Guest Author - Yvonne Russell

We arrived in Hong Kong to find it in the midst of a fierce storm. As well as wreaking havoc with the already congested peak hour traffic, it had caused damage too. We decided to forget about a taxi. We used the Mass Transport Railway (MTR). The MTR is the best transit system I've used anywhere in the world. It is fast, spotless and efficient.

Arriving from the MTR
We were on our way to The Salisbury Hotel, Kowloon, Hong Kong. We much prefer to stay in Kowloon than Hong Kong itself, for location and price. We walked with our luggage through the torrential rain, the one block to the hotel. One block was all it took for us to arrive absolutely drenched and dishevelled.

Staff
The reception staff at The Salisbury Hotel greeted us. During our stay, the reception desk was well staffed and service was always quick. When we had completed the check in formalities, they advised that they had upgraded us to a deluxe room. This was a pleasant surprise, but there was another surprise in store.

The Room
We were thrilled to find that our room had a great view of Victoria Harbor, and Hong Kong Island. This was especially spectacular at night, with the boats and the lights. We had booked The Salisbury Hotel sight unseen, and were not sure what to expect. It is owned by the YMCA, but unlike its hostel counterparts, this is a high quality hotel. The 301 guest rooms and 62 suites have wireless broadband internet,and complimentary tea and coffee making facilities, along with the usual television, safe, refrigerator etc.

Salisbury Hotel Facilities
As part of the YMCA, The Salisbury Hotel caters for conferences and children's activities. It has a chapel and dormitory rooms. It also has a sports center, including squash courts, an indoor climbing wall, dance studio, gym and heated swimming poools. A hair salon and a shop are also available.

Nearby
While The Salisbury Hotel has a number of dining rooms, there are numerous restaurants ranging from The Spaghetti House, to Indonesian, Indian, Chinese and more, close to the hotel. The famous Nathan Road is one block away, and the Star Ferry to Hong Kong is a five minute walk.

Verdict
The room cost was approx $US100 per night. In the same block there are other much more expensive hotels. On checkout, the MTR took us direct to Hong Kong Airport voted the world's best airport five times in a row. For convenience, value and service, I can recommend The Salisbury Hotel, and would definitely stay there again.