Hong Kong has no shortage of design, but it lacks history. Due to the high price of land, large modern buildings are rarely kept as cultural relics, designers will only tell you "what this business district used to be", and under the cover of commercial functions, only sensitive enough locals can capture the historical atmosphere, and Shanghai Xintiandi, as it is well known to mainland tourists, is a Hong Kong-funded project. The Tai O Heritage Hotel is a counter-example, as it is far away from the well-known shopping districts but is a smart choice for a holiday in Tai O.
The hotel was once the first police station on an outlying island in Hong Kong, but with the continuous improvement of law and order, the police station was no longer a mandatory function, so it was converted into a police post in 1996 and closed down at the end of the same year. In 2009, the non-profit organisation Hong Kong Heritage Conservation and Construction Company Limited acquired the property rights and the Hong Kong City Government invested in the renovation of the Tai O Heritage Hotel.
As a 19th-century building, the façade of the hotel is quite classical, with the exterior walls painted according to the original appearance and the door panels custom-made according to the original style. In addition, small details such as cannons, searchlights, guard towers, storage rooms, bunkers, etc., have also been preserved. In fact, by the 1950s, there were only about 10 police officers stationed in the police station, which can be imagined to be small, and the reborn police station only had 5 rooms and 4 suites. Except for the "Sea Tiger", which has an area of 24 square meters, the rest of the guest rooms have an area of about 35 square meters; The suites are 45 square meters in size. Don't be amazed at the living space of the former police officers, the rooms were not all used for living, for example, the "Commissioner's Room" suite, which used to be an armory and interview room, and the operators did not completely erase the building's past functions. In the reception hall, you can find old things in detail, which is also a "cultural relics discovery center", the walls are covered with old photos of the Marine Police Station, and there are also two prison cells, which you may want to enter to experience.
After a long period of abandonment, around 2010, the building of the Marine Police Station was dilapidated, but fortunately, the renovation project was very careful, and the style and colour of the fireplaces, doors and windows of the guest rooms are almost the same as the old photos published under the "Conservation and Revitalisation of Historic Buildings Partnership Scheme". The interior of the house is also sincere, with wooden floors, white walls, and a simple and classical charm that forms a unity with the façade, which is slightly similar to the common flat-story mansions in American dramas, and there is no problem of over-design.
Located on the top floor of the hotel, Tai O Lookout has a wedge-shaped top, wooden skeleton with glass and natural light. The tables and chairs were donated by China Tee Club, Pedder Street, Central, to keep the style unified. In addition to three meals, the restaurant also offers afternoon tea at a pleasant price. The variety of meals is varied, but the quality is decent, and breakfast is the best in comparison. The hotel is adjacent to Shek Tsai Po Village Street, and the food stalls can bring a down-to-earth flavor experience, but overall, compared to other hotels on this list, geographical factors make Tai O Heritage Hotel have a lower dining rating. In addition, as a "social hotel", the hotel service staff are all nearby villagers, and its service level is not as professional as the high-end business hotel in the downtown area, but it is expensive to work for a long time, and the performance of the grassroots personnel is still satisfactory.
In 2017 alone, the hotel won four international awards, and won the Luxury Cultural Retreat -- Regional Winner (East Asia) for the first time in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, the hotel leaves something to be desired. The room facilities are aging; The bathtub is shallow and not practical; The mattresses in some rooms are too soft and not suitable for the whole range of people; Due to geographical factors, mosquitoes sometimes appear in the room. The biggest drawback is that the hotel is free and open to the public, including empty rooms, with windows facing the sea, but the view is not at the same time as privacy. This is due to the business philosophy, after all, the hotel is also a heritage site, and if you want to enjoy a peaceful vacation, you must avoid the peak of tourists on your check-in date.
