Regent Hong Kong

Coordinates: 22°17′36.5″N 114°10′26.2″E / 22.293472°N 114.173944°E / 22.293472; 114.173944
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(Redirected from InterContinental Hong Kong)
Regent Hong Kong
Regent Hong Kong in 2011
Map
General information
Location18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong
Opening1980; 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)
ClosedApril 20, 2020; 2 years ago (as InterContinental Hong Kong)
OwnerSupreme Key
ManagementRegent Hotels & Resorts
Design and construction
DeveloperNew World Development
Other information
Number of rooms497[1]
Number of suites85[1]
Regent Hong Kong
Traditional Chinese香港洲際酒店
Simplified Chinese香港洲际酒店
The Regent Hong Kong
Traditional Chinese麗晶酒店
Simplified Chinese丽晶酒店

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[edit]

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[edit]

The hotel has 497 rooms including 129 suites, designed by Milan-based Hong Kong architect Chi Wing Lo.

The hotel has an outdoor pool and infinity-edge plunge pools which are noted for their views across Victoria Harbour, while a spa is planned to open early in 2024. 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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

  • First hotel in Hong Kong to receive EarthCheck Platinum Certification.[17]
  • Hotel’s NOBU restaurant listed at no.15 on Asia's Top 20 Restaurants of the Miele Guide in the 2009/2010 edition[18][19]
  • The Presidential Suite, listed at number 15 on World's 15 most expensive hotel suites compiled by CNN Travel in 2012.[20]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Sito, Peggy (10 July 2015). "InterContinental Hong Kong sells for US$938 million in one of region's biggest hotel deals". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  2. ^ "InterContinental Hong Kong rebranding to the Regent Hong Kong". Hospitality Net. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  3. ^ "CNN.com - Hong Kong's Regent Hotel to change name - May 22, 2001". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  4. ^ "Four Seasons Sells Regent Hong Kong Stake". hotelbusiness. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  5. ^ "InterContinental Hong Kong sells for US$938 million in one of region's biggest hotel deals". South China Morning Post. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  6. ^ "InterContinental Sells Hong Kong Hotel for $938 Million". Bloomberg. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  7. ^ "IHG acquires 51% stake in Regent Hotels in a JV agreement with FIH". WIT. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  8. ^ "IHG completes acquisition of 51% stake in Regent Hotels & Resorts". InterContinental Hotels Group PLC. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  9. ^ Gollan, Doug. "IHG Is Buying Regent Hotels And Hong Kong Is Getting Its Regent Hotel Back". Forbes. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Four Seasons Sells Regent Hong Kong Stake". IHG Newsroom. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Home » Nobu Restaurants". www.noburestaurants.com. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  12. ^ "Yan Toh Heen – Hong Kong - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant". MICHELIN Guide. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  13. ^ "CNN Travel | Global Destinations, Tips & Video". CNN. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  14. ^ "CNN Travel | Global Destinations, Tips & Video". CNN. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  15. ^ "InterContinental Hong Kong's 7,000 Sq. Ft. Presidential Suite Constructed at a Cost of US$2.5 million". Hospitality Net. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  16. ^ "CNN Travel | Global Destinations, Tips & Video". CNN. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  17. ^ "InterContinental Hong Kong Celebrates EarthCheck Platinum Certification". EarthCheck. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  18. ^ "The Miele Guide". 10 November 2012. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  19. ^ "The Miele Guide". 27 November 2012. Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  20. ^ "CNN Travel | Global Destinations, Tips & Video". CNN. Retrieved 11 November 2022.

22°17′36.5″N 114°10′26.2″E / 22.293472°N 114.173944°E / 22.293472; 114.173944