My Hong Kong hotel experience featuring one tiny room, stinky tofu, hookers, and all-night street food parties

Hotel Name: Temple Street Hotel – Toronto Motel Group
Address: 1/F, 98 Woosung Street, Jordan, Hong Kong

I’v stayed in some unusual hotels in Hong Kong over the years, but the Temple Street Hotel may rank as the most peculiar. I booked online and selected it for its location in the Jordan area, which I have stayed at before. It’s a convenient location and cheaper than staying anywhere near the harbour.

I arrived in Hong Kong in the evening and the street was heaving with activity. This was a great welcome back to Hong Kong that put a little spring in my step, and one of the reasons I like staying in this area.

The hotel is on a corner and the reception is up a small flight of stairs. At the entrance to the hotel there was some ladies of the night standing there. I’m not sure if they were associated with another place in the same building, or if they just happened to be there. Either way they didn’t hassle me as they would do in Bangkok, for example. I mention this because it turns out that Jordan is a hotspot for prostitution in Hong Kong, and the area still has a bit of a seedy reputation.

I was greeted by a friendly gent from South Asia, and upon producing my Australian passport we got into a chat about all things cricket – the great unifying connection among the commonwealth countries.

I booked a private double room with bathroom. I’ve stayed in enough budget Hong Kong guesthouses to know that I don’t fit in the single rooms, so I booked the double.

Even with a double bed though I didn’t quite fit if laying down straight (I’m 185cm/6’1″). I had to sleep at an angle to fit in this bed. The room was extremely small, so they have gotten around that by building the bed frame high off the floor, allowing enough space to park your bags.

The bathroom was the smallest bathroom I recall using. First of all there was a step up to the bathroom, and the sink was right in front of the door. To use the sink I was standing outside, and to go in the bathroom I had to grab the wall with one hand, and then shimmy sideways into the toilet area. I don’t go caving as I hate cramped spaces, but this was as close as I have been to recreating climbing through a rock crevice. I had to sit at a 45 degree angle to use the toilet. In the picture you can see the gap between the sink and toilet area. That was where I had to fit myself in sideways.

In places I’ve stayed at previously in Hong Kong, they often do not have a window, or at best a small window facing a ventilation shaft. My room had a window the length of the wall, so at least I had light. My room was underneath a stinky tofu shop, so I had stink of the tofu wafting into my room all night. Plus I had the noise of all of those street food restaurants which went through the night.

There was free wifi the room and air conditioning.

So that was my experience in a budget hotel box in Hong Kong. Not for amateur travellers, or those seeking luxury. Or space. If you are looking for a cheap room and a crazy Hong Kong hotel experience, then this is for you. Check prices here or search for more hotels in Hong Kong. If you haven’t been to HK before then here is my breakdown on the best areas to stay in Hong Kong.