I have stayed at this property many years ago and came back for a visit. Unfortunately the Salisbury is now showing its age.

The location is excellent, right at the tip of Tsim Sha Tsui, convenient to all shopping, the MTR, and the Star Ferry. As expected, the rooms are small due to the location and the fact it is not a luxury hotel. However there are several massive problems:

1. All rooms (we had three booked) smelt musty and damp. We understand we are visiting in hot & humid August, but no hotel room should smell like this. Our swimsuits took two days to dry, even with the AC on

2. The pool is not hotel friendly. It is firstly indoors, and secondly mostly used for swim lessons. While hotel guests can use it, you cannot do the normal tourist activities such as splash around, use pool noodles, etc.

3. Lifts are SLOW, not uncommon to wait five minutes during peak times

4. While there are many kid's activities, such as climbing walls, etc, these require advanced (days ahead) registration

In short, the Salisbury tries to be both a hotel and a kids camp, but the compromises disproportionately affect the hotel operations.

The YMCA location is great, very close to the MTR, a short stroll to Victoria Harbour and close to the Museum of Art. The room we had (a 1 bedroom city view suite) was fantastic. It was exactly what we needed for a family of 4 as a base to explore Hong Kong. The staff were also very pleasant and helpful.

The cleanliness of the room was ok, some dusty areas and stains on the furniture.

We booked direct with through the website to take advantage of the B&B offers but found these to be misleading. We got 2 free breakfasts for 1 morning (we stayed for 5 nights) Although there were 4 of us and we were under the impression we would have full B&B so might be worth clarifying this with the YMCA before booking. As the breakfast is very expensive to purchase.

At first I was hesitant to try this hotel because of the YMCA in its name. I have fond memories of going to the YMCA as a child to learn to swim and play basketball, but I thought the hotel would be run down and drab. However, I was delightfully surprised and enjoyed my stay.
Pros:
1. The location is the best thing about The Salisbury. It's right next to the L6 exit of the TST station. The Red and Brown Subway lines are nearby. There are several shopping centers, restaurants, and stores in a 5 minute walking radius. The Star Ferry Terminal is also about a 7 minute walk.
2. Staff is courteous. Unlike some of other Hong Kong hotels I've stayed at, I didn't encounter the stereotypical HK attitude that borders on rudeness.
3. They have a restaurant on premise that offers a breakfast buffet on the 4th Floor. I didn't eat there since there were so many restaurants to try.
4. You can exchange money at the hotel and the rates were better than what the HK airport was offering.
5. A/C was great.
6. Harbor view rooms were nice. You can see the nightly HK Harbor laser show.

Cons:
1. Wifi was slow.
2. I stayed in the South Tower, and there were only 2 elevators.

The rooms are somewhat dated, but they were clean and well kept. It wasn't run down or drab. The Kowloon Hotel is across the street. Their prices are similar and their comparable rooms are smaller and more dated.