SUMMARY:
Unbeatably cheap, very clean, safe, excellent location, top-notch staff
Dragon Hostel really is one of HK's best hostels, and is a classic among the many hostels available in the region. Excellent ratings made by hundreds of travellers should comfort even the first-time traveller who may be venturing into budget accommodations for the first time.
BACKGROUND:
I am travelling with 2 friends, and are staying in Dragon Hostel for 14 days. I am travelling with 2 friends, neither of whom speak Cantonese. I myself do speak Cantonese and am Chinese-Canadian.
CLEANLINESS:
Excellent. Absolutely excellent. Bathrooms, linens, and the room itself are cleaned *daily*. And I don't mean the owner helping you pick up the occasional piece of trash. I'm talking about a cleaning crew hired specifically to clean. Floors are mopped, linens are laundered, the room is swept and mopped, trash bins are emptied, toilet paper/shampoo/soap is restocked. I myself frequent hostels fairly regularly since I'm a student on a budget, and Dragon Hostel is head and shoulders above all the hostels I've seen.
SAFETY:
There are 2 things here that you need to consider when it comes to safety/security:
1) HK in general is a safe place overall. It's much safer than most first-time tourists are led to believe, and from what I've seen the scary reputation is not warranted. Keep in mind that I have both the local and foreign perspective. I am a HK citizen who considers herself first and foremost Canadian, but have strong ties to HK. I can tell you that HK is a safe place if you're not an idiot about it. Theft occurs - of course it does - but no more than any other large city. Remember that you only ever hear about the thefts that actually happen, never the ones that don't. HK is safe if you're not an idiot about it. Lock your door, don't wave your money around in public, and don't go picking fights and you'll be fine.
2) The hostel itself is not a self-contained building. It is located in a larger complex called Sincere House in Mong Kok. It should be said here that Mong Kok is itself one of the seedier parts of HK. There are, however, 24-hour CCTV cameras staffed by an actual person around the clock. I've spoken with the gentleman who does the monitoring, and he's very nice. There are occasionally moments in which the CCTV is unmonitored, but on the whole Dragon Hostel does go out of their way to make it a safe place. Rooms are locked, and a second locked door stands between your room and the rest of the building. Sure, you could question the strength of these locks, but if that's what you're doing then you may as well question the locks on your suitcase or the zipper on your bag - of course they have weaknesses, but it's an acceptable risk.
MAINTENANCE:
Frankly, Sincere House is no Hilton hotel. It is a fairly typical lower-end residential building you see everywhere in HK. HK residents would fine it completely normal. My more western friends may find it horrifying, but that's not the hostel's problem. In HK, Dragon Hostel is considered perfectly normal when it comes to facilities/building maintenance. The stairs are concrete and dirty, the elevators are old and small, the rooms are outdated and rusted, the bathroom facilities are simplistic and a tad old. But I need here to reiterate - Dragon Hostel is very normal when it comes to these factors. These are issues you'll see at any hostel in this price range, I guarantee it. That being said, you're considering a hostel because you're on a budget. In doing so you're entering a contract in which you are sacrificing some luxuries for cheap accommodation. There are certain inevitable compromises that even a hostel as great as Dragon Hostel cannot prevent. If you're easily grossed out, by all means go to a hotel. This review is written entirely under the assumption that you do not fall into this latter category and do not see a hotel as an option.
STAFF:
The man who owns the hostel is named Stanley. He speaks English extremely well, and is just an all-round nice guy. The most notable thing about him is the fact that he actually CARES about the hostel, and it shows. Him and his staff go to many lengths to make your stay as comfortable as possible, from bringing you extra blankets, to suggesting sightseeing locations, and they're very honest people. They're not trying to trick you out of your money, they're not trying to mess up your trip, they're not trying to steal your belongings, they're not out to con you. They genuinely just care about the hostel, which is quite uncommon in its sincerity. Just relax.
THE ROOM:
Small and cramped, but again this is to be expected. Beds are comfortable, and air conditioning is provided 24/7! Never underestimate how important this second point is, particularly during the HK summer months. Do make sure you ask for a window - you need to notifying the hostel in advance for this in writing. The hostel in general is quite quiet, which is nice.
BATHROOM:
Small and cramped, of course. A little inconvenient in minor ways, but mindblowingly clean! Very clean! The only negatives I have are that the sink is a tad too small, and in some rooms the drain is located in a somewhat awkward position. There is no separate shower. A moveable showerhead is provided, and you take a shower in the bathroom itself using the drain on the floor. I didn't really have any issue with this - it really worked out quite fine. But for my western friends accustomed to separate shower stalls, do take this into consideration. Bathrooms can be either private or shared. Private bathrooms are ensuite, so you have your own which is attached to your room. Shared bathrooms are generally shared between 2 - 3 rooms, depending on the number of occupants per room. Again, remember that bathrooms are cleaned daily. Sharing bathrooms with strangers may sound gross, but it really isn't a problem.
MISC:
Free, PRE-BOILED water is available 24/7. Very useful to fill up your water bottles in the morning. There is also a fridge, a freezer, and a microwave. Laundry services are available for HK $40 per load, which works out to be around $5.25 Canadian dollars. Very reasonable. Free linen (towels, sheets, blankets), shampoo/soap, and toilet paper is also provided. A free guidebook to HK is available for free upon request. The hostel also offers discounted fares for attractions like Ocean Park, Disneyland, and the Peak Tram. Finally, Dragon Hostel is truly in an unbeatable location. It's directly across the street from a 7-11, grocery store, and currency exchange. MTR station is 2 mins away. It's also located in the heart of Mong Kok - one of HK's busiest districts.
