Japanese hostelry. Of course, there were many boarding houses which went by the name of hotels, and these served to give lodging to hosts of unattached young men who came out to the Colony from its earlier days, and were not accommodated in messes, especially in the days before flats became so common. One recalls the former Wyndham Hotel, at the top of Wyndham Street, which gave place to a tenement block about seven years ago. The last big hotel fire was at the King Edward, in March, 1929, and the re-built premises are now known as Chung Tin Building. Another name which has passed out of local ken, after brief existence, is the Savoy, which was renamed the Hotel Cecil a few years ago, occupying one of the Colony's fine buildings erected just over a quarter of a century back when the Praya reclamation was built over with many such premises. Not many know that the Cecil occupies what is known officially as Royal Building: and up to less than ten years ago Lane, Crawford's occupied the block.
"As regards Hotels there is an extremely interesting account of the very early days of the Colony by a Naval Officer, I believe the Captain of H.M.S. Nemesis (or was she a H.E.I.C. steamer?) in a book called I think "The Cruise of the Nemesis", in which he remarks on the speed with which buildings were erected, and that "modern" conveniences and almost luxuries were obtainable in 1841, 1842 and 1843.
"Billiard tables for instance were in the Colony less than two years after it became British Territory, and the hotels were said to be quite up to date and comfortable"
"Turning to the notes in your issue of 29th instant, it is interesting to recall that thirty odd years ago, the building later known as the Grand Hotel, was then called Thomas's Grill Room - subsequently altered to Thomas's Hotel.
"The Astor House, now St. Francis' Hotel, was in those days called Connaught House.
"I recollect once hearing from the late Sir Paul Chater that in his early days in the Colony, he stayed at a hotel which I think he said was called the Continental, and which, I understood, was situated in Hollywood Road facing towards Potter Street and now occupied by Police Administration Buildings."
"Dramaticus":- "Mention of the old Hotels in Hongkong made me turn to my file of The Hongkong Times. I find advertised during the years 1873 and 1874 several hostelries unknown to the present generation. Unfortunately, it is not in every case that the specific addresses of these places are given. However, here is a list:
Hongkong Hotel Hingkee Proprietors.
Queen's Road Central. Dorabjee and
Oriental Hotel Francis and Duncan, Wellington Street, Proprietors.
Volkmann's Hotel.- 23-27. Hollywood Road. Corner of Aberdeen Street, C.L.Volkmann, Proprietor.
Victoria Hotel.- Corner of Gage and Graham Streets, Henry May Proprietor.
Stag Hotel.- Queen's Road, Wm. Dollan, Proprietor; F.W.G. von Stockhausen, Manager.
London Inn.- Queen's Road, Central, L. Young, Proprietor.