Bluejay Residences

It was cheap and good value as somewhere to sleep, and the location is excellent, right by the MTR. The neighborhood itself doesn’t have much, just a few restaurants and no bars. The room was tiny, about as wide as a double bed and twice as long. There was almost nowhere to store clothes, and showering was difficult in such a small space. It might be okay for a night or two, but we stayed ten and it was too much. The thin walls let in lots of noise, and workmen renovating the two rooms next to us woke us every day.

I stayed at Bluejay for a week and got bed bug bites for the first time in my life. I thought they were an ordinary allergy rash because I have allergies. If I’d known it was bed bugs, I wouldn’t have stayed the whole week. They ruined my trip, and now I have to pay extra to get rid of them. I’ve got some scars that still haven’t fully healed. The place was super dirty too. Dust had built up thickly on the TVs, shelves, windows, and bathroom. Housekeeping was available, but they only changed towels and bedsheets and didn’t clean the other things. Even if you’re on a budget, please make a better choice for yourself.

Good value and well located near an MTR station. It suits budget travelers visiting Ocean Park, and it’s only a few stops from central Hong Kong Island and Tsim Sha Tsui. You can also take sampans to the Aberdeen area. One tip: steer clear of some awful hostels that claim to have good locations, including WanChai, Causeway Bay, Jordan, and Tsim Sha Tsui. They can be overpriced, uncomfortable, and unhygienic, with terrible dorms and rooms scattered across a few floors of old mansions.

Just being honest, there are some things to consider before booking. The room was extremely tiny. It was meant to have two beds, but when I opened the door they were less than a step away, and I had to lift my suitcase over near the window. The lack of space meant I spent more money eating out and extra time in cafés to do emails and reading. In practice, my total costs were about as high as staying at a four-star hotel. There were no eating utensils, so eating food in the room would mean another expense. The fridge didn’t work properly and I had to throw away newly bought ice cream. The table was so small that I kept knocking over the water boiler. My room wasn’t soundproof, and luckily I had earplugs, another extra cost. I booked through Trip.com, which offered no partial refund when I wanted to cancel early because the living conditions didn’t suit me. I wish I’d booked a shorter stay first to see whether I liked the place.