Hotel Name: Travelodge Central, Hollywood Road
Address: 263 Hollywood Rd, Central, Hong Kong.
Summary: A great-value mid-range hotel in one of the coolest areas of Central Hong Kong.
[Edit: This hotel has since closed. The review is left as an archive.]
After launching their first hotel in Kowloon in 2017, Travelodge Hotels Asia have been expanding to more destinations across the region. They have added a second Hong Kong hotel to the group, and I was invited to stay to review the experience during my visit to Hong Kong.
Travelodge Central, Hollywood Road is near the Soho area of Central district of Hong Kong Island. This is one of the most historic areas of Hong Kong, and a must-visit if you are in Hong Kong for the first time. I have listed this as one of the best areas to stay in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Island is quite mountainous, and the further you go inland the more hilly it gets. Travelodge Central is just where it starts getting hilly, so it wasn’t too arduous to walk to. The topography of Central is part of what makes it so interesting, with narrow streets and alleyways that are fun to explore.
I walked from the airport bus stop, and even though I had downloaded the hotel on Google Maps I was worried it might be hard to find. I need not have worried as the hotel stands out like a beacon amidst this concrete jungle. The building sits alone on a corner, and the entire blank side has a colourful mural on it with the Travelodge logo on top.
This graffiti wall features familiar icons of Hong Kong, and it has become a landmark of the area.
The hotel is on the corner of Hollywood Road and Possession Street. It’s a skinny building on a small parcel of land, so I was curious about what the rooms would look like.
Upon entrance to the room, there is the bathroom and entrance hallway, with the bedroom section by the window. This section has a fridge, a lockable safe, and tea and coffee-making facilities.
The bed was super comfortable, and I appreciated that there was enough space to walk around the bed. The bedside table had easily accessible power outlets and a simple lighting system. There is a wall-mounted television, though I never use the TV as I have my own entertainment.
The room is decorated with scenes of Hong Kong, reminding me to get out of bed and go exploring.
The bathroom has a separate shower and toilet section. It’s a small space, though standard for what you get in Hong Kong where space is at a premium. The bathroom was clean and new, and felt in good order. The sink and mirror is opposite the bathroom in the hallway. A slight inconvenience, but ultimately this arrangement is a better use of space.
The room features a “handy Smartphone”, which I am starting to see in more hotels. This phone offers free local and international calls, free 3G/4G internet, and a city guide. It sits, in contrast, next to the old-school phone with the handset attached by wire. How long will it be before such phones are phased out completely?
There is free wifi throughout the building as well, and it was easy to connect to (ie without having to log in every time).
Hong Kong is so built up that I wasn’t expecting any kind of view. I gasped a little when I pulled back the curtain to reveal the urban skyline. I slept with the curtains open so I could admire the view.
There is no breakfast service here, but they do have a basket of pastries in the morning to grab on the way out.
Across the road from the hotel is the Corner Kitchen Cafe, which serves Western breakfast options.
Around Travelodge Central
Next door to the hotel is Hollywood Road Park. It’s a rare site to see a park anywhere in Hong Kong, and most outdoor spaces are just concrete sitting areas. This is a properly landscaped park with fish ponds and ornamental temples, and it’s a lovely place to greet the day. You can see the hotel from this image, and I was glad to see that there were one-way windows.
Regular visitors to Hong Kong are probably familiar with Hollywood Road being the antique street of Hong Kong.
Hollywood Road is now becoming associated with new bars and cafes, making it one of the coolest neighbourhoods in Hong Kong. Some of the side streets are lined with public art – just look for the Instagram crowds.
I’m more interested in food crowds, so when I saw the queue for Kau Kee I made a note to revisit it.
Getting to Travelodge Central
The easiest way to get here from the airport is to take the Airport Express train to Hong Kong station. From there go to the free shuttle bus service (H2 Shuttle Bus) and get off at the iclub stop. It’s about 5 minute’s walk from there. Alternatively, you can get a taxi from Hong Kong station. The nearest metro stop is Sheung Wan Station.
