, and staff were friendly and helped me get a taxi right to the door. They also stored my luggage before check-in and after checkout. My room was large by HK standards, with a big bathroom, bed, AC, mini fridge, and espresso machine. The facilities are small but practical: a gym, laundry, and lobby, plus very fast WiFi. There’s an eco program to save water by not changing sheets and towels every day, but they’ll gladly do daily changes if you ask.