Dianne's Nook

According to the recommendations in PEx and Girltalk, Golden Crown Guesthouse is one of the best guesthouse in Hong Kong for first timers. Why? Because the building where it's located is practically beside an MTR exit (Exit D) and the A21 bus stop. Who wouldn't get attracted to that feature?! 

So a month before our trip to Hong Kong, I already booked our 2 nights stay at Golden Crown Guesthouse. I was lucky that there are still available room for us. Normally, Golden Crown Guesthouse is fully booked. I never thought of any other guesthouse as a back-up. Probably Taisan Guesthouse, but I was really determined to get a room at Golden Crown.

Elvis of Golden Crown Guesthouse e-mailed us that we need to pay a deposit of HKD 300 in order to process the reservation. The whole bill is HKD 760 for 2 nights of stay in a couple room. It's way cheaper compared to hotels. We didn't think of booking a hotel because like any budget traveler would say, you wouldn't stay that much inside the hotel room to pay an exorbitant amount. 

When deciding to stay at a guesthouse, one should not expect special treatment or complete amenities. You have to expect a small room especially in a very small place like Hong Kong. The rooms are just enough to fit the number of people booked. That was what I anticipated during our Hong Kong trip.

We immediately rushed to the 5th floor of Golden Crown Court to check in. We found two women there speaking Chinese. We obviously didn't understand what they're talking about but I'm pretty sure they are quite busy with the number of guests checking in. One of the ladies finally talked in Tagalog. Apparently, she was half-Chinese. She told us to leave our things and come back at 2pm because the guests were not yet leaving so the rooms are not yet ready. We paid the balance of HKD 460 and decided to eat lunch outside first.

After our lunch at Cafe De Coral located at the 2nd floor of Chung King Mansion, we returned to the hostel. The lady we talked to a while ago accompanied us at the 13th floor. I just learned that the 13th floor myths are not really popular in Hong Kong. We were greeted by a Korean lady, must be the caretaker. They gave us a triple room. Double Bed with a single upside deck to be exact. There's no TV. I thought there was a TV when I checked out the images. I didn't bother asking because it doesn't have Filipino channels anyway.

We were given keys for the main door and our room. We just had a small problem with the main door because it requires a different way to open. But we learned it eventually.

The guesthouse also provided slippers to wear. And there's something I haven't anticipated. We have to put on the slippers when inside the guesthouse. We have to leave our shoes on the cabinet at the living area and wear them once we're outside or carry them on our room for safe keeping. The Korean caretaker said it's a Japanese style. We agreed but quite puzzled about this rule.

The next day, we were freaking out because the heater in the bathroom wasn't working. How can we take a bath on a 10 degree weather? We called the attention of the caretaker and she told us that we would have to use the cold water first, then transfer to another room at 11am when the occupants of the room leave. We braved the cold water and since we're used to taking a cold bath, we were able to do it. But it's really cold!

But one perk I can say that they provide small breakfast for the guests. On our 2nd day in Hong Kong, we woke up with a free coffee/tea and bread at the reception area. You can make your own coffee and toast your own bread for free, provided that you wash the utensils after using them. Feels like home!

Before 11am, we returned to our room to transfer our things. We were transferred to the double room which has a computer, still no TV. The room is more spacious than what we originally had but the bathroom is smaller. We had a hard time using it. But again, we paid less than a hotel so it's not much of a disappointment.

Overall, our stay at Golden Crown Guesthouse was a pleasant experience. We didn't expect that much so we were not disappointed. We're really after the outdoor experience in Hong Kong more than the guesthouse experience so I think, after all the small hassles, Golden Crown Guesthouse is still one of the best places to stay in Hong Kong.

Too bad I wasn't able to take a picture of our room. Maybe next time!

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Golden Crown Guesthouse

5/F Golden Crown Court, 66-70 Nathan Road, TsimShaTsui HongKong 

Tel:(852) 2369 1782 　Fax: (852) 2368 1740

http://www.goldencrownhk.com/