Hilton Hotel [1963-1995] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Hilton Hotel [1963-1995]

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Submitted by Admin on Wed, 2009-08-05 13:19
Current condition: 
Demolished / No longer exists
Date Place completed: 
1963-04-15
Date Place demolished: 
1995-01-01
Tags: 
hotel
Palmer & Turner
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Photos that show this place

1960
1962
1962
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Comments

Submitted by Admin on Mon, 2009-12-21 23:31.

Wikipiedia says:

It closed in May 1995, and was demolished soon thereafter (along with Beaconsfield House) to make way for a commercial development, the Cheung Kong Centre.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2009-12-26 21:33.

This was an exciting building from day one.  The Coffee shop was a "cool" meeting place as a teenager and in later years where we had breakfast in the early hours of New Years Day morning after passing the night at the Hong Kong Club New Years Eve party.

The Dragon Boat bar - beautifully decorated - was a popular watering hole and The Den perfect for dancing.  Gian Carlo and his band presided and in the early days ladies were not admitted with Trouser Suits on. 

The shops in The Hilton hotel were good quality and there was an excellent tailor for both ladies and menswear.

A great meeting place that everybody knew and a landmark sadly lost.

Submitted by Fred Neeleman (not verified) on Mon, 2010-05-17 06:07.

The Hong Kong Hilton was the very first place in 1965 that I had an overnight Liberty while serving in the US Navy.  A very beautiful hotel, and a fun place to be.  Hong Kong was my very favorite port of call.

Submitted by Gavin Shiu (not verified) on Sun, 2010-12-05 19:00.

Yes.  I recall US Navy sailors taking their Liberty at the Hilton.  They used to book rooms at the hotel to get away from the ship even for a day ot two.  Used to see them at the pool.

Submitted by David on Sat, 2012-06-02 17:29.

A guidebook from 1963 says:

Another luxury hotel constructed in the Central District is the Hongkong Hilton which is the largest in Hong Kong (opened 15 Apr-63).

Submitted by tonylam on Sat, 2012-06-02 22:14.

The architect was Palmer & Turner

Submitted by cwwleung on Wed, 2017-07-12 14:34.

Anyone heard about the bombing in Hilton during the 1967 Riots? It seems there were 2 incidents but I only found one reported in SCMP. On Aug 19, a bomb was found in the lift but later deposed by army experts. The other seemed took place in the coffee shop but I couldn't found any more info.

Submitted by cwwleung on Wed, 2017-07-12 14:38.

The In People took over The Den from Gian Carlo. Anyone there?

Submitted by Sikandar A. Madar on Mon, 2017-07-17 16:16.

There is a book -----Colony in conflict by John Cooper,published by Swindon Book Co..The front cover is the picture of the riot in front of Hilton Hotel.

The band that used to play at Hilton----Gian Carlo and Italian his combo was brought over to HK from Italy by a gentleman named Larcina, he own Paramount  it was a hit in HK ,the restaurant/nightclub Paramount was on the top floor of Windsor House.It was one of the place to be  in HK at that time .

S.Madar  

Submitted by wwphoon on Tue, 2017-08-01 00:50.

Giancarlo came to HK after  a successful stay in Singapore. While in HK,they played at the Paramont night club which was owned by a man called Charlie --. Charlie from Shanghai was a jewish guy who owned the Paramont Cabaret in the same address before it was changed into a night club. Giancarlo & his quintet never played at the Hilton.They were the best band HK ever had. HKU’s different faculties used the Paramont for their annual dances because of the lovely music Giancarlo provided

Wai Wor Phoon.

Submitted by MischaMoselle on Mon, 2019-05-13 15:18.

The hotel minibar was invented in the Hong Kong Hilton, amongst other innovations.

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/hk-magazine/article/2037087/ask-mr-know-i...

Submitted by Deirdre Locke on Tue, 2019-05-21 16:55.

Dear David,

The photos of the Hilton Hotel brought back many very happy memories.

While I was teaching in Victoria Barracks, school hours were changed during the winter months (January to March) and students stopped work at 11.30am and went home for lunch. They returned about 1.30 pm for another couple of hours of school work. (These times are reliant on my memory and may not be accurate!)

Staff usually did whatever they needed to do but a couple of times a week someone would go to the Hilton Bakery which was a very short walk away and buy an order of pork or chicken pies and bring them back for the rest of the staff. These pies were the very best we have ever tasted being full of meat, .....much more so than now- a -days and a lasting memory!!

Ken and I were married in HK  in 1978 and had our wedding reception on board the Wan Fu , a brigantine owned by the Hilton Hotel.

Hilton Hotel's-Wan-Fu-under sail
Hilton Hotel's-Wan-Fu-under sail, by IDJ

They loaded all the catering and staff at Queen's Pier and the boat sailed round the Island while serving the meal.  Afterwards we spent the next couple of nights at the Hilton Hotel. When we returned to HK some years later we were so disappointed that we could not board the Wan Fu for another trip round the Island but that was not available any more......not only the boat had disappeared but so had the hotel!!! Alas no more chicken or pork pies from the Hilton Bakery either.

Kindest regards, Deirdre and Ken Locke

Submitted by philk on Tue, 2019-05-21 18:16.

My understanding is that there was a Chinese/Japanese garden or something similar inside the hotel which had a large tiled blue flower on one of the walls. Does anyone recall this area in the hotel, or better still have some photos?

Phil

Submitted by emerson on Mon, 2019-06-24 21:46.

I came to HK from New York in 1964 and the Wan Fu was sailing for the Hilton then.  My neighbor in Grosvenor House, Macdonnell Road, an  American lady, Mildred Carnahan (husband, "Red Carnahan" - because of his hair and nothing political) sat in the hotel lobby and sold tickets for the various sailings of the boat.  I once went on it to Cheung Chau for the bun festival.  We had a fine buffet lunch on the boat and covered reserved seats for the procession.  Can't recall how much it cost but it was reasonable, I think.  Sadly, the boat went down in a typhoon probably in the late 1960s and was not replaced.  Sorry, I have no photos.

Submitted by IDJ on Tue, 2019-06-25 00:44.

The vessel still exists in China see the posts at below

https://gwulo.com/atom/20884

https://gwulo.com/atom/33606

 

Submitted by emerson on Tue, 2019-06-25 17:41.

Oh, how nice to know that the Wah Fu did not sink in a typhoon!  Guess that was "fake news" for me way back when...

Amazing how much detailed information you all have!  

Geoff

Submitted by rcnec556 on Sun, 2021-04-11 11:29.

Here's a foto of Hilton probably before 1980.

https://discovery.cathaypacific.com/hong-kong-heritage-hotels-weve-loved...