PUBLISHED June 29th, 2016 10:00 am | UPDATED May 12th, 2023 05:17 am
Full of modern amenities, people, and pleasures, Hong Kong is definitely one cosmopolitan city. But that, really, is the superficial layer you see. Hong Kong is also full of culture unique to this colonialized Asian city – and the best place to delve into that is Kowloon.
I’m not talking about by the waterfront of Tsim Sha Tsui (or colloquially known as TST), where the glamourous look over Hong Kong Island’s cityscape. Mongkok – and it’s surrounding neighbourhoods – is the real Hong Kong, as locals will tell you.
The Dorsett Hotel in Mongkok is perfectly situated between Mongkok’s high road (Argyle Street) and all of the local little nooks and crannies. Spend a night or two (or your entire holiday) to explore the surrounding areas for eateries, wet markets, night markets and embrace the true everyday Hong Kong life.
A pillar of modernism in the midst of smaller and more traditional scenery, the rooms at Dorsett are comfortable and will suit both the exploring type or the “all business” executive. All the expected hotels amenities and also an unexpected little perk…the very handy Handy. A convenient little device, it can be used as a personal Hotspot in-room, and provides you with Internet connection, acts as a guide, promoter, and a smartphone outside. Keep it handy and check out all the daily promotions (especially for happy hour drinks after a day of exploring).
Hong Kong, as a culture, is not the friendliest. It’s not a culture of smiles and common courtesy, so the hospitality at the Dorsett Mongkok was a breath of fresh air and warmly welcomed. We had to alight from the taxi near the hotel and the porters went the extra mile to assist with the bags. The front desk team is friendly and courteous, happy to help with food recommendations surrounding the hotels. On one rainy day, they offered umbrellas without asking.
A huge bonus of staying at the Dorsett Mongkok is the proximity to the markets. One of the most famous and biggest would be the Ladies Market (Tung Choi Street). Named after its reputation for selling various “ladies” items of clothes, perfume, jewelry and other paraphernalia, you’ll find that it sells everything from toys to home wares today. The Temple Street market is lively at night with venders and hawkers lining the street – probably the best place to embrace the Hong Kong market culture, in our opinion. Other markets that you can also try include the “Sport” Street (on Fa Yuen Street) and the various wet markets located along the outskirts of Canton Road and Argyle Street.
The Dorsett Mongkok is a steal at HDK$700 (plus service charge) per night. A similar quality hotel on Hong Kong island itself can easily be double this price. For your next trip to Hong Kong, skip Hong Kong island and standard tourist attractions. Check out the pulsating Hong Kong culture in Mongkok and at least have one macaroni soup breakfast at a nearby Cha Chaan Teng.
Dorsett Mongkok is located at 88 Tak Kok Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, p. +852 3987 2288.
For more affordable accommodation in Hong Kong, see our reviews on Cosmo Hotel in Wan Chai and Dorsett Wanchai.