Short of summoning a grief therapist, posters in places like FlyerTalk's Luxury Hotels forum wanted to know "Why?" The answer: The current owners, a subsidiary of Lai Sun Development Limited, are replacing the hotel with a high-rise office building. What's next? For Ritz-Carlton, the Marriott subsidiary is developing two properties in the immediate area: A 256-room hotel on Macau's Cotai Strip is slated to open in 2009. A second, in Kowloon's International Commerce Center, is scheduled to debut the following year.
The Kowloon property is already the subject of considerable buzz. At 118 stories, with a lobby that will span 112 of them, it will be the world's tallest hotel. That superlative currently goes to the Rose Hotel under construction in Dubai. (For a list of the world's tallest hotels, see Emporis.) Only the top 16 floors of the Kowloon structure will be hotel space. The remaining 98 floors will be devoted to commercial space.
There's something wistful about a hotel with such a loyal following folding. How loyal? A poster on TripAdvisor, after throwing a tantrum about the inept service for her six-year-old daughter, raved about the concierge. For folks who want five-star accommodations in Hong Kong Central, there's always the Mandarin Oriental, just a few blocks away.
[Photo: Lena & Victor]
Related Stories:
· Ritz Carlton Hong Kong closing at end of 2007 [Flyer Talk Forum]
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