Paul L.
Yelp
This is not your usual 5-star hotel experience for my 5-night stay at Ovolo Southside, but 5 stars it is, or darn close.
To borrow from The Talking Heads (go ahead - sing it), "This ain't no Conrad, this ain't no Mand'rin, this ain't no Pen-in-su-LA...". No, Ovolo Southside is not the kind of 5-star hotel with a doorman in a top hat who opens the door to your Rolls, from where you ascend to your 45 sq m room with a 4-poster, and a TV embedded in the bathroom mirror (even if the decor of the Ovolo room is modern, and some of the appointments, pretty spiffy). What takes it over the top instead are: 1) the youthful vigour that pervades the setting and the staff, embodied by the funky lighting, the frisky music, and cheeky signage, which will rub off even on older guests (like moi); 2) the attention to customers' needs: free wifi is just table stakes these days; free, healthy breakfast (some items extra) with an espresso machine (spelt "expresso" on the button)? Ho-hum. Free bottled water in the gym (which features Life Fitness equipment and a punchbag with his and hers boxing gloves)? Hmm - nice! Free laundry? That may already bring a smile to everyone's face, but having the consideration and generosity to offer, as well, free laundry detergent (and bleach too!)? That's what made me nod in approval.
I'm not going to suggest that this hotel is perfect. Some of the rooms are on the small side, although my accessible room had a huge bathroom. Not sure whether it's just the accessible bathrooms that feature this, but the bumpy plastic covering in the shower area had a distinct institutional feel to it - I had to remind myself when I dropped the soap that it IS OK to pick it up! There were other quirks that made it tough to overlook - there is, par exemple, no desk OR chair in any of the rooms. Instead, I guess you're supposed to use the long tables in the common area, or, what, sit on the floor? Do Millennials have super thick bottoms? The elevators will not conjure up warp speed gifs, and no, you CAN'T access the ground floor using the stairs. The dinner menu at Cirqle is inadequate and not inexpensive. The location might not be the most convenient, depending on where you need or want to be when you're in HKG. That said, Admiralty is but 2 stops and 8 minutes away (including a good brisk walk from the one line to the other at the interchange). You also need to know that the area, which has a very industrial feel to it, offers very little compared to other more central areas: nothing in terms of shopping, and not a whole heck of a lot in restaurants unless you want to eat with the locals. There are al fresco food stalls that might make Western health inspectors pass out (the "food building" is on the east side of the MTR station, if you're brave).
I point these things out not to complain, but to manage the expectations of anyone contemplating this hotel. I enjoyed my stay at Ovolo Southside, and would recommend it to anyone who is out for a bit of an adventure, and know what they're getting into.