The Mercer

Getting here from the airport by train is easy, with the hotel only a few minutes’ walk from Hong Kong station. It’s a comfortable, conveniently located place. The rooms are fairly large and nicely appointed, with a work desk, fridge, kettle, and a small selection of tea and coffee samples. There’s no bottled water, but a 7/11 is just a minute’s walk from the foyer.

The staff were genuinely helpful, and the location is good with nice food nearby. The rooms were smaller than the website photos, but still acceptable. Things felt a bit too old and had a smell. The fridge had rust leakage, and the toilet door wouldn’t close all the way or lock, which felt unhygienic with the bed right outside. Every amenity cost extra, including toothbrushes and slippers, with “saving environment” given as the reason. They also took my credit card as a deposit, which I didn’t appreciate.

It’s a decent hotel on the edge of Central, closer to Sheung Wan station, with lots of popular restaurants and bars nearby. The rooms were clean and spacious, and service from the front desk through housekeeping was good. Some amenities, including slippers and dental kits, have to be purchased separately.

We might have just been unlucky, but for a “mid-range” hotel this was a pretty negative experience. The front desk service was generally mediocre, and our key cards were deactivated several hours before checkout. We were put in a handicapped room, so we had to bend down to use everything in the bathroom, and there was no counter or mirror above the sink. The AC broke for one night, leaving us sleeping in nearly 80F temperatures. At 6AM, a low battery alert from the fire alarm woke us up. The floors didn’t seem properly cleaned, and something gross was stuck to the bathroom floor. The body wash ran out by the last day because it wasn’t refilled proactively. There was no mini fridge, and slippers, a comb, a toothbrush, and other basics cost extra.