After one guest is confirmed having the swine flu at the Metropark hotel in Hong Kong, the hotel has 300 guests and employees under a 7 day quarantine. No one can enter or leave this hotel.

We're planning on staying at a different large hotel in Hong Kong for 3 days next week. I'm concerned about such drastic measures.

Are there any small, affordable hotels, in the price range of the Salisbury YMCA that we might consider instead?

I also just read about it. And I have the same impression, that the response is way too drastic. Now they're looking for people sitting on Rows 20-26 on MU505, 4/30. I mean, if I was sitting in one of those seats, and I am not having any symptom, I won't be volunteering to be quarantined.

Hotel rates are really low for next week for many properties. For smaller hotels, perhaps the Luxe Manor in Tsimshatsui. On Expedia, mid-week price is US$128/night.

Oh, it has 159 rooms.

rkkwan,

I looked at your replies for Boutique hotels and found tha the JIA is HK 1,095.00 +10% tax for our dates. I think this may be a good option.

The location is in Causeway Bay so it's a big change. Will be like it there? We're not to picky.

Wow, that's an awesome price for JIA. You should like it, and Causeway Bay is really convenient.

Overall, prices are a lot cheaper than say last May. The recent news with H1N1 will drop them even more.

We need to get to Elements Mall above Kowloon MTR very early Monday a.m. to take the 6:00a.m. China link bus.

What is the best way to get to Elements from Causeway Bay?

The bus departs 6:15a. You can take the very first MTR from Hong Kong station to Kowloon. It departs 6:01a, and will get to Kowloon at 6:06a. 9 minutes is enough to get from train to the bus waiting area. In general, as long as you get to the counter at 6:15a with tickets (or cash) in hand, they'll take you on.

If you're not comfortable with that, then I'd just take a taxi direct. Ask the hotel's concierge to get a pre-arranged "20% off taxi" for you that gives you a small discount and charges the tunnel fees one-way.

[There are other ways to get to SZX early, or even earlier; but I'd rather spend a little more on taxi in Hong Kong and ride the Chinalink then using those other inferior methods.]

BTW, you still need to take a taxi from your hotel to the Hong Kong station anyways. You can't take the MTR from Causeway Bay and transfer. So, there's already a taxi cost. I'd just taxi the whole way to the Elements Mall.

Thank you so very much. I was wondering if you could transfer on the MTR. The MTR plan really confused me about that possibility. Thanks so much for clearing it up.

I found the map of Elements Mall with the Chinalink Bus waiting area on the 1st floor! Thanks for the photo you posted of that earlier. You're a wonderful help to us.

There is transfer between the Central station on the Island Line and the Hong Kong station on the Tung Chung Line. But even if you take the very first train out of Causeway Bay (which is BTW also 6:01a), you won't get to Kowloon until around 6:20a the earliest. More likely 6:30a.