Excelsior Hotel [1973-2020]

Submitted by David on Mon, 09/28/2009 - 14:54
Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date completed
Date closed / demolished
(Day & Month are approximate.)

Although it looks like any other modern hotel, it is an interesting location. The hotel website says:

The 34-storey hotel officially opened for business on 20 February 1973 as Hong Kong’s largest hotel. It was developed on the original “godown” of Jardine Matheson directly behind the famous Noon Day Gun. This historical site was the first plot of land in Hong Kong to be sold by public auction in 1841 when Hong Kong officially became a British Colony. Today, it is still registered as Lot. No 1.

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Photos that show this Place

Excelsior Hotel
1971
Excelsior Hotel Prince Charles.jpg
1972
1972
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Comments

It is confirmed by the SCMP that The Excelsior is to close in March 2019 and the site used for offices. However, The Excelsior was not built on the site of Jardines original Godowns, nor was it the first lot of land sold in HK, nor has it ever been Lot No 1.

 

The original Jardines Godowns in Hong Kong were in Admiralty here, where the Lippo Centre is today.

 

The first lot of land sold in Hong Kong on the 14th June 1841 was ML 15 to R Webster for GBP20. ML 15 was located  to the east of Central Market, subsequently the lot number changed to IL 1662. However ML 14 still exists, today's Man Yee building on Pottinger Street.  A full list of the first land sales, including a map, can be found here.

 

The Excelsior has always been on Marine Lot 52. As the last Marine Lot sold on the 21st June 1841 was ML 51, it can be deduced that Jardines got the lot relatively soon afterwards, likely at the same time the military evicted them from Admiralty.  ML 1 was roughly where the Galleria on Queens Road Central is, and IL 1 was on Lyndhurst Terrace. Neither exist today.