Historic Hotels around the World

The holiday season is upon us, and it is time to celebrate. If you’re considering a staycation, you should check out our previous blog posts: Hotel Vancouver and the Empress Hotel, two largest surviving Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) hotels with more than 100 years of history in B.C. This post uses images from The Chung Collection to introduce five historic hotels on three continents. Four of them are still in business and the remaining hotel has since closed down but forms a part of the history of the hospitality industry.

Asia

Repulse Bay Hotel

Hong Kong’s Repulse Bay Hotel opened in 1920 and closed in 1982, and was one of the best hotels during the early 20^th century. With its British architectural style and spectacular views, the Repulse Bay Hotel attracted royalty and celebrities such as George Bernard Shaw and Spain’s Crown Prince Juan Carlos. It was once renamed the Midorigahama Hotel and used as a military hospital during World War II. Although the hotel was later demolished to make way for redevelopment, artifacts preserved from the Repulse Bay Hotel are displayed in the Repulse Bay Historical Gallery where visitors can explore the historical stories of the hotel.

Below are the photograph and photographic postcards of the Repulse Bay Hotel:

[Repulse Bay Hotel at Hong Kong], [1934?]

Repulse Bay [Hong Kong], [between 1920 and 1929?]

The Manila Hotel

Located in the capital of the Philippines, this five-star hotel was an important landmark in Manila and the oldest premier hotel in the Philippines. It was opened on 4^th of July 1912 to commemorate American Independence Day. With a 109-year history, it has undergone renovation and expansion. The hotel is committed to offering a safe and comfortable environment for the local Filipinos and overseas visitors. For example, former presidents of the Philippines chose to hold political events in the hotel. General Douglas MacArthur stayed in the Manila Hotel with his family when he was appointed military advisor to the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines. For more details, please check out its official website.

The following postcard depicts the Manila Hotel designed in the California mission style:

Manila Hotel [Manila, Philippine Islands], [between 1920 and 1929?]

The Imperial Hotel

The first Imperial Hotel designed in German neo-Renaissance style was opened in 1890 and destroyed by fire in 1922. The second Imperial Hotel designed in the Maya Revival architectural style was opened on 1^st of September 1923 when the Great Kantō earthquake occurred. It survived this 7.9-magnitude earthquake but was severely damaged during World War II. The second Imperial Hotel was closed in 1967 and later demolished. The iconic entrance courtyard of the second Imperial Hotel depicted in the following image has been dismantled and relocated to the Museum Meiji-Mura. The third Imperial Hotel replaced the second Imperial Hotel a few years later at the same location and continues to provide luxurious accommodations for its guests. For more details, please check out its official website.

[The Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan], [1929?]

Africa

Shepheard Hotel

Shepheard’s Hotel was established by an Englishman named Samuel Shepheard 180 years ago. After multiple changes in ownership over the years, it remains one of the leading hotels in Egypt and one of the premier hotels in the world. Apart from serving as military headquarters during the World Wars, the hotel has hosted prestigious events such as the celebration of the Grand Opening of the Suez Canal and the banquet given in honour of the French Empress Eugénie. The following photograph, taken sometime around 1929, shows the street view of the front exterior of Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo with several automobiles and pedestrians visible in front of the hotel. The Shepheard’s Hotel was destroyed in the Cairo fire of 1952 and replaced with the current Shepheard Hotel. For more details, please check out its official website.

[Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo, Egypt], [1929?]

North America

Hotel Nacional de Cuba

This eclectically-styled hotel, located in the heart of Havana, was opened as The National Hotel of Cuba in 1930. The innovative building layout design allows visitors to enjoy the spectacular views of the Havana Harbor or of the city at their rooms. After the Battle of the Hotel Nacional of Cuba, the hotel was renamed the Hotel Nacional de Cuba in 1939. It hosted the Havana Conference in 1946 and was nationalized in 1960. In recognition of its history, culture and Cuban identity, the Hotel Nacional de Cuba has been declared a National Monument and included in the National Memory of the World register. For more details, please check out its official website.

[National Hotel in Havana, Cuba], [1929?]