ARE former Regent Hotels honcho Bob Burns and his Japanese wife Susan about to leave town? That's the question being asked now that the couple have sold their magnificent Middle Gap Road abode - regarded as one of the most beautiful homes in Hong Kong - reputedly for a cool $190 million.

Said to have cost $20 million when they bought it eight years ago, and refurbished sumptuously for almost as much, the property had the novel feature of having all of its spacious upper floor given over to just one, albeit vast, bedroom suite.

Since stepping down as president of the Regent, Mr Burns - who has houses in Hawaii, New York and Aspen - has swapped the hectic lifestyle of circumnavigating the globe doing hotel deals for the more leisurely paced one of crossing the Pacific to attend Parents' Day functions at his son's New York school.