I’ve just returned from a quick trip to Hong Kong earlier this week which involved a stay at the Somerset Victoria Park Hong Kong, located in Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island. As you may pick up, the major hotel rewards programs are not my cup of tea and I tend to focus on two main booking tools: Airbnb and Hotels.com. I like Hotels.com as the rates are competitive and the rewards program is straightforward which is the site I used for this booking.

Overall Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Service:  3.5 of 5 Stars
Location: 5 of 5 Stars
Comfort: 4 of 5 Stars
Cleanliness: 4 of 5 Stars

Location: The location was relatively convenient in a quieter neighborhood near Causeway Bay. It’s about a 5-8 minute walk from the Tin Hau MTR station and 2-3 minute walk from the Wing Hing Street stop on the tramway. From the Hong Kong airport, it only requires one transfer from the Aiport Express to the Island Line. The immediate neighborhood of the Somerset Victoria Park is not a tourist hotspot but it’s very close to the bustle of the Causeway Bay shopping district. It’s also very to get just about anywhere in Central Hong Kong or Kowloon very quickly. Overall, I found the location a nice balance between convenience and quiet.

Service: The Somerset Victoria Park is a hotel that runs on minimal staff. The hotel is a tall, narrow vertical column within a high-rise building with a very small lobby. There is only one staff member on duty but everyone I encountered was friendly. English skills were moderate to good and everyone did their best to answer any questions I may have had. But if you’re expecting attentive service and lots of amenities, the Somerset Victoria Park will not be right for you.  While the Somerset Victoria Park is a hotel, many of the units also serve as serviced corporate apartments.

The Room: Like many big cities, space can be a luxury in most hotels. Hong Kong is a shining example of this. So when I arrive in my room at the Somerset Victoria Park, I was pleasantly surprised how large the room was, especially the bathroom. The room featured a small kitchenette with a sink, microwave, coffee maker, and tea kettle. The double bed was comfortable but not spectacular. There was a nice, moderately sized closet with an iron, ironing board, and safe for valuables.The bathroom was one of my favorite parts of the room. It was quite large for Hong Kong and featured a walk-in glass shower with nice shower heads. Counter space was plentiful around the sink. The in-house toiletries were nice as well.

The WiFi connection was reliable and didn’t require you to login over and over. There’s also a mobile phone docked in the room that allows you to make free or discounted calls. The phone has data so you can take it with you while you explore Hong Kong with features like Google Maps. The main dislike of the room was poor quality of the fan and aircon.  The air in the room did not circulate very well. I found myself constantly adjusting the fan controls.

Cleanliness: Cleanliness is a very important factor me when I travel and the Somerset Victoria Park met my expectations in this category. The linens, counter tops, floor, and bathroom were all very clean. Hong Kong is very humid so the room had a bit of “must” to it at first.

Overall: I had a very short stay in Hong Kong and I didn’t need a lot of frills for this particular trip. With that in mind, I had a generally nice stay at the Somerset Victoria Park. Highlights of the room were the moderate size, the nice shower, reliable WiFi, and the ease of checking in/out. The only noticeable dislike of course was the room fan.  I paid roughly $94 USD/night via Hotels.com so I earned a night with Hotels.com Rewards. For Central Hong Kong, I feel this was very reasonable weekend rate for such a large room.  Plus, it was a much better stay than the last Hong Kong hotel I visited. All in for this trip, I was overall left with a good impression of the Somerset Victoria Park Hong Kong.