It may be odd to find people commenting on chain stores and major retailers as such; even more…read moreweird is if you find people commenting on particular bank branches. I am commenting here because I happened to have used this bank on several occasions and found it to be one of the most sooth experiences in my life. This will only occur to you if you have ever been to a Bank of China branch. If you live in Hong Kong then chances are you will never use the BoC- anybody who is anything has a HSBC account that's usually the end of that. However, recently I found myself with several payments that needed to be paid through BoC accounts which meant that I had to find a branch to settle this with. BoC branches are hard to find to say the least, and once inside they are usually confusing and the speed which things are dealt with could be described as glacial. Not sure if its the bank's background that causes this but it just seems like they take their time in doing things. In the Tsing Yi branch, however, I have found that a) the branch is quite a big one and b) it usually void of people. That lets me settle what I need to do in about half the time it would be dealt with elsewhere. You will see a lot of elderly people here staring into the stock quote screens but they usually won't be queuing up for counter services. Staff here are keen to help and the security guards do their best to keep things in order. I have therefore decided that whenever I need to used BoC services I will come back to this branch- even if I was miles away. Before someone lets me know of an even less busy one I will be coming back here.

The staff is helpful and friendly here. However, this place is always crowded and one always has to…read morewait for at least 40 mins before someone can help you out. The best time is to get here early to avoid afternoon and lunch time rush. Also, if you are an expat then opening an account could take over a month, so you may want to try some other bank if you looking to get an HK account in a couple of days.

Big, centrally located hotel close to fantastic shopping, great eats, and authentic Hong Kong…read moreneighborhoods. Hotel pricing is somewhat on the high side, especially in the bar and spa areas, and the rooms are cozy (real estate speak for tiny). But then again, remember you're in Hong Kong where everything is compressed and more expensive. I say roll with it and give them a whirl.

Located on the 2nd floor of the Paradise Mall, you can access this location easily from the Heng Fa…read moreChuen MTR station. It's right across from the Bank of China, so it's pretty hard to miss. There's always plenty of staff on hand to help you out, people by the counters and in their offices. The staff I've interacted with are generally very polite, helpful, and friendly. There are occasionally long line-ups, but they typically move quickly, since there are many counters open at once. Another note, is that many elders visit this location, so there's a booth dedicated to helping the elderly, which I think is an incredibly thoughtful and caring touch.

Great Choices of Indonesian Food and Groceries!read more

The HSBC at Sha Tin Plaza is probably the one my family and I visit most often due to its location…read more- Sha Tin Plaza is connected to New Town Plaza, so you just have to take a series of footbridges to get there. On rainy days, this is great because you don't have to go out in the rain to go to Sha Tin Plaza, although the footbridges do tend to get slippery. If you're there to line up for the bank counters if you want to do deposits or whatever, be prepared to wait a REALLY long time. I have lined up for over fifteen minutes before - the wait is ridiculous! I guess this bank is just pretty popular because of its central location in Sha Tin. Customer service is great here. Upon stepping into the bank, you will be asked what services you require today and they'll either direct you to the queue or hand you a number. Today, I applied for a new credit card and had to wait for 8 numbers before my turn, which took about ten or fifteen minutes. The banking officer Reno was very friendly and efficient, and gave me his card in case I needed to contact him or ask him anything. One good thing about this branch is that there are quite a few cash withdrawals and deposit ATMs outside, meaning that there never needs to be much of a wait. On a different note, this bank is ridiculously cold, especially at the booth I was sitting at when I was applying for the credit card!

If you are fortunate enough to be an HSBC premier customer, happen to be in the Wan Chai area, and…read moreneed to do some banking, I would thoroughly recommend that you visit the branch in the Convention Centre for your banking needs. This particular branch is only a premier centre, which means that, whilst it is much smaller, it doesn't have the high volume of traffic going through it, even though it is located at the Convention Centre. As such, you are likely to be seen very quickly, even during weekday lunchtimes, when it does get a little bit busier. The staff at the reception are incredibly friendly, but they annoyingly always ask for your bank card and ID card. I'm not sure if they're just checking to see that you are a Premier customer or not, but it is an annoyance. However, once you get past these guardians of the gate, it's a little bit more relaxed inside. You can even have a nice coffee, or help yourself to a handful of Mentos. Other then it being a slightly more pleasant atmosphere then some of the larger branches, this branch does pretty much what all the other ones do anyway. If you happen to be after a mortgage, I would recommend speaking to Kulio. He is an excellent mortgage advisor, and based in this Convention Centre branch. Conveniently, there is also an ATM lobby diagonally across from this branch. Of course this is open to all HSBC and other banking customers, so don't expect it just be for Premier customers. Even though I am now based in Central, I still go to this branch in Wan Chai for my banking needs.

They have very good rates "without" bargaining! Would go…read morethere again next time I need to exchange money.