38
Hong Kong Builder
་ན་་
RITZ HOTEL
Exterior view of the building
RITZ
THE
HOTEL
ON K.1.L. 3704. SEC. A
AUSTIN ROAD. KOWLOON
Owing to its geographical position, Hong Kong's population has always included a large number of tran- sients. A goodly percentage of these transients, how- ever, spend anywhere from several weeks to several years in the Colony, too short a time in which to set up homes for themselves and yet too long a time to spend in a public hotel.
For that reason there has always been a large num- ber of private hotels which flourished by catering to this class of semi-permanent travelier, and dozens of flats and private houses have been converted more or less permanently into accommodations for them.
The unrest in the Far East has resulted in an in- creasing number of this class of residence in the Colony, and a very appreciable percentage of residential houses have had to be additionally converted for this purpose.
The owner of K.LL. 3704, Sec. A., Austin Road, who is also the proprietor of the Sun Sun Hotel on Nathan Road, was particularly fortunate in that he was building a block of flats just at the time of the influx of refugees, and he was able, by slight changes in his plans and at very little additional cost, to convert the whole block into a very modern, up-to-date and attractive private hotel. Originally designed for a block of 5-storey European houses (flats) with basement for garages, the building was converted during the course of construction into a hotel, the basement being converted into a lower ground floor in which are located the Dining Hall and the Reception Office with the main entrance Lobby.
The ground and upper floors all contain bright and airy bedrooms placed on either side of a central corridor. All large rooms have private bathrooms attached in
View of the attractive lounge on the lower ground floor
which the most modern sanitary fittings with hot and cold water services and W. C. installation have been provided, the walls of which are tiled with the usual glazed tiling while the floors are of white mosaic supplied by Messrs. Cathay Ceramics (H.K.) Ltd.
The least possible space is taken for the lift well in which a small but efficient modern style Otis Passenger Lift is installed.
Except for the kitchen and bath- rooms, all floors are covered with parquet flooring. The exterior wall is of Shanghai plaster. All room doors are of teakwood, and all exterior windows are of steel sup- plied and fixed by the Hong Kong Metal Window Manufacturing Co.
Owner & Builder:
Hui Yeung Shing, Esq.
Architect: Iu Tak Lam, Esq.