SCMP Sunday January 1, 2006
The 36-year old Hyatt Regency hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui checked out in style last night with a 1970s Saturday Night Fever-themed party.
The night to remember saw the hotel lobby transformed into a copy of the Polaris nightclub, a Hong Kong hot spot in the swinging 60's and 70's.
About 1,500 Hyatt regulars and 300 staff celebrated while dressed in flares and nostalgic outfits in an evening reminiscent of funkier times.
The Hyatt Regency, the first Hyatt hotel in Asia, opened on November 1, 1969. It was previously known as the President Hotel.
Hotel spokesman Ainslie Cheung said the building would be demolished to make way for a retail and office complex.
"The hotel is closing because its contract with the company that owns the building has ended," he said. "And since the height restrictions on buildings have been removed since the Kai Tak airport closed, I believe the owner will build a retail and office complex."
...
Apart from the 12-piece band that belted out retro tunes into the early morning, performers also included Anders Nelsson, a pop icon in the late 60's and early 70's and renowned Elvis impersonator, Stephen Kabakos.
The Hyatt Regency was one of the city's most happening places. Fashion shows, theme parties, gala balls, art exhibitions and festivals were social highlights and the hotels was regularly featured in the society pages of newspapers.
"About 500 guests are staying at the hotel. I believe 95 percent of them are here for the party and the official closing," Mr. Cheung said, adding that some were sure to try to be the last to leave the 17 story Nathan Road building.
"We're all curious to see who's going to be the last guest to check out," he said.
It wasn't me. We had a 12:15pm train to catch. We were out by 11:15am.
The hangover was enormous. The drinks were very, very free. My first Bacardi and Coke went something like this...
"Can I get a Bacardi and Coke?"
As the bartender poured in the Bacardi a good 2 inches in the glass, 'Is that enough?" he asks.
After topping it off with Coke...I had to go back and get a little more Coke...it was a bit potent. It was like that all night.
This was an event that we looked forward to but we were not sure how it was going to go over. It was a blast. We knew nobody there...but we felt amongst friends. Everyone was bittersweet, but happy for the future. One conversation I had, with the doorman, went something like this...
'Can you get me a taxi?' I asked him in jest.
'I am out of a job at 11pm, you know,' he tells me.
'Oh...I'm sorry about that. You haven't found anything else?'
'No...but don't worry, I will. There are plenty of opportunities in Hong Kong.'
There you have it. No self-absorbed whining. Just optimism for a better future. After 11pm, I saw the doorman sharing a cigar and champagne with a guest. He was off work...no worries...celebrating the new year and a great old hotel. That was how it was. Staff and guests enjoying each other company for one last time.
All the pictures are here. I took pictures of all the little things that grabbed my attention in the hotel...things that jar the memory. And...plenty of pictures of partying too. As the article above says, they really did up the entire lobby, as well as the taxi queue outside in the style of the old nightclub.
"Get a little more coke" don't start with that kinda shit in Langkawi.
Posted by: Stevo in Taichung | January 05, 2006 at 03:34 AM