Dorsett Seaview Hotel

My review in one word: Small

The room has a bed, a desk with a TV, a bathroom with a (small) tub and a shower, and a mini bar without any supplies (overpriced or otherwise). That’s it. No closet. No chair (although the desk has a stool). And there is no place other than the bed to open up and lay out your luggage. The bed is short. I am 6 feet tall, and my toes stick out over the end. If I sit on edge of the bed, I can change the channel on the TV on one end of the room with one hand while opening the drapes over the window with my other hand on the other end.

I’m not surprised by any of this. Most of the reviews on Expedia where I booked the room mentioned the modest size. What did surprise me was the fact that the hotel is under renovation. As the name of the hotel implies, the view from the window includes a view of the harbor. I can see the ITF building across the waters. The new ITF building on the Kowloon side of the harbor (also under construction) climbs up into the sky nearby and disappears into the clouds on a rainy day. But the bamboo scaffolding that encases the building obscures the view somewhat. In the afternoon, the lively sound of jackhammers cheerfully serenade any after lunch siesta.

My review in two words: Small, cheap.

The price of the room is among the lowest in Hong Kong, which is surprising considering the fact that the hotel is smack dab in the middle of densely populated Kowloon -- at one time the most densely populated place on the planet. This prime real estate is located across the street from a public park which surrounds historic Tin Hau Temple. If you don’t want to hang out in your cramped room, you can easily hang out under the trees in the park. I booked the room during the non-peak days of Monday through Thrusday, so the price was only $50 US per night -- the same price as a room at the Motel 6 near Fudruckers on I-5 back home near Portland. This is only a dollar less than the Ramada I stayed at earlier in the year. In contrast, the Ramada had a full-sized, modern-décor room with two twin sized beds and a TV that works. I could have booked a room at the Ramada again, but it is located on the southern side of the harbor, and I wanted to say on the northern side this time. I’m glad I did.

My review in one sentence: Small describes both the price and the dimensions of the room, but not the location.

Correction: The room does, in fact, have a closet -- about 8 inches deep. I must have mistook it for a wall panel.