Causeway Bay hotel to turn into youth hostel as first approval obtained under subsidy scheme

A hotel in Causeway Bay will turn into a youth hostel that offers 97 rooms and up to 194 hostel places as the project has been approved Tuesday under a subsidy scheme announced in the 2022 policy address, first of its kind.

The hotel that will be converted into a youth hostel is the Hotel Ease Causeway Bay (formerly the Butterfly on Morrison Boutique Hotel Causeway Bay). The project is launched by the Hong Kong United Youth Association (HKUYA) in collaboration with the Gale Well Group, and the hostel will operate under the name of “BeLIVING Youth Hub.” 

The project is the first one approved in about two months since the subsidy scheme was opened for application in early January 2023. 

“In spite of the resumption of normal travel and the start of the travel industry’s recovery, there are still hotel operators which participate in the scheme and collaborate with the SAR government in pursuing youth development," a spokesperson of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) said.

“The HYAB will continue to collaborate with NGOs and relevant stakeholders who share our vision in inspiring our youths and brightening our future.” 

The Subsidy Scheme for Using Hotels and Guesthouses as Youth Hostels is launched by the Bureau in early January 2023 to subsidize NGOs to rent suitable hotels and guesthouses for use as youth hostels. 

It is one of the government’s ways to fulfill the target of providing some 3,000 additional hostel places within five years as announced in Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu’s 2022 policy address.