Regent Hong Kong Explained

Hotel Name:Regent Hong Kong
Location:18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong
Opening Date:1980; 42 years ago (as The Regent Hong Kong)
2001; 21 years ago (rebranded to InterContinental Hong Kong)
November 8, 2023 (reopened as Regent Hong Kong)
Closing Date:April 20, 2020; 2 years ago (as InterContinental Hong Kong)
Developer:New World Development
Operator:Regent Hotels & Resorts
Owner:Supreme Key
Number Of Rooms:497[1]
Number Of Suites:85

Regent Hong Kong is a five-star hotel located at 18 Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The hotel is positioned directly on the waterfront, offering views of Victoria Harbour and is close to various tourist attractions. The hotel has 497 rooms and 129 suites, and is considered to be the flagship property of the group.

History

The hotel opened in 1980 as The Regent Hong Kong, owned by New World Development and managed by Regent International Hotels. It was built as the flagship property of RIH, founded by hotelier Robert H. Burns and Japan’s Tokyu Hotels Group in 1970. In 1992, the Regent Hotels group was acquired by Four Seasons Hotels.

On May 21, 2001, New World sold the hotel to Bass Hotels and Resorts for US$346 million and it was rebranded as the InterContinental Hong Kong on June 1, 2001.[2] [3] Four Seasons Hotels, which owned Regent Hotels at the time, controlled 25% of the property's management contract, causing them to enter rent arbitration with New World, which was resolved in August 2001, when New World agreed to pay Four Seasons an unspecified amount.[4]

In July 2015, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the successor company to Bass Hotels and Resorts, agreed to sell InterContinental Hong Kong to Supreme Key, a consortium of investors, for US$938 million.[5] [6] It was reported that IHG will retain a 37-year management contract, with three 10-year extension rights.[7] [8] [9]

In March 2018, it was announced that the hotel would close for renovations in 2020 before reopening in 2021. Subject to InterContinental Hotels' majority-stake acquisition of Regent Hotels, the hotel will reopen as a Regent once again in early 2023. InterContinental Hong Kong officially ceased operations on April 20, 2020, in order to commence the two-year renovation and conversion program to Regent Hong Kong.

On November 8, 2023, the relaunched Regent celebrated its official opening.[10]

Facilities

The hotel has 497 rooms, designed by Hong Kong-born design visionary Chi Wing Lo.

The hotel has an outdoor pool and infinity-edge plunge pools which are noted for their views across Victoria Harbour. Additionally, there are several meeting rooms and the Regent Ballroom for events, which are connected to the lobby via an iconic grand staircase made from white marble. This was an original fixture from the 1980s-era Regent, and has been retained throughout the hotel's rebranding to InterContinental and restored for the transformation back to Regent.

Restaurants & Bars

The hotel has six restaurants and bars.[11]

On 26 December 2022, Regent Hong Kong opened with three destination restaurants: The Steak House, the Lobby Lounge and Harbourside. These venues launched before the hotel rooms were completed.

Yan Toh Heen officially rebranded and returned to its original name, “Lai Ching Heen”, the name of the restaurant when it was previously the Regent Hong Kong.[12]

In popular culture

The hotel has received many notable guests and been featured in various films, television shows, and travel programmes. The notable guests who stayed at the hotel include the prince and princess from Britain, US presidents including Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and George Bush, and celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Catherine Deneuve, Sidney Poitier, Roger Moore, Robert DeNiro, Charles Bronson, Julio Iglesias, Tom Jones, Bo Derek, Meg Ryan, Barbara Walters, Calvin Klein, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.[13] [14]

The hotel has also been featured in various film scenes including the TV miniseries Noble House (1988) and TV movie Nightwatch (1995), both with Pierce Brosnan and US TV series Dynasty (1985). A list of television programmes filmed at the hotel includes Danish TV series Borgen (2012) and NBC’s Better Late Than Never (2016), while the feature film Lost in Hong Kong (2015) with Xu Zhen shot scenes in the hotel’s Presidential Suite.[15]

The hotel has also been a location for shooting popular music videos including Japanese pop icon Ayumi’s “Distance Love” music video in 2007 and Jay Chou’s “Give Me the Time for One Song (Gei Wo Yi Shou Ge De Shi Jian)” in 2008).[16]

Awards

References

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Notes and References

  1. News: Sito . Peggy . 10 July 2015. InterContinental Hong Kong sells for US$938 million in one of region's biggest hotel deals . . 10 July 2015.
  2. Web site: InterContinental Hong Kong rebranding to the Regent Hong Kong . Hospitality Net . 11 November 2022 . en-us.
  3. Web site: CNN.com - Hong Kong's Regent Hotel to change name - May 22, 2001 . www.cnn.com . 11 November 2022.
  4. Web site: Four Seasons Sells Regent Hong Kong Stake . hotelbusiness . 11 November 2022.
  5. Web site: InterContinental Hong Kong sells for US$938 million in one of region's biggest hotel deals . South China Morning Post . 11 November 2022 . en . 10 July 2015.
  6. News: InterContinental Sells Hong Kong Hotel for $938 Million . Bloomberg . 10 July 2015 . 11 November 2022.
  7. Web site: IHG acquires 51% stake in Regent Hotels in a JV agreement with FIH . WIT . 11 November 2022 . 14 March 2018.
  8. Web site: IHG completes acquisition of 51% stake in Regent Hotels & Resorts . InterContinental Hotels Group PLC . 11 November 2022 . en.
  9. Web site: Gollan . Doug . IHG Is Buying Regent Hotels And Hong Kong Is Getting Its Regent Hotel Back . Forbes . 11 November 2022 . en.
  10. Web site: Four Seasons Sells Regent Hong Kong Stake . IHG Newsroom . 14 November 2023.
  11. Web site: Home » Nobu Restaurants . www.noburestaurants.com . 11 November 2022.
  12. Web site: Yan Toh Heen – Hong Kong - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant . MICHELIN Guide . 11 November 2022 . en-HK.
  13. Web site: CNN Travel Global Destinations, Tips & Video . CNN . 11 November 2022 . en.
  14. Web site: CNN Travel Global Destinations, Tips & Video . CNN . 11 November 2022 . en.
  15. Web site: InterContinental Hong Kong's 7,000 Sq. Ft. Presidential Suite Constructed at a Cost of US$2.5 million . Hospitality Net . 11 November 2022 . en-us.
  16. Web site: CNN Travel Global Destinations, Tips & Video . CNN . 11 November 2022 . en.
  17. Web site: InterContinental Hong Kong Celebrates EarthCheck Platinum Certification . EarthCheck . 11 November 2022 . 1 November 2018.
  18. Web site: The Miele Guide . 11 November 2022 . 10 November 2012 . 10 November 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121110043246/http://themieleguide.com/asias-top-20/2008-2009 . dead .
  19. Web site: The Miele Guide . 11 November 2022 . 27 November 2012 . 27 November 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121127141252/http://themieleguide.com/asias-top-20/2010-2011 . dead .
  20. Web site: CNN Travel Global Destinations, Tips & Video . CNN . 11 November 2022 . en.
  21. Web site: The 3 Best Hong Kong City Hotels, According to Travel + Leisure Readers . 2024-07-19 . Travel + Leisure . en.
  22. Web site: The 20 Best City Hotels in Asia, According to Travel + Leisure Readers . 2024-07-19 . Travel + Leisure . en.
  23. Web site: These 100 Hotels Were Voted Best in the World by T+L Readers — and 16 of Them Are in the U.S. . 2024-07-19 . Travel + Leisure . en.

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