10 things you did not know about the Regent Hotel in TST Kowloon Hong Kong
The Regent Hotel Hong Kong - History, Ownership and the Name Change Story
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Foreword by Jamie
10 things you did not know about the Regent Hotel in TST Kowloon Hong Kong
It started out as the Regent Hotel, changed to the Intercontinental Hotel and is now back again as the Regent Hotel
It is a hotel that has lived more than one life on the same stretch of waterfront. The Regent Hong Kong sits right on the edge of Victoria Harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui, a building that has watched the city change around it for more than four decades. It began as a statement of modern luxury when Hong Kong was still finding its late 20th - century confidence, spent two decades under a different name, closed for a full-scale reinvention, and returned in late 2023 wearing its original badge once more. Walking through the place now, after having known the earlier versions, leaves a curious mixture of recognition and mild dislocation. The views remain extraordinary. The sense of arrival is carefully staged. Yet certain practical realities of the site - the set - back position, the climb from Salisbury Road, the way the building sits relative to the water - feel largely unchanged. What follows is an attempt to put some solid facts and figures alongside those longer - term observations.
1. The complete history of development from concept to grand opening of the Regent Hotel
The hotel was conceived as the flagship property of the Regent International Hotels brand and formed a central piece of the ambitious New World Centre mixed-use complex developed by New World Development on the former Holt’s Wharf site. Construction took place through the late 1970s. The building opened in 1980 as The Regent Hong Kong. It was deliberately designed to set new standards: expansive harbour-facing rooms, a pioneering five-fixture bathroom layout (two basins, separate shower, bath and toilet), a vast ballroom, and a dramatic lobby with floor-to-ceiling glass looking straight across Victoria Harbour. The property quickly became a social and business landmark, hosting presidents, film stars, corporate galas and countless local weddings. Its position on the waterfront and the quality of its service helped redefine what a top - tier Hong Kong hotel could feel like in that era.
2. Ownership breakdown and corporate connections of the Regent Hotel
New World Development owned the hotel from opening until May 2001, when it sold the property to Bass Hotels and Resorts (the predecessor of InterContinental Hotels Group) for approximately US$346 million. The hotel then operated as the InterContinental Hong Kong. In 2015 InterContinental Hotels Group sold the freehold to Supreme Key Limited, a consortium advised by Gaw Capital Partners and involving Pioneer Global Group, for US$938 million - one of the higher per-key hotel transactions recorded in Hong Kong at the time. IHG retained a long-term management contract. In 2018 IHG acquired a majority stake in the Regent Hotels & Resorts brand itself and announced that the property would return to the Regent name after a major renovation. Today the hotel is owned by Supreme Key Limited and operated by Regent Hotels & Resorts under the IHG umbrella. It is not corporately linked to other major Hong Kong hotels in the same ownership structure; Rosewood Hong Kong Hotel, for example, sits nearby but remains under different Cheng-family | New World related ownership.
3. The name-change story: Regent to InterContinental and back again to the Regent Hotel
The 2001 sale and rebranding to InterContinental was driven by ownership change rather than any dramatic decline in reputation. The hotel continued to trade successfully for nearly two decades under the InterContinental flag, retaining many of its long-serving staff and its reputation for dining and views. By the late 2010s the opportunity arose to reunite the physical asset with the Regent brand after IHG’s acquisition of that brand. The hotel closed in April 2020 for a comprehensive three-year transformation led by Hong Kong-born designer Chi Wing Lo. Soft openings of restaurants began in late 2022, with the full Regent Hong Kong reopening in November 2023. The story is less a tale of failure and more one of strategic brand realignment - bringing a locally loved name back to a building that had never really left the public consciousness.
4. How the “new” Regent Hotel compares with the old InterContinental (and the original Regent Hotel)
The most immediately noticeable change is the arrival sequence and lobby. The original long run of clear glass at the front entrance has been replaced by a more enclosed, ceremonial approach: wooden castle-inspired doors, a colonnade of 16 vertical glass-brick screens (referencing traditional Chinese liu li technique), and a sequence of spaces that deliberately stage the eventual reveal of the harbour. Many find the new lobby more intimate and carefully lit; others note the proliferation of vertical elements and feel the openness of the earlier glass wall has been lost.
The famous Calacatta marble staircase has been retained and lightened. Staff service remains a point of discussion. Long-serving team members still bring genuine warmth, yet the overall style can feel more uniformly and persistently friendly than in many other Hong Kong hotels of similar rank - every person who passes seems trained to acknowledge guests. Whether this is corporate policy or simply heightened post-renovation attentiveness, it is noticeably different from the more reserved professionalism that characterised earlier eras. The rooms themselves are calmer and more tactile, with the designer Chi Wing Lo’s preference for soft curves, natural materials and window-front daybeds.
I feel I need to explain that I have been there recently 3 times and it took me a while to figure out what was “bothering” me, I actually think the staff try too hard, everyone and I mean everyone (included the potted plants) greets you in an overly friendly manner. I was sat near the Concierge desk and was greeted by a staff member who walked by and then 5 minutes later by the same young man going back to his post as it I was a totally different person, exact same words and yet he had greeted me just a few minutes prior -
They really try to hard unlike most Hotels who are more reserved and the friendly manner seems more genuine - it is hard to describe, I assume this is corporate policy but the constant greetings from everyone that walks past you wears a bit thin after a while.. Just an observation
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5. Total rooms, types and the signature suites at the Regent Hotel
The hotel now contains 497 guest rooms and suites. Of these, approximately 129 - 130 are suites. Room categories begin with Classic and Premium rooms (roughly 30 - 46 sq m) offering Kowloon, pool or harbour views, moving up through Studio Suites (around 47 - 54 sq m) and larger one-bedroom and corner suites. The three Signature Suites form the top of the collection. The Presidential Suite is a 650 sq m (approximately 7,000 sq ft) duplex with a private 232 sq m rooftop terrace that includes an infinity swimming pool and whirlpool. It remains one of the largest and most dramatic hotel suites in Hong Kong and can connect to additional bedrooms. The Terrace Suite and CEO Suite are also substantial residential-style duplexes with private outdoor terraces and harbour views. The rooftop Presidential Suite configuration has existed in recognisable form since the mid-2000s InterContinental era and was refined rather than invented during the latest renovation.
Rates for a standard harbour-view room typically start in the region of HK$5,000 - HK$6,500 (approximately US$640 - US$830) before taxes and service, with suites naturally higher.
The published starting rate for the Presidential Suite at Regent Hong Kong is HK$168,000 per night, plus 10% service charge. That figure has been the consistent “from” rate since the suite was relaunched in its current form (around mid-2024). In US dollars it works out to roughly US$21,500 - US$22,000 depending on the exchange rate of the day. As with almost all top-tier presidential suites, the actual rate can vary with season, length of stay, and any negotiated package, but HK$168,000 + 10% is the publicly stated starting point.
168 is one of the luckiest number combinations in Hong Kong.
It phonetically echoes “一路發” (yāt louh faat) - roughly “prosperity all the way” or “a smooth road to wealth.” Hotels, property developers and car dealerships lean into it deliberately. Seeing it as the published starting rate for the Presidential Suite is no coincidence.
6. Press, awards and the pattern of guest comments about the Regent Hotel
Since reopening the hotel has collected significant recognition, including being named the No. 1 City Hotel in Asia and No. 1 City Hotel in Hong Kong in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2025, plus consecutive No. 1 Hotel in Hong Kong placements in the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific. Forbes Five-Star status and multiple Michelin recognitions for its restaurants have followed. Guest commentary tends to cluster around a clear set of strengths and a smaller set of recurring reservations.
Most frequently praised:
The harbour and skyline views, especially from higher floors and the Lobby Lounge
The quality and consistency of the dining, particularly Lai Ching Heen and the buffet at Harbourside
The sense of calm created by the new interiors
The professionalism of long-serving staff
The Pool Terrace as an urban oasis
Most frequently noted drawbacks:
The pedestrian approach from Salisbury Road feeling awkward or unnecessarily long
Occasional perception that service is overly scripted or insistent
High rates relative to some competing properties
Lobby design elements (vertical screens and columns) that some find less open than the previous glass wall
Minor technical or layout quirks in certain room categories
7. Facilities overview of the Regent Hotel
Dining comprises six principal outlets: two-Michelin-starred Lai Ching Heen (Cantonese), Nobu Hong Kong, The Steak House, Harbourside (buffet), The Lobby Lounge, and Qura Bar. There is a substantial outdoor Pool Terrace with a main swimming pool and heated spa pools overlooking the harbour, plus a 24-hour Fitness Centre equipped with Technogym machines. A full spa is still listed as forthcoming. Suite guests have exclusive access to the Regent Club lounge. Meeting and event space includes the large pillarless Regent Ballroom (reached via the retained marble staircase) and additional function rooms, many with harbour views. There is no large internal shopping arcade of the old New World Centre type, but the hotel is a short walk to K11 Musea at Victoria Dockside, giving easy access to high-end retail outlets
8. The Regent Hotel location question - set-back position, steps and the long-standing access problem
The building has always sat noticeably back from Salisbury Road and appears to rest on a gentle rise. Vehicles approach via a ramped driveway past the longstanding feng shui fountain and under a porte-cochère marked by 18 golden domes. Pedestrians coming from either direction along Salisbury Road generally face a flight of steps or must take a longer detour. Once at the top of the steps there is still a further outdoor walk to the main doors. The narrow service roads can feel busy with hotel traffic and frankly can be quite dangerous, particularly in wet weather
There is no internal walkway, tunnel, escalator bank or dedicated covered link that takes a guest from inside the Regent Hotel lobby or the main entrance area straight into the Victoria Dockside | K11 Musea complex without first dealing with the outdoor elevation change. The hotel is adjacent and shares basement-level interconnections for parking and services, and once you exit K11 Musea at ground level you are only a short external walk from the hotel. That is the route the hotel’s own directions describe. For anyone arriving by car or taxi the ramped driveway works smoothly. For anyone on foot - particularly elderly guests, those with limited mobility, or people using wheelchairs -the combination of the steps up from Salisbury Road and the subsequent outdoor stretch remains an obstacle that has never been fully removed.
This is not a new complaint. It has been a practical irritation for more than 4 decades, from the original Regent through the entire InterContinental period and into the present redesign. The set-back position and elevation relative to Salisbury Road were never fundamentally altered. In a city full of imperfect hotel arrivals this one remains surprisingly unresolved for a property of this standing.
Other major hotels have their own access quirks, some better resolved than others. The Four Seasons in Central sits in a similarly elevated position relative to the street yet benefits from direct internal access into IFC Mall, which softens the problem considerably. The Ritz-Carlton has significant vertical challenges of its own, but guests are not required to climb outdoor steps in the same way. The Sheraton, almost directly across the road, is in some respects worse: reaching either the main entrance on Nathan Road or the back entrance on Middle Road involves roughly ten steps. Even the Peninsula, whose main entrance is notionally at ground level, forces pedestrians to navigate a constant stream of arriving cars. The Mandarin Oriental in Central requires steps up to the main lobby entrance; its Chater Road side entrance then has five steps to the lobby (they eventually fitted a stairlift, which rather underlines the original illogical design).
Hotels can be surprisingly inconsistent when it comes to pedestrian logic. In the Regent’s case the ceremonial arrival sequence has always been prioritised over straightforward, level access from the public road. The redesign kept that sequence intact. The result is that a major luxury waterfront hotel still asks many of its guests - especially those less steady on their feet - to negotiate outdoor steps and an elevated approach that has remained essentially unchanged since the early 1980s and trust me in hot, humid, wet and windy weather it can be a miserable experience.
This is a personal obervation - I have often wondered why successive General Managers at the Regent Hotel | Intercontinental have not walked down to Salisbury Road and then access the Hotel as a guest or visitor would and say to themselves, we need to resolve this issue but then again the probably figure that everyone just arrives by limo or taxi, which is nonsense.- even a long gentle slope is preferable to 20 - 25 steps and like I said just a personal observation
9. Top five competitors in Hong Kong of the Regent Hotel
In the ultra-luxury harbour and city segment the most frequently cited peers are:
The Peninsula Hong Kong
Rosewood Hong Kong (almost next door on the same waterfront)
Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
Each offers a different balance of heritage, design, service style and view quality. The Regent’s particular combination of low-rise waterfront proximity and recent full redesign places it in direct conversation with Rosewood and The Peninsula on the Kowloon side.
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10. The Regent Hotel views as a unique selling point
Because the hotel sits only 17 storeys high and right on the water’s edge, the relationship to Victoria Harbour feels unusually intimate. Roughly two-thirds of the rooms and suites enjoy full or partial harbour views. From the Lobby Lounge the triple-height glass still frames the daily theatre of ferries, junks, leisure boats and the Hong Kong Island skyline. Higher suites and the Presidential Suite terrace put guests almost level with the water activity. Few other hotels in the city can claim the same combination of proximity and unobstructed sightlines. In a market where many “harbour-view” rooms look across roads or intervening buildings, this remains a genuine differentiator.
I would be remiss in not reminding you that not all the rooms in the Regent Hotel have that magnificent harbour view, you should always double check with the Hotel on booking.
Room views fall into five main categories:
Harbourview - the classic, iconic outlook looking directly across Victoria Harbour toward the full Hong Kong Island skyline
Seaview - a more angled or easterly aspect of the harbour (similar to the view from the Rosewood or Kimpton), pleasant but not the classic skyline
Kowloon View - looking inland toward the Kowloon peninsula
Pool View - overlooking the hotel’s own Pool Terrace
Piazza View - facing the internal piazza | courtyard side of the building
Given the hotel’s position right on the waterfront, the Harbourview is the one that actually delivers the Regent’s major selling point. The Seaview is nice enough, but it is not the same classic Hong Kong Island skyline that most people are expecting. The Kowloon, Pool and Piazza options simply do not justify the location or the rate. Guests who care about the view need to choose carefully.
Other points worth noting
Some other points include the preservation of the original feng shui fountain and the marble staircase - both deliberate anchors to collective memory - and the fact that many staff members have decades of continuous service across the name changes. The hotel continues to host significant social events, and the reopening itself was marked by a high-profile gala that deliberately referenced the property’s earlier role in Hong Kong life. The Regent’s latest incarnation is neither a pure nostalgia project nor a complete break with the past. It is an attempt to take a building with genuine emotional equity for many Hong Kong residents and give it a contemporary interior language while keeping the views and the waterfront position intact. Whether the more enclosed arrival sequence and the heightened service style improve or slightly complicate the experience remains a matter of personal taste. The fundamental asset – that low-slung perch on the edge of the harbour - is still there, and still rare
So there you go
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The information above can be shown to restaurant managers in Hong Kong if you are intolerant to gluten and nuts,
I do not do food tours as mentioned above, I have very specific reasons and part of it is that I do not speak Cantonese or write Chinese, I am from Yorkshire in England and I lack the language gene and it is not through lack of trying and yes a lot of restaurants do not have English menu’s or staff who speak conversational English.
.. and yet I have eaten at close to 1,400 restaurants in Hong Kong since January 2nd 1972, my wife was born in Hong Kong and we have been together over 40 years and her first language is Cantonese and a lot of her family are Chinese or half Chinese so I have never had much of an issue!
This does not translate to doing food tours though, yes, I could do them, no problem there but they would never ever be as good as the food tours done by my friends (see the 3 links above) most of their awesome guides are locally born Hong Kong Chinese and obviously food culture is part of their DNA, it is impossible for me to compete with that!
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