HK Hotel: Dorsett in Kwun Tung

During a company-sponsored trip to Hong Kong in 2013, our group stayed at the Dorsett in Kwun Tung, located at 84 Hung To Road, Kwun Tong. Classified as a chic business hotel, this 4-star hotel was the next best hotel I have ever stayed at by far. I only say it's the best because I normally stay at budget-rate accommodations. Obviously, the room itself and its amenities were way better compared to where I stayed at previous travels abroad. The hotel was definitely an upgrade from the accommodation I had on my first trip back in 2007. If you've ever stayed at one of the many sleazy units in the Chungking Mansion, you'd definitely agree with me. Sizewise, it's definitely bigger. Although it's only a 21-square-meter room, trust me, it's considerably big by Hong Kong standards. As it was paid for by the company, I was not privy to the exact price we paid for this superior room accommodation. We actually availed of a group tour provided by a high school classmate through his company Swix Travel and Tours. If you want to book directly with the hotel, do check out the hotel's website as I sometimes see them offering rooms at discounted price.

The Hotel Lobby

Photo Credit: www.dorsetthotels.com	Our Group

One of the things I like best about this hotel is its proximity to a McDonald and a 7/11 outlet. Yeah, I'm not too adventurous with local food. I'm fine with anything familiar. Nah, scratch that. The only reason I'm fine with it is because I normally scrimp on food, haha! Hong Kong is definitely a place to be when it comes to an array of restaurants offering good food. If only I could afford to sample them all, I'd definitely go with the fine restaurants. However, as this was a company-sponsored trip, I actually did not save for this trip. I also wanted to stay within the budget given to us. In my mind, if I go beyond the budget allotted to us, then I forfeit the very privilege that the whole trip was free! So I'm grateful for that. Besides, the McDonald breakfast is hearty, hehe!

Location

Hotel Building	Location Map

If you'd click on the map (to enlarge the image), you'll see that McDo and 7/11 are just walking distance. A few blocks from the hotel is APM shopping mall and the nearby Kwun Tong MTR station. Both establishments are probably some five- to ten-minute walk, depending on your pace. Free shuttle bus service is offered between the hotel and APM shopping mall, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Airport Express Kowloon Station. You can arrange this at the hotel's tour desk. Below are a couple of pictures of the hotel neighborhood.

Random Pictures Near the Hotel

The room I was assigned, together with two other female colleagues, was Room 1513. The room had a double bed and a sofa bed. Surprisingly, perhaps due to the location of the room, our beds were not placed side by side. We, instead, have two adjoining rooms! I had the sofa bed (but it was as if I had the room to myself) while my two companions shared the double bed in the other room. I can't recall if the adjoining room has their own 40-inch-flat-screen TV. Anyway, here are a few pictures of our room.

Room 1513

My Part of the Room, with Sofa Bed	The Adjoining Room, with Double Bed

One of the things I love about my side of the room is its kick-ass chandelier. It's a personal thing since I love chandeliers. Even though the ceiling was not high, putting the chandelier there, instead of a regular light fixture, still works (I think). But I'm no expert on interior designing, so do not take my word for it, especially that you know my bias for chandeliers.

My Side of Room 1513

My Very Own Sofa Bed	The Chandelier

Another thing that I love about this room is its bathroom, especially its rainfall shower head. It also has a bathtub. While it's not as big as you'd want it, it still is bigger by Hong Kong standard. We were so ignoramus that we failed to use the bathtub because we bought the wrong bath product. We would have wanted to have a bubble-bath experience since it so not available in our own homes, haha! Anyway, one of the fascinating thing that was installed in this bathroom is its glass divider. I think a glass divider was used to make the bathroom space look bigger. So imagine our surprise when we saw it the first time, and it actually was facing the adjoining room. Haha! We were laughing so hard as to how we're able to take a bath when we're in full view of the other room. Of course, there was a shower curtain, but still. Luckily, after much inspection, we found the remote that controls the blinds. Haha, of course, if you're the exhibitionist type, then you have the freedom to let the blinds remain up! I think the fascination for the glass bathroom was the reason that I actually failed to take a picture of the whole bathroom and focused, instead, on the blinds! Fun times. :) Another worthy thing I remember of this room is its own hair dryer in the bathroom. It may not be a big deal to most of you, but understand that in the Philippines, regular hotels actually don't carry one in their rooms. It's the bigger hotels that have it, I think. As a side note, understand that in the Philippines, it's actually acceptable--even normal and regular--to go out with your hair still wet. It kind of announces to the world that you've actually taken a bath before going out, haha! Travels abroad have taught me that in most places, going out with wet hair is a no-no. Thus, a blow dryer is a normal fixture in a bathroom in their hotel rooms. I also love that the room has several outlets. When you share a room with more people, it will be a blessing to have more power outlets, as expected, people will be needing to charge their phones, cameras, power banks, or laptop (even) at some point in their stay at the hotel.

More of Room 1513

40-inch-flat-screen TV	Bathroom with Glass Divider	Bathroom Power Outlet

Know that the Kwun Tong area is like an industrialized part of Hong Kong. So you can expect to see quite a number of factories located in the area. It's definitely not your Nathan Road, but I believe it will still be worth your money. At the time of travel, the hotel was barely a year old. Perhaps it's the reason it shouts NEW during our time of travel. Based on our experience at the hotel, I'll definitely recommend it. If your goal is to do night market shopping, then you're better off staying away from this hotel. However, you must remember how efficient the transport system in Hong Kong is. In my mind, the distance between where you are staying and where you want to go see places is negligible because of how easy it is go from place to place via the reliable MTRs or the trams. Below are our view from Room 1513. If I'm not mistaken, the hotel has thirty floors. I'm sure the higher floors offer a greater view of the city and the harbor.

The Views from the Fifteenth Floor

Here are some random beauties found on the fifteenth floor of the Dorsett, Kwun Tong: The hotel also boasts of having its own business center, outdoor swimming pool, and a 24/7 gym. The swimming pool was one of the things I regret not ever seeing. Had I researched about the hotel prior to the trip, I would have loved to avail of this facility. Or at least, visited it while there. The photo below was grabbed from the hotel's own website:

Well, that's it, pancit! If want to be near the Night Market, perhaps the Evergreen Hotel might suit you (check out REVIEW here). Or, if you have a business at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), perhaps the Best Western PLUS hotel near HKU is best for you (check REVIEW here). Have a nice trip in Hong Kong!