4th May 2025 – (Hong Kong) Hong Kong’s golden arches have long served as more than just a fast-food chain—they are now a de facto community living space, seamlessly blending budget-conscious mainland tourists with the city’s homeless population. During the May Day Golden Week, this unlikely coexistence reached new heights as dozens of Mainland visitors opted to overnight in 24-hour McDonald’s outlets across Yau Tsim Mong district, turning burger joints into impromptu hostels.
The phenomenon, once dominated by the so-called McRefugees—Hong Kong’s working poor who sleep in McDonald’s due to unaffordable housing—has expanded to include thrifty travellers from across the border. At Beijing Road’s McDonald’s, around 50 people were sprawled across tables, some shoeless, others draped over luggage, while staff conspicuously avoided intervention. Among them was Huang, a Fujian student on a “quick trip” to Hong Kong, who cheerfully admitted he skipped booking a hotel to save money. “It’s quite fun!” he remarked, as if crashing in a fast-food booth was just another quirky travel experience.
Nearby, a Zhejiang tourist surnamed Chen was less enthused. Stranded after losing his ID, he had no choice but to camp at McDonald’s, his pre-paid Shenzhen hotel now useless. “At least I still have my flight ticket,” he told a local media reporter, a silver lining in a holiday gone awry. Then there was Zhang, a Guangxi visitor who, after misplacing her travel permit, found herself trapped in Hong Kong with no way home until government offices reopened. “I’m desperate,” she sighed, a stark contrast to Huang’s blithe attitude.
McDonald’s Hong Kong, ever the gracious host, has long tolerated overnight guests—whether homeless locals or tourists avoiding hotel bills. The chain’s unofficial policy of benign neglect has transformed its outlets into hybrid spaces where HK$18 Hot Fresh Lemon Tea buys you a 12-hour stay. No wonder mainland social media brims with guides on “how to sleep at McDonald’s for free.” Why bother with overpriced hostels when you can bed down beside a McFlurry machine?
The irony is palpable. In a city where property prices per square foot rival Manhattan’s, McDonald’s has become the last bastion of affordable “accommodation.” While Hong Kong’s leaders fret over tourism revenues, these frugal visitors are pioneering ultra-low-budget travel: why pay for a room when a McNugget meal comes with complimentary Wi-Fi and a chair to nap on?
The influx of mainland sleepovers has, however, ruffled feathers. Locals complain about diners struggling to find seats amid luggage-clogged aisles. Online, sarcasm drips: “Why book a hotel when McDonald’s offers free air-con and a side of fries?” Others note the grim juxtaposition of tourists and homeless regulars sharing space—one group by choice, the other by necessity.
Yet this is merely the latest chapter in McDonald’s unplanned role as urban sanctuary. Hong Kong’s McRefugee numbers have sextupled since 2013, with many holding jobs but priced out of housing. Now, they must compete for prime sleeping real estate with holidaymakers who treat the experience as an adventure.
The scene encapsulates Hong Kong’s paradox: a gleaming financial hub where economic disparity forces both residents and visitors into the same fast-food limbo. While officials celebrate record tourist arrivals, few acknowledge that many now see the city as a budget destination—somewhere to “quick visit” but not splurge.
Perhaps McDonald’s should lean into its accidental hospitality model. Forget Happy Meals—why not introduce Snooze Meals, complete with pillow and blanket? Until then, Hong Kong’s golden arches continue to stand as a poignant symbol: offering fries during the day, shelter at night, and a striking illustration that in this city, even tourism is relegated to a budget category.
