The Excelsior Explained

Excelsior Hotel
Native Name:	怡東酒店
Location:	281 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Coordinates:	22.2823°N 114.1841°W
Status:	Demolished
Completion Date:	1973
Opening:	20 February 1973^[1]
Building Type:	Hotel
Number Of Rooms:	854
Number Of Suites:	21
Number Of Restaurants:	5
Roof:	126.34m (414.5feet)
Floor Count:	37
Demolition Date:	2020
Owner:	Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
References:	^[2] ^[3]

The Excelsior was a four-star hotel located at 281 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. It was owned and operated by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, a member of the Jardine Matheson Group, and served as the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group's headquarters. The Noon-day Gun is located opposite the hotel.^{[1] [4]} It closed on 31 March 2019^{[5] [6]} for demolition and replacement by an office tower.^[7]

History

The location of the hotel is "Lot No.1", which was the first plot of land sold at auction after Hong Kong became a British Colony in 1841. The hotel was developed on the original godown of Jardine Matheson and was officially opened on 20 February 1973.^[1] The hotel was the first in Hong Kong to have more than 1,000 rooms.^[8]

In 2015, the company obtained approval to redevelop the property into a commercial building,^[9] and it subsequently announced in June 2017 that it would test the market's interest as to a possible sale.^[10] No single bidder had met Mandarin's expectations, however, and the sale was withdrawn.^[11] The hotel closed on 31 March 2019, for demolition.^[7]

Restaurants

The Excelsior had several cafés and restaurants:

• Dickens Bar, a sports bar and restaurant in the basement,^[12] "wood-panelled and bristling with memorabilia",^[13] that has been described as a traditional British gastropub.^[14]
• EXpresso, a café in the lobby.^[12]
• Café on the 1st, a breakfast, lunch and dinner International buffet restaurant on the 1st floor.
• Cammino, an Italian restaurant on the 1st floor.
• Yee Tung Heen, a Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant on the 2nd floor.^[12]
• The Excelsior Grill on the 3rd floor.
• ToTT's and Roof Terrace, a bar and restaurant on the 34th floor.^[12] Originally called "Talk of the Town", it opened in 1979 as a disco and bar. It was renamed "ToTT's Asian Grill" in 1995. The outdoor terrace opened in 2009.^[15]

Cooling system

Like several other buildings along the Victoria Harbour,^[16] the Excelsior Hotel used a seawater air conditioning system.^[17] The seawater source for the system originated from the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter.^[16]

In popular culture

Parts of the 1978 comedy film Revenge of the Pink Panther were set in The Excelsior.^{[18] [19]} The film was also partly edited in the hotel.^[12]

See also

• East Point, Hong Kong

External links

• Hotel website
• Photographs of The Excelsior (Hong Kong)

Notes and References

1. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220083838/https://photos.mandarinoriental.com/is/content/MandarinOriental/corporate-excelsior-1PK-hotel-overview The Excelsior Hong Kong: Hotel overview
2. Web site: Excelsior Hotel. https://web.archive.org/web/20180511220042/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/120714/excelsior-hotel-hong-kong-china. usurped. 11 May 2018. 24 September 2016. Emporis.com.
3. Web site: Excelsior Hotel. 24 September 2016. SkyscraperPage.com.
4. News: 2011-05-20 . The Excelsior - Reviews and Ratings of Hotels in Hong Kong - New York Times Travel . The New York Times . 2023-05-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110520051611/http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/asia/china/hong-kong/37248/the-excelsior/hotel-detail.html . 20 May 2011 .
5. News: Ng . Naomi . Moon . Louise . 31 March 2019 . Tears and happy memories abound as iconic Excelsior hotel in Hong Kong closes its doors for the final time after 46 years of service. .
6. Web site: 2019-03-21 . Fond Farewell Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group . 2023-05-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190321113132/https://www.mandarinoriental.com/event/fond-farewell . 21 March 2019 .
7. News: Sito . Peggy . 9 October 2018 . Hong Kong's iconic Excelsior hotel to shut in March 2019 for redevelopment into offices . South China Morning Post.
8. Web site: Jardine Engineering Corporation · JEC . 2023-05-23 . JEC . en-US.
9. News: Li . Sandy . 18 April 2015 . Surprise plan approved to tear down Excelsior hotel after 42 years as Hong Kong landmark . .
10. News: Nguy . Dominique . 6 June 2017 . Legendary hotel faces end of road. The Standard.
11. News: Sito . Peggy . 27 September 2017 . Mandarin Oriental shares plunge after lacklustre bids push its sale of Excelsior Hotel off the market. South China Morning Post.
12. News: Chan . Bernice . 10 March 2019 . Memories of The Excelsior, Hong Kong hotel where guests invited staff for meals and holidays . South China Morning Post.
13. Book: Michael Ingham. Hong Kong: A Cultural History. limited. 2007. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-972447-5 . 77.
14. News: 21 July 2015 . Dickens Bar . Hong Kong Tatler.
15. News: Leung Hayes . Janice . 17 December 2014 . Rooftop restaurant ToTT's at the Excelsior still grilling after 35 years . .
16. Wong . Yiu-ming . 1998 . Biofouling treatment of seawater cooling systems in Hong Kong . MSc in Environmental Management . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161220113445/https://hub.hku.hk/bitstream/10722/55822/3/FullText.pdf . 20 December 2016 . dmy-all .
17. Web site: 2016-12-20 . Seawater Air Conditioning (SWAC) Plants Around The World . 2023-05-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161220101146/http://otecorporation.com/technology/swac-plants-around-the-world/ . 20 December 2016 .
18. News: Lee . Amanda . Li . Sandy . 6 June 2017 . Mandarin Oriental mulls sale of iconic Excelsior hotel in Hong Kong . .
19. News: Moon . Louise . 30 March 2019 . The Excelsior goes out with a party and a bang as iconic hotel bows to commercial pressure and makes way for an office tower . .