[expat_uncle]

This is a review of Olympic Terraces "serviced" apartments in Sham Shui Po.

Having pre-paid, unfortunately I had to suffer my month long stay.
The place is abominable. Noise coming up from street level is huge. Windows don't shut properly plus air conditioners let in everything even if the windows didn't.

"Servicing" amounts to a perfunctory sweep of the floor and cleaning of the dunny. OK you do get clean sheets but most of the towels, though clean, were actually thread-bare. I had to ask two or three times to have the room serviced. A day before I checked out it was due to be serviced but wasn't. When I asked the manager (see below) I was told, 'but you're checking out tomorrow'

The kitchen I have not used at all as it's actually sticky it's so dirty. You get two scratched bowls, two dirty glasses and two aluminium pans which are so thin they burn water.

The manager is uncooperative to the point of being rude. None of the staff, apart from the rude manager, speak any kind of English.

Front door of the unit is not insulated so yelling kids next door add to the cacophony.

On reviewing prices and facilities of other serviced apartments both Kowloon side and HK side, this place is actually not economical at all.

Broadband works fine, but then it does so pretty much anywhere.
Phone I have not used - Skyped instead.

Laundry is 30 HK per load. Extortionate.

Swimming pool is covered in a layer of body grease and the 'gym' is not air conditioned so unless you want instant coronary, don't work out there in September.

So, no customer service, not very clean, exceedingly noisy, the lifts are slow, the website is misleading and generally it's a miserably useless place. Obviously some greedy bastard is raking it in for now, but I expect there's not much repeat business. I certainly won't be coming back.

Cheers,
Uncle

[Simonp]

hahaha! I also stayed there for one month from the end of July so know exactly what you experienced. Yes it is a rip off for what you get. Actually the biggest let down for me was that on their website they say something like "conveniently located in the centre of HK" and as i knew absolutely nothing about HK when I first got here expected to be in a place like TST or Central. Not in the centre of Sham Shui Po!!! My god - what a sh** hole. Its OK if you want to buy electric goods on the cheap but as a place to stay.... Uncle, I know exactly how you felt on that walk back from the MTR station through the squalor everyday!

[expat_uncle]

Did I mention the sewage smell was coming through the pipes? And air conditioners were not insulated so just added to the noise?

As for location it's all relative - I was working in Kowloon Tong so it suited me fine but on reflection somewhere in North Point or Quarry Bay would have been a lot more civilized. Sham Shui Po is certainly handy for cheap electronics but how much time do we have to spend on shopping for cellphones?

Spread the word, people. Olympic Terraces are crap and very expensive for what you get.

[discobay]

I am sympathetic for your suffering. Did you buy unseen or was it arranged for you?

[Kimmi]

We were booked into Olympic Terrace for 3 months!, but lucky for us we escaped after suffering one night. The place stank of sewage, was filfy and infested with cockroaches. There was a cut off sewage pipe in the kitchen. The bath was full of pubic hairs and we were even scared to use the toilet. The only reason we were booked into this hell hole was because we have a dog and they allow pets.
Anyway hope this is a warning to others who are concidering staying there. DONT DO IT!!!!!!

[zatoichi]

Originally Posted by expat_uncle

The manager is uncooperative to the point of being rude. None of the staff, apart from the rude manager, speak any kind of English.

I've said it before (here on geoexpat) and I say it again:

(Unless you really like cochroaches)
Stay away from this place!

actually, I would never recommend anyone to stay in Sham Shui Po at all, but...

[expat_uncle]

Originally Posted by discobay

I am sympathetic for your suffering. Did you buy unseen or was it arranged for you?

I booked it off the website. Specifically because it said there was a pool and gym. Ended up using neither since the pool was filthy and the gym was wide open into the street, complete with exhaust fumes. The place sux big time.

Did I mention the wall heater for the shower produced scolding water even on minimum setting, so I had to shower in a trickle? Oh yeah, the sewage smell was very, er, accurate, too.

Oh, yes, forgot about the cockroaches. Killed two on my first night and then about one a week thereafter.

Stay away.

[discobay]

I would recommend reporting this place to the HK Tourist Board or HK Hotels Association.

[KnowItAll]

FYI: I've updated our listing of Olympic to reflect this review.

http://www.geoexpat.com/accommodatio...ympic-terrace/

[jey]

Dear all, I was searching on the internet and found Olympic Terrace as an ideal option for 2 weeks 5 persons. But after this review, I must better stay away. What other similar option can I have?
Thanks for any advice.
Jey