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Party night as last orders called after 28 years

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Alex Loin Toronto,Patsy MoyandSusan Schwartz

The landmark Furama Hotel will close tomorrow after a day of festivities and restaurant specials today.

Hundreds of guests are being encouraged to check out late today and enjoy room service, while revellers keen to take a walk down memory lane have fully booked all three restaurants and the Lau Ling Bar, which will all open past midnight.

About half of the 517 rooms at the 28-year-old hotel in Connaught Road, Central, are occupied.

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The hotel will be demolished to make way for a 430,000-square-foot office project costing $860 million.

Tailor George Lai Hing-kong, 61, has operated a 200-square-foot shop, Raiment Custom Tailors, on the first floor of the five-star hotel for 25 years. He says he will stay until the bitter end.

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Over the years he has made clothes for local and overseas celebrities including former legislator Peggy Lam Pei Yu-dja, Japanese pop queen Seiko Matsuda and British tycoon Richard Branson.

'It is very sad that all the familiar faces will be gone,' said Mr Lai, who is reluctant to move to his new shop in Hutchison House, a minute's walk away.

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