[datn4]

Want to hear some comments about Horizon Suite serviced apartment at Tolo Harbour? How's the area? Is it convenient to downtown Kowloon? Close to shops or restaurants?

[globalcitizen]

I am from Sydney and stayed there for 6 months. Liked the harbour view and the 'personal space' it offers - less people per sq foot, no need to share meal-table with stranger.

The hotel offers regular bus shuttle to Diamond Hill and Shatin - two suburbs that has some restaurants that offers good bite.

There is a morning bus-ride to TST, but it's one a first-come-first-serve basis. Cost is I think HKD per one way. In the evening there is a HKD 10 bus-ride from TST (pickup between YMCA and the Peninsula Hotel).

Or you can do what I did - arrange a regular taxi. I pay HKD 160 for a one-way trip to Hopewell Centre.

I moved to the island's western suburb because of I was sick of the daily commuting.

[datn4]

Thanks for the info. How much did you pay per month for your stay at Horizon? They quote me HK$18000 a month for a 2 bedroom apt since we are only staying for a month. Is it fair? Should I bargain? Did you have access to the gym? How's the equipment there?

[globalcitizen]

From memory the pricing structure was based on length of stay - 1 to 3 months, 4-6 months, 6-12 months, and over 1 year. Rental cost also depends on view (harbor vs city), and floor (the higher the more expensive). You also have two optional items - gym membership (HKD 600 per mth) and fixed or metered electricity usage. Charges for water usage and local phone calls are included in the rent. Those were the t&c's about a year ago - things may have changed now. Broadband access is an additional HKD 200K per month, plus HKD 100K set-up fee.

I signed up for L12 Harbor view initially for 1 month and was charged HKD 17K. After that I extended my stay by entering into a 12 month contract and the rent was reduced to ~HKD 13K, with an exit clause of 1 month notice with penalty (which I find strange as it appears to be a heads-I-win-tails-you-lose situation).

Gym and playroom facilities are good considering the location. Both are housed in the VIP club - this means you can exercise while keeping an eye on the kids. Equipment wise, the gym is not well equipped - two threadmills, one cycle, one multi-station gym, plus some bar-bells. The gym area appears small (by Aus standard) for the population size of the complex. My only gripe is that they did not exercise sufficient supervision over the use of gym equipment - the gym station was broken twice by first time users who went there in their street gears!

[datn4]

Thanks a lot. That helps!