The Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong

The Peninsula Hotel is one of Hong Kong’s most historic luxury hotels, often referred to as “The Grand Old Lady of the Far East”. Completed in 1928 and opened in 1929, it was built with the ambition of becoming the most elegant hotel in Asia, catering to travelers arriving by ocean liner at nearby Kowloon Wharf. Its founders, the Kadoorie family, developed the hotel into a social center. Nightly dinners, tea dances, Sunday concerts, and glamorous ballroom events made it a gathering place for Hong Kong’s elite, visiting dignitaries, and Hollywood celebrities passing through the city.

The hotel also played a notable role during World War II. On Christmas Day 1941, at the end of the Battle of Hong Kong, Governor Mark Aitchison Young surrendered to Japanese forces on the third floor of the building. During the occupation, the Peninsula was renamed the “Toa Hotel” and used as the Japanese military headquarters. After the war, the hotel returned to its original name and gradually re-established itself as one of Asia’s premier luxury properties.

In the decades since, the Peninsula has been expanded and modernized while maintaining its classic colonial facade. The 1994 addition of a 30-story tower brought new guest rooms, a rooftop restaurant, and panoramic harbor views. Among its features today is its fleet of signature green Rolls-Royces, chauffeuring guests in unmistakably Peninsula style. The hotel’s shopping arcade is another draw, housing some of the world’s most prestigious luxury brands, including Gucci, Prada, Cartier, Hermès, and Harry Winston.