Novotel Nathan Road Kowloon Hong Kong

Novotel Hong Kong Nathan Road Kowloon (Chinese: 香港九龍諾富特酒店) is a 4-star hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Formerly known as the Majestic Hotel, the hotel reopened in April 2008, following a HK$188 million (approx US$24 million) refurbishment programme, upgraded to 4-star and rebranded as a Novotel. The hotel is managed by the hotel group Accor.

Novotel Nathan Road Kowloon Hong Kong
香港九龍諾富特酒店
Former namesMajestic Hotel
General information
Location348 Nathan Road, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Coordinates22°18′26.06″N 114°10′19.40″E
OpeningApril 2008
OwnerGaw Capital and CSI Properties[1]
Technical details
Floor count15
Design and construction
Architecture firmWong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd.[2]
Renovating team
ArchitectNaço Architectures
Other information
Number of rooms389
Number of suites3
Number of restaurants2
Website
http://novotel-hongkong-nathanroad.com

Location

The hotel is located at 348 Nathan Road, at the corner of Saigon Street, in Kowloon, Hong Kong, between Jordan and Yau Ma Tei, near Temple Street Night Market and the Jade Market.[3] The nearest MTR station is Jordan Station.[4][5][6]

History

The site was formerly occupied by the Majestic Theatre (大華戲院), a cinema opened in December 1928 and closed in December 1988.[7] The M2 Theatre opened next to the Majestic Theatre in 1978 and also closed in December 1988. Both cinemas were then demolished and the Majestic Hotel was built on the site, with the Majestic Centre, an integrated shopping arcade in the lower floors,[8] and a cinema, the Majestic Cinema occupying the second floor of the building.[9] The Majestic Cinema had two small auditoriums with 401 and 432 seats respectively, and a cinema lobby at the ground floor.[8] It opened in 1992 and closed in 2000.[10]

The cinema was then converted into the 348 Discothèque and Karaoke bar, operated by an alleged 14K triad gang leader, Teddy Hung Hon-yee (洪漢義). One of Hong Kong's largest discos, it closed down in 2007 following a series of police crackdowns,[11][12] after having been renamed "F1" for a while.[13] Hung ran gambling rooms, opium dens and bars in To Kwa Wan and served 14 years in prison from 1984 to 1998.[14] In 2009 he announced that he had converted to Christianity and repented to a priest.[15]

The Majestic Hotel was a 3-star hotel built in 1992.[2] It had 381 rooms and suites, a business centre, two function rooms, a restaurant and a bar, the Cafe Royal and the Ming Sing Bar, both on the first floor.[8][16]

In May 2007, a fund managed by LaSalle Investment Management acquired the Majestic Hotel and the Majestic Centre shopping arcade for HK$1.69 billion.[1] The site then underwent a HK$188 million (approx US$24 million) refurbishment programme and was upgraded to a 4-star hotel. It reopened in April 2008, having been rebranded into a Novotel, managed by Accor.[17][18][19] The shopping arcade was renamed "Nathan Square".

In 2012, LaSalle Investment Management sold the hotel to investment fund Gaw Capital Partners and the property investment company CSI Properties for about HK$2.37 billion. This deal was the biggest hotel transaction in 11 years in Hong Kong.[1]

The hotel

The 15-storey Novotel Nathan Road Kowloon Hong Kong offers 389 guest rooms and suites. Executive Premier Lounge, In Balance Fitness Centre, Web Corner on iMac, children's play area, beauty and hot stone massage centre within the hotel, tour desk, a bar and an all day dining restaurant, including the Tasca Bar and The SQUARE restaurant.[20] All guest rooms are provided with complimentary Wi-Fi. Between 2008 and 2012, the hotel's occupancy rate was over 95%.[1]

  • Hotel facade along Nathan Road
  • Hotel Lobby
  • Superior Twin Room
  • Executive Premier Suite
  • In Balance Fitness

References
  1. Liu, Yvonne (4 April 2012). "Gaw Capital, CSI team up for Kowloon hotel buy". South China Morning Post.
  2. Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd.: Selected projects: Hotels
  3. "Born to Shop Hong Kong". Frommers.
  4. "Novotel Welcomes New Hong Kong Hotel". China Hospitality News. 14 May 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  5. "New kids on the block". Express Hospitality. India. 1–15 May 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  6. "Hong Kong Hotels". Travel + Leisure SouthEast Asia.
  7. Majestic Theatre at cinematreasures.org
  8. Archived webpage about the Majestic Hotel at oxfordtravels.com
  9. M2 Theatre at cinematreasures.org
  10. Majestic Cinema at cinematreasures.org
  11. Sin, Daniel; Mok, Danny (6 December 2009). "I destroyed people, shattered families". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  12. Hui, Polly (21 January 2005). "Court backs denial of licence to 'drug disco'". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  13. "Hong Kong's Disappearing Discos". Hong Kong Hustler. 29 May 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  14. Man, Joyce (4 February 2010). "Alleged triad boss Teddy Hung jailed for 2 months". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  15. Man, Joyce (14 November 2009). "Alleged triad leader 'repented to a priest'". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  16. Archived webpage about the Majestic Hotel at roomex.com
  17. "Hong Kong's Majestic Hotel To Be Re-Launched As A Novotel Following Purchase Of Hotel By Lasalle Investment Management". Hotel News Resource. 24 July 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  18. "Challenging renovation project by French Interior Design & Architects". Naco Design Architects.
  19. "Hotel Check, Business Traveller Middle East". 1 July 2008.
  20. "Open Rice Reviews".
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.