Source not known. Circa 1900s. Ground level view of Elgin (Haiphong) Road looking west and the completion of the buildings on this section of road. Whitfield Barracks on the right.
On the left are houses in European style which were or later inhabited by Chinese residents. In the centre of the photo is a tree and a light/electricity pole that marks the corner of Hankow and Haiphong Roads. Immediately west of the junction, is a hotel, either the Queen's or Occidental Hotel, then another building (Kowloon Hotel ?) and at the western end Chinese houses to the junction with Canton Road.
Not sure if the Palace Hotel annexed the building (Kowloon Hotel ?) next to it. See here
In 1909 Licensing Sessions, the Kowloon Hotel was at 29-30 Elgin Road. No entry for the Occidental Hotel.
In 1911 Licensing Sessions, the Kowloon Hotel was at 29 Haiphong Road whilst the Royal George Hotel (formerly Occidental Hotel) was at 39-44 Haiphong Road. Seems there is a large gap in the street address. The Kowloon Hotel at Haiphong Road does not appear thereafter in the Licensing Sessions.
Comments
Kowloon Hotel
I think that the address 29 Elgin/Haiphong Road is correct. The Kowloon Hotel was likely not directly on Elgin/Haiphong Road, but a bit behind; this can be seen on the 1896 Kowloon map on Gwulo. Before the houses on Elgin/Haiphong Road were built around 1900, probably something like a garden was between hotel and road.
The China Mail from 1893-12-11 refers: . A new entrance has been made to the old Club premises from Elgin Road. (see below)
So the the hotel had the house number 29 (known from licencing issues) Elgin/Haiphong Road without being directly at the road. When the houses 1-28 Haiphong Road [c.1900-c.1960] and 30-38 Haiphong Road [c.1900-c.1972] were constructed, they were built between Kowloon Hotel and the road. Therefore the hotel is not visible from Elgin/Haiphong Road.
Note that the 1900s buildings do not have a number 29, this is the one of the Kowloon Hotel. Access to the hotel was between numbers 28 and 30; the Index of the streets, house numbers and lots of the city of Victoria ... in the colony of Hong Kong refers between these numbers "here is pathway".
A Good Explanation
That is a good and reasonable explanation for the address of the Kowloon Club/Hotel. Being on a hillock, the Kowloon Hotel would have existed earlier than the "new" houses on the southern side of Elgin/Haiphong Road.
That said, yet to figure out the two buildings of different design immediately west of Hankow Road and their connection to each other.