The Hostelz.com Review
Cosmic Guesthouse is a little old and dated, but clean and in a great location with an abundance of things to do.
The Location
The hostel is located on the twelfth floor of an older-style building in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. There are a number of different businesses operating from the same floor, including a tailor, and it is patrolled by security officers after hours. The building in general is a little rundown and old, but seemingly typical of the area and feels quite safe. It is very easy to get to -- the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) station is situated just below the building as well as a bus stop that services thirty-seven bus lines, some of which go to and from the airport. Nearby is the Kowloon gardens, complete with public pool, as well as all kinds of shopping from street markets to more upmarket shopping malls. There are also an abundance of places to eat to suit all budgets.
Rooms and Bathrooms
There are a variety of rooms to choose from, starting from a single en-suite to six-person room (a double, two singles, and two bunk beds) all with en-suite. There are also two-bed, three-bed, four-bed, and five-bed options. The cheapest option is a four-bed coed dorm without en-suite. The rooms are quite dated and small, but clean and bright.
The en-suite is very small but probably typical in size for Hong Kong, with a removable shower head over the toilet. There are no shelves or hooks inside the en-suite, however there is a rack just outside. They too are quite old but also reasonably clean. The shower works well and could be adjusted to suit. Each room has a key lock, and the corridor leading to the room also is locked with access via a card given at check-in. This card also connects/disconnects the power inside the rooms when places in a holder behind the door. There were several signs around warning guests to not leave valuables in rooms, and the guesthouse will not take responsibility for theft. Every room has a shower, colour TV, wireless internet, air conditioning, and a telephone with a direct line.
Common Spaces
There are no common spaces at Cosmic Guest House. There is an internet computer, however guests must purchase a card with a certain amount of hours of access rather than the time they use. You are unlikely to meet many people in this guesthouse, however on the plus side it is quiet and relaxing. There is the option to leave luggage at the front desk, however if left after 6 p.m. they will charge a small fee. You cannot smoke in the rooms, but there are people smoking in the hall balconies that open up into the internal courtyard.
Summary
Cosmic Guesthouse feels a little gritty but at the same time authentic. If you are looking for generic Western-style accommodation then this might not suit you. However if you can appreciate that you are in a Hong Kong guesthouse, it can be a comfortable, budget-conscious stay. The rooms are clean and the staff helpful. The location is fantastic, you will not run out of things to see and do (and eat!), it is easy to get to, and has fantastic public transport connections.
The Location
The hostel is located on the twelfth floor of an older-style building in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. There are a number of different businesses operating from the same floor, including a tailor, and it is patrolled by security officers after hours. The building in general is a little rundown and old, but seemingly typical of the area and feels quite safe. It is very easy to get to -- the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) station is situated just below the building as well as a bus stop that services thirty-seven bus lines, some of which go to and from the airport. Nearby is the Kowloon gardens, complete with public pool, as well as all kinds of shopping from street markets to more upmarket shopping malls. There are also an abundance of places to eat to suit all budgets.
Rooms and Bathrooms
There are a variety of rooms to choose from, starting from a single en-suite to six-person room (a double, two singles, and two bunk beds) all with en-suite. There are also two-bed, three-bed, four-bed, and five-bed options. The cheapest option is a four-bed coed dorm without en-suite. The rooms are quite dated and small, but clean and bright.
The en-suite is very small but probably typical in size for Hong Kong, with a removable shower head over the toilet. There are no shelves or hooks inside the en-suite, however there is a rack just outside. They too are quite old but also reasonably clean. The shower works well and could be adjusted to suit. Each room has a key lock, and the corridor leading to the room also is locked with access via a card given at check-in. This card also connects/disconnects the power inside the rooms when places in a holder behind the door. There were several signs around warning guests to not leave valuables in rooms, and the guesthouse will not take responsibility for theft. Every room has a shower, colour TV, wireless internet, air conditioning, and a telephone with a direct line.
Common Spaces
There are no common spaces at Cosmic Guest House. There is an internet computer, however guests must purchase a card with a certain amount of hours of access rather than the time they use. You are unlikely to meet many people in this guesthouse, however on the plus side it is quiet and relaxing. There is the option to leave luggage at the front desk, however if left after 6 p.m. they will charge a small fee. You cannot smoke in the rooms, but there are people smoking in the hall balconies that open up into the internal courtyard.
Summary
Cosmic Guesthouse feels a little gritty but at the same time authentic. If you are looking for generic Western-style accommodation then this might not suit you. However if you can appreciate that you are in a Hong Kong guesthouse, it can be a comfortable, budget-conscious stay. The rooms are clean and the staff helpful. The location is fantastic, you will not run out of things to see and do (and eat!), it is easy to get to, and has fantastic public transport connections.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
May 2009
Their Description
Cosmic Guesthouse Details
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
Freak out on their email booking, not for couple. Couple please try to stay out of this hostel as they only have two single bed and no double bed for your stay. They do have a single en-suite (one double bed) but what they listed on their website is so untrue. They have a term listed. "The following room types are also available. Booking through e-mail only. Single En-suite (one Double Bed)" and it is listed as email booking, but the email booking don't have this option. I did the process of email booking for this room and left a comment that i prefer the single en-suite and this is what they reply. "Regarding Single En-suite, we only have one of such room and it is always occupied by walk-in. Therefore, it will be difficult to open it for online booking unless we force the guest out of the room." means they only have one single en-suite available for walk-in. and for your info, there is a different of 50HK between single en-suite (240HK) and twin en-suite (290HK). can't they be honest on their website? — jack , malaysia (2009-06-22) We booked this hostel based on the good reviews given by the 2006 edition of the "Let's Go" travel book. The hostel is located on the twelfth floor of the Mirador Mansion, which is conveniently located close to the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station. Upon entering the hostel, we noticed that everything was very cramped into tight spaces. We looked at a room with two beds and a room with four beds and there is virtually no walking space inside the room. The beds are within arms reach and the bathrooms are tiny to a point where it is very difficult to shower or use the toilet. The elevators stop functioning after 10 p.m. so be prepared to climb twelve flights of stairs if you're planning on staying out late. The ladies working at the front were helpful, although I was very displeased with the way one manager handled our deposit situation. We had originally booked a four-bed room but changed to a two two-bed room instead. The costs were the same so it was a no-brainer, on our behalf. We tried to book the second night and she charged us the same rate, even though I had booked the room on-line with a 10% deposit already paid upfront. We tried to explain it to the lady but she fed us lies after lies, constantly changing her story which didn't add up in the end. If she wanted to cheat us out of $40 HKD, she should have done some homework beforehand because her excuses were weak! This hostel isn't bad but I would not recommend it for those who desire rooms that don't resemble a prison -- on second thought, I think prisoners have more cell space than this place. Other hostels in the same format will most likely be about the same in quality and space. Lastly, the pictures provided here are outdated. The hostel split one room into two rooms so even though it looks like you're getting a large spacious room, you're only getting half for the same price! — Anonymous (2006-06-01) Located in the Mirador mansions, beside the TST subway station and in an ideal location for exploring Kowloon and Hong Kong island, the Cosmic guesthouse provides dormatory and private accomodation for the budget traveller. The two lady owners are friendly and willing to bargain, and a range of rooms are avaliable from HK$160 to HK$260 (dormatory beds are HK$60 per night). The rooms are all quiet, clean and have a/c, however some of the cheaper ones are very small and may not have a window. In addition, in common with most budget accomodation in HK, the shower, toilet and washbasin are in extremely cramped conditions, often with the shower directly above the sink. However hot water was avalible all day.
Laundry is offered at very reasonable rates and returned dry and folded. Hot water for drinks and snacks, and drinking water, is available, although there is no kitchen, common room or internet access, meaning the place does not have much of a social aspect.
All in all the Cosmic guesthouse provides clean, safe and pleasant accomodation in the heart of Hong Kong at a reasonable price. — Mark , United Kingdom (2005-05-12)