Hilton to open first branded hotel in Hong Kong in 22 years, with new site in Mong Kok
Hilton Garden Inn to launch later this month. The old Hong Kong Hilton in Central was flattened in the early ’90s to make way for Cheung Kong Center
The name “Hilton” hotel is returning to Hong Kong for the first time in 22 years as the group prepares to open a mid-priced Hilton Garden Inn later this month in Mong Kok, one of the world’s busiest neighbourhoods.
The new hotel will be Hilton Worldwide Holdings’ second property in Hong Kong, joining the five-star Conrad Hotel in Admiralty, which first opened its doors in 1990.
“Hong Kong as a market is, as we all know, not so easy to break into with new brands,” said Martin Rinck, president of Asia-Pacific for Hilton. “We are excited to have this happening, our second property here, and I’m definitely on the lookout for more opportunities [in Hong Kong].”
Hilton opened a 26-storey, 750-room landmark hotel in Central in 1961, with an Eagle’s Nest restaurant in the penthouse known to be a celebrity favourite. However, the hotel site was bought out by Hutchison Whampoa and converted into a commercial centre in 1994. Today, it is home to the Cheung Kong Center, a skyscraper sandwiched between HSBC Holdings’ headquarters and the Bank of China Tower.
Mong Kok was chosen as the site for the new hotel because the location fit well with what the mid-priced hotel brand offered, Rinck said.