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The Excelsior (Chinese: 怡東酒店) was a four-star hotel located at 281 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. It was owned and operated by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, a member of the Jardine Matheson Group, and served as the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group's headquarters. The Noon-day Gun is located opposite the hotel.[1][4] It closed on 31 March 2019[5][6] for demolition and replacement by an office tower.[7]
| Excelsior Hotel | |
|---|---|
怡東酒店 | |
 Excelsior Hotel | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Type | Hotel |
| Location | 281 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong |
| Coordinates | 22°16′56.3″N 114°11′2.8″E |
| Completed | 1973 |
| Opening | 20 February 1973[1] |
| Closed | March 31, 2019 |
| Demolished | 2020 |
| Owner | Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group |
| Height | |
| Roof | 126.34 m (414.5 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 37 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 854 |
| Number of suites | 21 |
| Number of restaurants | 5 |
| References | |
| [2][3] | |
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The location of the hotel is "Lot No.1", which was the first plot of land sold at auction after Hong Kong became a British Colony in 1841. The hotel was developed on the original godown of Jardine Matheson and was officially opened on 20 February 1973.[1] The hotel was the first in Hong Kong to have more than 1,000 rooms.[8]
In 2015, the company obtained approval to redevelop the property into a commercial building,[9] and it subsequently announced in June 2017 that it would test the market's interest as to a possible sale.[10] No single bidder had met Mandarin's expectations, however, and the sale was withdrawn.[11] The hotel closed on 31 March 2019, for demolition.[7]
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The Excelsior had several cafés and restaurants:
- Dickens Bar (雙城吧), a sports bar and restaurant in the basement,[12] "wood-panelled and bristling with memorabilia",[13] that has been described as a traditional British gastropub.[14]
- EXpresso, a café in the lobby.[12]
- Café on the 1st (一樓咖啡室), a breakfast, lunch and dinner International buffet restaurant on the 1st floor.
- Cammino, an Italian restaurant on the 1st floor.
- Yee Tung Heen (怡東軒), a Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant on the 2nd floor.[12]
- The Excelsior Grill on the 3rd floor.
- ToTT's and Roof Terrace, a bar and restaurant on the 34th floor.[12] Originally called "Talk of the Town", it opened in 1979 as a disco and bar. It was renamed "ToTT's Asian Grill" in 1995. The outdoor terrace opened in 2009.[15]
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Like several other buildings along the Victoria Harbour,[16] the Excelsior Hotel used a seawater air conditioning system.[17] The seawater source for the system originated from the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter.[16]
Parts of the 1978 comedy film Revenge of the Pink Panther were set in The Excelsior.[18][19] The film was also partly edited in the hotel.[12]
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