Southside By Ovolo, Hong Kong — Hotel in Hong Kong

Reservation – The communication of the reservation team can be improved, simple questions raised were not properly addressed and there were e mails back and forth before I got the answers. There is an admin charge of 3.5% if you cancel within the 14 day free cancellation period. When I was sent the payment link for the hotel room charge there was also a payment link for a “deposit” of HK$3,000 without any explanation. On further enquiry this was a deposit for any additional charges you may incur during the stay. The hotel should have explained this when they sent the payment link.

Check in – smooth and done within reasonable time. The staff explained everything I needed to know.

Room – I booked the mini queen and it was indeed mini. There are two windows that you can open but by a few cm only. There is no desk probably due to the small room size. I saw other guests posting photos of the same room type with a desk and chair – so presumably available upon request, but it would take up a lot of the already limited walking space in the room. For me, the biggest problem is the noise from the road below and construction works nearby. If you are a light sleeper or need to work in a quiet environment, this could be an issue.

The room was clean and the toiletries provided were basic but adequate (no luxury brands). The pillows were too soft for my liking. One bath towel had a hole in it. Wifi connection was good and adequate for my use.

Food – Meals arrived warm and on time. Vegetarians would be happy staying here, as 3 of the 4 meal options were meatless. The meals are mainly western (pasta, salad, pizza), indian (curries) and middle eastern (chick peas). If you prefer local food for most of your meals, you may be disappointed. I only wish they would occasionally serve brown rice instead of white all the time.

Communication with hotel staff was mainly through Whatsapp, and the responses were always prompt. They addressed you by your name in each message – which was nice and must be a hotel policy – but I can’t help noticing that one staff member did not follow that policy.

They accept deliveries to hotel arranged by guests which was essential to me. And all deliveries arrived outside my door promptly after they were dropped off.

Check out – very quick. I had called for a taxi to wait at the front of the hotel, not knowing that guests are only allowed to leave via the back door which leads to Wong Chuk Hang road where cars can’t stop and wait as it is marked with double yellow lines. So I found myself standing there at midnight with more luggage than I could handle and my taxi waiting on the other side of the hotel. In the end I managed to sort this out but I hope in the future the hotel can inform guests in advance so that they are well aware of such arrangement.

On balance – it was a comfortable stay. I hope the hotel can improve on the reservation experience. I will probably come back but I will need a quieter room not directly facing the noisy road below. Hopefully there won’t be such need as quarantine becomes a thing of the past...

The hotel is modern and staff in general were friendly. The room was a decent size and the hotel is just a few minutes walk from the subway. It is not the most centrally located hotel, but it doesn’t take long at all to get into the centre of Hong Kong. I prefer staying in this area where it’s quiet and the prices are lower. On the fourth floor there is a lovely communal lounge where you can get free coffee/tea and some soft drinks. I would definitely stay in the hotel again.However it isn’t perfect. I don’t want to mark the hotel down for these things but I think they are worth noting.1. The free minibar - upon check in I was told that the minibar was not free (something to do with booking through Trip.com). This didn’t really bother me as I don’t use minibars and I knew I could get drinks on the fourth floor. However in the room there was a free minibar sign. I checked with reception when I was paying my deposit and the staff member made me feel very awkward, as if I was making some huge complaint. Maybe I misread him but I felt so awkward. He told me I could use the minibar for free if I wanted (I didn’t). I think if the minbar isn’t free for every guest they should consider removing those signs from rooms - people assume the minibar is paid for unless otherwise notified. Having signs that it’s free when it isn’t could potentially cause issues. Again, maybe I misread the man who spoke to me - I can’t always read situations well but I felt a bit upset afterwards as if he was judging me to be a very difficult customer. I never used the minibar btw, except to store drinks I got on the fourth floor. 2. You need to pay a deposit when you check in, even if you have prepaid the room. Maybe this is just a Hong Kong thing as my other hotel in HK recently also made me pay one. It’s not really a problem, but it’s wasn’t clearly stated on the Trip page so I wasn’t expecting it. They won’t accept debit cards so make sure you have cash if you don’t have a CC. There’s an ATM in the metro station. These things don’t put me off the hotel but I think they’re worth noting for those who will stay...

The first night, we were unable to sleep well because the air con was far too noisy but many thanks to the hotel , we were given another room which was bigger and spacious. That was truly a surprise and a treat ! To me, it was like a birthday present from the hotel (21 Dec). For the rest of the stay, our sleep was restful and pleasant . The rooms are clean (we have booked 2 rooms, the other room was occupied by my sons) and the toiletries are complete and smell nice. Towels are thick and clean. A surprise came to one of my sons . His birthday is 19 Dec and the hotel has given him a cake which was personally baked by the hotel chef (which I learnt from the staff; I had initially thought was bought from the bakery outside ). The cake was so tasty and delicious . Thanks to the chef ! Thanks to the hotel ! On the day of check-in, the receptionist had wished him happy birthday, but never in our mind he would be given a cake . A special thanks to Xavier who was cheerful and helpful towards us in assisting us with calling the cab on two separate occasions, giving directions for the drivers to come to the hotel. We are not conversant with Cantonese and he is definitely a great help. Also after drinking the coffee, he happily offered to throw away our empty cups. I felt that it was not his job (as anyone should throw his own trash), but he insisted and did it willingly and cheerfully . He made our stay really pleasant . Thanks, Xavier! More to add, the gym and pool table are plus points, suit the needs of my husband and sons . On a separate note, the blind on the leftmost glass window (next to bed) does not roll down properly . I had to manually roll it down , sorry for unhooking some of the hooks of the day curtain. Blessed Christmas to the management and staff of the Ovolo...