A Quarantine Free HK: Hilton Garden Inn Hong Kong Mongkok Deluxe Harbour View Room Review

This time around, I barely spent any time in Kowloon. Most of my hotels are located on HK Island and naturally, I focused on spending my time there instead. 7 nights are never too long in Hong Kong. My days were packed and there are some places that I wanted to explore but didn’t have time for it. After 2 nights at the amazing AKI M Gallery, I head across the harbour to Mong Kok and stayed one night at the Hilton Garden Inn. HK is sort of limited on options when it comes to Hilton. They only have 2 properties in the city, the Conrad in Admiralty and the HGI in Mong Kok. The HGI is fairly new and only opened in 2016. It is sort of in the middle of both Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei MTR stations. I decided to try it out since I wanted to stay in this neighbourhood to check out the Kowloon side of things. 

Booking Process & Pre Arrival 

I book the stay directly from Hilton and paid around 134 SGD a night after taxes. That is quite a premium but considering how expensive hotels are in Hong Kong, that is quite fair. With a low number of suites, upgrades to that level aren’t high. Furthermore, the HGI brand does not offer upgrades for elite members. From my experience, upgrades at Hilton Garden Inn are dependent on the property itself. Some of the more generous ones will still offer them. A couple of days out from the stay, I can see that I was being upgraded to a high-floor Deluxe Harbour View room from the base level room that I have booked. That is the best room available and I feel valued as a Diamond member. This is a very nice touch. Only the suites here come with a tub. This is something worth taking note of if it is important for your stay. The Hilton Garden Inn Hong Kong Mongkok features a total of 258 rooms and suites spread across 6 categories. You can find the detailed breakdown below.

Rooms	Bathtub	Room Size	No.of Rooms
Garden View	No	22 Sqm	95
Garden View – High Floor	No	22 Sqm	107
Deluxe Garden View	No	26 Sqm	18
Deluxe Harbour View	No	22 Sqm	29
Junior Harbour View Suite	Yes	30 Sqm	2
Deluxe Harbour View Suite	Yes	54 Sqm	1

Checking In

I arrive at around 2.20pm in the afternoon after taking the MTR and transferring to a cab for another 27 HKD. It is within walking distance but I was feeling lazy with all my baggage that day. The hotel has two entrances, one for vehicles and another one by the side that will be more suitable for pedestrian entrance. There wasn’t any staff at the entrance upon arrival and I had to wave someone over to help me with my bags. The lobby is pretty grand and I love high ceilings. It feels slightly more premium than your usual HGI. After all, the rates are slightly higher than your usual HGI as well. It is lovely to see that they had all the Chinese New Year decor. There is a slight before I was helped by a friendly associate. 

I was informed that my room will be upgraded to a Harbour View Deluxe Room and late check-out will be automatically upgraded to 4pm. They seem to have an official policy of extending Gold members to 2pm and Diamond members to 4pm. That is something I appreciate. It turn out to be very useful the next day. I was surprised that my room isn’t ready despite it being close to the official check-in time. I opted for points instead of breakfast given how much good food there is in HK. I decided to head out exploring the area before coming back for the keys later on. The hotel is about a 5 mins stroll to the main street, Nathan Road. Without baggage, it is a very lovely stroll. I ended up only returning in the evening at around 7pm to collect my keys. 

Deluxe Harbour View Room

I feel that the elevators here are very slow and there is constantly a wait for them. I was assigned room 1906 on the 19th floor. It is a short walk away from the elevator. I didn’t need the upgrade given that I was barely in the room. The room measures a cosy 22 Sqm. It is very nicely designed and appropriate. I was rather pleased when I first entered. It is well-maintained and clean. 

Upon entering, you have the bathroom to the left and the wardrobe to the right. A typical room layout! The wardrobe is pretty spacious and comes with plenty of hangers, a safe box, slippers and even an ironing kit. 

Next to it is the minibar area. It comes with a kettle alongside some packet teas and instant coffee. Complimentary drinking water is provided. Below you have a mini fridge that is left empty for your use. This area is connected to a spacious platform which can fit like a checked-in suitcase. 

The bathroom is on the left after entering. I love that it comes with a sliding door which helps to save space in a rather cosy room. The door also has a full-length mirror mounted on it making it multifunctional. I would love for them to have some hooks by the wall here. 

The bathroom is not overly spacious but sufficient for your stay. Weirdly, I saw a sticker by the entrance to remind guests to keep the bathroom door closed to prevent the steam from the shower from activating the smoke detector. This got to be a first for me! The bathroom comes with a single sink and amenities are from Crabtree and Evelyn as per the usual in Hilton properties. They are found in single-use bottles and two sets of them are provided. They are pretty comprehensive and all other amenities like a shaving kit and dental kit are provided. 

The standing shower is of a good size. It comes with a glass sliding door and a handheld showerhead. I love the set-up as water won’t get all over the place during showering. The water pressure and temperature control are good. You can see the main space of the room in one look. It measures a cosy 22 Sqm. The spacious king-size bed takes up most of the space in the room. The bedding is amazing, one of the better ones that I had in a Hilton Garden Inn. The sheets were plush and smooth. I also love that the mattress is on the firmer side which I prefer. Pillows though were much and paper thin, thankfully extra pillows can be requested. Flanking both sides of the bed, you have nightstands and controls for all the lighting. Power outlets are readily available and on one side you also have a USB outlet. It will be nice if the blinds and sheers are electronically controlled. 

Opposite the bed, you can find a little platform that sort of acts as the working desk and vanity area. It comes with a desk lamp and a high-quality office chair. It is a lovely setup for working. Outlets are within reach and the Wi-fi connection is strong. 

The TV is mounted on the wall. The high-quality smart Samsung television is high quality and comes with a good number of both cable and local TV channels. It is a little on the smaller side but quite a good fit for a room of this size. 

When I first entered the room, it is already pretty dark outside and I can’t see much of a view The next morning I got another look. While this is categorised as a Harbour View room, there isn’t much of a sea view to speak of. 

Along the window, a sofa stretches along. It is nice to have a couch of this size even for a small room. You can place some items on it and it can also be a daybed for the little ones. 

I appreciate that they offer mouthwash and special mentions go to their air-conditioning system. The unit is very quiet, unlike some hotels where the air conditioning is so noisy which affects my sleep. I am a person that sleeps well in complete darkness and silence. 

Fitness Centre 

The fitness centre is located on the top floor and is open 24 hours. It is in a small room. The gym is beside the pool. You can find some typical equipment in the gym. Water and towels are provided too. The place comes with a nice view of the harbour. 

Pool

The pool is also located on the roof. It is currently closed due to the cold season. It seems to be on the smaller side. It doesn’t seem to be rather lovely on warmer days with the view of the surrounding area and the harbour. 

Laundry Room 

The laundry room is located on level five and you have some self-service machines for guests’ use. This is a nice amenity to have especially for guests on longer stays. 

Breakfast at Eagle’s Garden 

Breakfast is served at Eagle’s Garden Restaurant from 6.30am to 10.30am. Besides offering breakfast the restaurant also serves Cantonese cuisine at other times of the day. Elite members at the HGI brand have a choice between points or breakfast. Given the plethora of food items that I wanted to try in Hong Kong, I opted for points instead. I did manage to pop by to check out the offerings. Let’s just say that I made the right choice by choosing points. The breakfast seems chaotic and messy. In fact, there isn’t anyone at the reception. It feels more like a banquet style rather than a proper restaurant. Here are some pictures of the buffet line. The selection is miserable. Calories are not meant to be wasted this way when you are in a food paradise.

Conclusion

One of the more decent Hilton Garden Inns out there. This is the more affordable option out here in Hong Kong but with it being such a premium market, this place can get pretty expensive at times too. It is a solid offering if you want to stay in the Kowloon area. I have no qualms about coming back here and did enjoy my time here. I won’t mind staying for a longer time. The Conrad is almost 3 to 4 times the price. Unless there are more Hilton properties in the city, this might be the only choice. Great option in Mong Kok! Next up,I will be heading back to HK Island and staying at The Park Lane Hong Kong.