The Peninsula Hong Kong is a
colonial-style luxury hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
located in
Tsim Sha Tsui,
Kowloon,
Hong Kong. It is the flagship property of
The Peninsula Hotels group, part of the
Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels
The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited (HSH) is the holding company of a hotel group. It is engaged in the ownership, development and management of The Peninsula Hotels; commercial and residential properties in Asia, the United States and Eur ...
Group. The hotel opened in 1928 and was the first under The Peninsula brand. Expanded in 1994, the hotel combines colonial and modern elements, and is notable for its large fleet of
Rolls-Royces painted a distinctive "Peninsula green".
History
Founded by members of the
Kadoorie family
The Kadoorie family or "Khedouri" ( he, כדורי, ar, خضوري) are a wealthy Hong Kong-based family, originally Mizrahi Jews from Baghdad, Iraq. From the mid-18th century they were established in Mumbai, British Raj India becoming one of t ...
, The Peninsula was built with the idea that it would be "the finest hotel east of
Suez". Originally planned for a 1924 opening, the hotel opened on 11 December 1928 and was the successor of
Hongkong Hotel
The Hongkong Hotel was Hong Kong's first luxury hotel modelled after sumptuous London hotels. It opened on Queen's Road and Pedder Street in 1868, later expanding into the Victoria Harbour waterfront of Victoria City in 1893.
History
The or ...
. The Peninsula was located in
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. at the junction of
Nathan Road
Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong, aligned south–north from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sham Shui Po. It is lined with shops and restaurants and throngs with visitors, and was known in the post– World War II years as the Gol ...
and
Salisbury Road
Salisbury Road is a major road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Description
It runs parallel to Victoria Harbour, starting from its western end at the Star Ferry Pier, passing by Blackhead Point, to Tsim Sha Tsui East. It intersects w ...
, directly opposite the quays where ocean liner passengers disembarked. Kowloon was also the last stop on the
trans-Siberian rail link that brought travelers from Europe.
Following the opening of the hotel, The Peninsula held Sunday concerts, nightly dinners on the terrace and twice-weekly dinners in the Rose Room. Dinner dances were held every night, with regular Afternoon Tea Dances. The Peninsula then became a popular meeting place for the entire community. It also became a place to spot celebrities. Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard, who were Hollywood stars of the 1930s classic ''
Modern Times'', were among the hotel's guests.
On 25 December 1941, at the end of the
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong (8–25 December 1941), also known as the Defence of Hong Kong and the Fall of Hong Kong, was one of the first battles of the Pacific War in World War II. On the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor, forces of th ...
, British colonial officials led by the
Governor of Hong Kong, Sir
Mark Aitchison Young
Sir Mark Aitchison Young (楊慕琦, 30 June 1886 – 12 May 1974) was a British administrator who became the Governor of Hong Kong during the years immediately before and after the Japanese occupation of the territory.
Early life, service i ...
, surrendered in person at the Japanese headquarters on the third floor of The Peninsula. The Governor was confined for two months in one of the hotel suites before being transferred to a prison in Shanghai. The resort was then renamed , and the rooms were reserved for Japanese officers and high-ranking dignitaries.
In his book ''God Is My Co-Pilot'', Colonel
Robert Lee Scott Jr., USAAF, commander of the
23rd Fighter Group,
China Air Task Force
The China Air Task Force (CATF) was a combat organization of the United States Army Air Forces created in July 1942 under the command of Brig. Gen. Claire Chennault, after the Flying Tigers of the 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Fo ...
, described in detail an aerial raid he led on the Japanese shipping anchored in Hong Kong harbor, conducted 25 October 1942, and the lone attack he personally made in his
Curtiss P-40K Warhawk (nicknamed ''Old Exterminator'') upon the famous Peninsula hotel:
''"So, I looped above Victoria Harbor
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour in Hong Kong separating Hong Kong Island in the south from the Kowloon Peninsula to the north. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on South China Sea were instrumental i ...
and drove for the Peninsula Hotel. My tracers ripped into the shining plate-glass of the penthouses on its top, and I saw the broken windows cascade like snow to the streets, many floors below. I laughed, for I knew that behind those windows were Japanese high officers, enjoying that modern hotel. When I got closer, I could see uniformed figures going down the fire escapes, and I shot at them...I turned for one more run on the packed fire escapes filled with Jap soldiers, but my next burst ended very suddenly. I was out of ammunition."''
It was restored to its original name after Japan was defeated and the British regained control of the colony. The hotel today is part of the
Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels
The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited (HSH) is the holding company of a hotel group. It is engaged in the ownership, development and management of The Peninsula Hotels; commercial and residential properties in Asia, the United States and E ...
group headed by Sir
Michael Kadoorie
Sir Michael David Kadoorie, GBS (born 1941) is a Hong Kong billionaire businessman, and the chairman and 18% owner of CLP Group, Hong Kong's largest electricity producer. He also owns 47% of Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels.
Early life
Born in 1 ...
and is the flagship property of
The Peninsula Hotels group.
1994 expansion
In 1994, the hotel was expanded with a 30-storey tower of a similar architectural style as the existing building. The facade of the existing hotel building was preserved, including the forecourt, the lobby and the front facade. The hotel remained in operation while construction took place.
[Hong Kong Institute of Architects Annual Awards(1997). Hong Kong Architecture 3. Hong Kong: Hinge Marketing.]
The new Peninsula Tower is topped with a
helipad. It is used to transport VIP guests to the
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is Hong Kong's main airport, built on reclaimed land on the island of Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or ''Chek Lap Kok Airport'', to distinguish ...
, a seven-minute flight away. World-record holding Australian helicopter pilot
Dick Smith, accompanied by Director-General Peter K N Lok of the Civil Aviation Department, piloted the inaugural certifying helicopter flight onto the helipad in 1994.
The redevelopment increased the total number of rooms to 300 with the addition of 132 rooms and suites. Other new features included 10 floors of office space, shops and hotel facilities.
2012 refurbishment
To celebrate the hotel's 85th anniversary in April 2013, it launched a refurbishment programme. In September 2012, the first phase of the Peninsula Tower was completed. New features includes digital enhancements ranging from touch-screen tablets, a DVD library of 3D movies to high-definition televisions. The decor of the rooms is in pared-down Oriental chic, with plain cream upholstery, vintage luggage-inspired drawer handles and Chinese ink painting-inspired ornaments. However the renovation did not include the iconic lobby, restaurants and bars which all remained unchanged.
Architecture and facilities
The Peninsula is designed in the
Baroque style. The Baroque style setting of the lobby could reflect on the First Floor Tea Lounge, and lobby with a detailed design of plaster staircase, novel treatment balustrading, ornamental
stained glass
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
, and woodwork carpets and draperies starting from 1928.
Restaurants and bars
The hotel's food and beverage outlets include the gourmet French restaurant
Gaddi's, which has one of the first
chef's tables in Hong Kong, and the
Philippe Starck-designed 'Felix'. Others are 'Spring Moon', 'Imasa', and 'Chesa', which specialise in Cantonese, Japanese, and Swiss cuisine respectively.
The Lobby serves traditional English-style Afternoon Tea, reminiscent of Hong Kong's colonial era.
Fashion arcade
The hotel has one of the oldest fashion arcades in Hong Kong. Throughout the years, it has housed international brands such as
Chanel
Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chanel is ...
,
Dior,
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès ( , ), is a French luxury design house established in 1837. It specializes in leather goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. Its logo, sinc ...
,
Chrome Hearts
Chrome Hearts is a luxury brand from Hollywood, founded in 1988 by Richard Stark, Leonard Kamhout and John Bowman. It is currently co-owned by Richard Stark and his wife Laurie Lynn Stark. Its logo contains a cross with the brand name around i ...
,
Gucci
Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragran ...
,
Prada,
Shiatzy Chen,
Louis Vuitton,
Cartier,
Piaget,
Roger Dubuis,
Goyard,
Franck Muller,
Bvlgari
Bulgari (, ; stylized as BVLGARI) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1884 and known for its jewellery, watches, fragrances, accessories, and leather goods.
While the majority of design, production and marketing is overseen and execu ...
,
Tiffany & Co.,
Baccarat
Baccarat or baccara (; ) is a card game played at casinos. It is a comparing card game played between two hands, the "player" and the "banker". Each baccarat coup (round of play) has three possible outcomes: "player" (player has the higher score ...
,
ST Dupont,
Harry Winston,
Davidoff
Davidoff is a Swiss premium brand of cigars, cigarettes and smoker's accessories. The Davidoff cigarette brand has been owned by Imperial Brands after purchasing it in 2006. The non-cigarette portion of the Davidoff tobacco brand is owned by O ...
,
Van Cleef & Arpels
Van Cleef & Arpels is a French high-end luxury jewelry company. It was founded in 1896 by the Dutch diamond-cutter Alfred Van Cleef and his father-in-law Salomon Arpels in Paris. Their pieces often feature flowers, animals, and fairies, and hav ...
and
Polo Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren Corporation is an American publicly traded fashion company that was founded in 1967 by American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. The company is headquartered in New York City, producing products ranging from the mid-range to the luxur ...
. Apart from international fashion houses, it was also home to Hong Kong brands, such as
Betty Charnuis Clemos in the 60s,
Dickson Poon
Sir Dickson Poon (; born 19 June 1956) is a Hong Kong businessman in the luxury goods retailing sector. Poon is the executive chairman of his Hong Kong based and listed company Dickson Concepts (DCIL), which owns companies including Harvey Ni ...
in the 70s and
Joyce Boutique
Joyce Boutique Holdings Limited (stylized as JOYCE) is a Hong Kong fashion retailer which is engaged in the franchise of fashion, accessories and cosmetics designer brands in Greater China under the name "JOYCE" or mono brand freestanding stores. ...
in the 80s.
Fleet
Since December 2006, the hotel has had a fleet of 14 long wheelbase
Rolls-Royce Phantoms painted in the hotel's signature green. It was the largest single order placed with Rolls-Royce in the history of the company. It replaced a fleet of
Rolls-Royce Silver Spurs.
Awards
The Peninsula has been recognised as an internationally leading hotel in ''
Condé Nast Traveler
''Condé Nast Traveler'' is a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine published by Condé Nast. The magazine has won 25 National Magazine Awards.
The Condé Nast unit of Advance Publications purchased ''Signature'', a magazine for Diners Club memb ...
'' magazine and ''Travel + Leisure''.
In popular culture
In the 1974
James Bond film ''
The Man with the Golden Gun'' starring
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...
, the hotel's fleet of
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadows is mentioned.
The hotel was frequently featured in the TV series ''
Dynasty'' and was the site of a number of negotiations over oil leases in the South China Sea. It was also prominently displayed in the 1988
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
television miniseries ''
Noble House''. In the same year,
Michael Palin visited the Hotel for the BBC's ''
Michael Palin: Around the World in 80 Days''.
In 2007, The Peninsula was used for a scene in the superhero film ''
The Dark Knight'', involving actors
Morgan Freeman and
Chin Han, who played
Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Bruce Wayne / Batman. He is Bruce Wayne's business manager at Wayne Enterprises who runs the business interests that s ...
and Lau, respectively.
In 2015, The Peninsula was featured in the eleventh episode of
the 27th season of The Amazing Race, serving as the location of the first route marker of the Hong Kong / Macau leg.
The Spring Moon Chinese restaurant of the hotel is sometimes credited with the invention of
XO sauce
XO sauce is a spicy seafood sauce from Hong Kong with an umami flavour. It is commonly used in southern Chinese regions such as Guangdong.
History
Developed in the 1980s in Hong Kong for Cantonese cuisine, XO sauce is made of roughly-chopped ...
.
See also
*
The Peninsula New York
The Peninsula New York is a historic luxury hotel at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 55th Street in Manhattan, New York City. Built in 1905 as the Gotham Hotel, the structure was designed by Hiss and Weekes in the neo-classical style. The hote ...
*
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
The Peninsula Beverly Hills is a luxury, five-star hotel at the intersection of South Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard. The hotel is part of The Peninsula Hotels, a chain owned by Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels. The Peninsula Beverly ...
*
The Peninsula Bangkok
The Peninsula Bangkok is a 5-star hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. The hotel opened in 1998, counting 37 floors and 367 rooms. The hotel was 50% owned by the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH) and 50% by the Phataraprasit family until 2020, when HSH ...
*
The Peninsula Manila
The Peninsula Manila (colloquially Manila Pen or simply Manila Peninsula), is a 5-star luxury hotel in the Philippines. It is located on the corner of Ayala Avenue and Makati Avenue in the Makati Central Business District. It is located also ...
*
The Peninsula Shanghai
*
The Peninsula Beijing
*
The Peninsula Tokyo
*
The Peninsula Paris
References
Literature
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peninsula
Art Deco architecture in Hong Kong
History of Hong Kong
Hotels established in 1928
Hotel buildings completed in 1928
Hotel buildings completed in 1994
Hotels in Hong Kong
Landmarks in Hong Kong
Monuments and memorials in Hong Kong
Skyscraper hotels in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Tsim Sha Tsui
1928 establishments in Hong Kong
Grade I historic buildings in Hong Kong