50 guests ejected as hotel closes

A three-star Mong Kok hotel suddenly shut its doors last night throwing 50 guests onto the street.

Bailiffs served a closure order on the 108-room Tatami-Hampton Hotel in Changsha Street after the owner lost a court battle with Bank of East Asia, which was granted HK$82 million in damages.

Police were called to keep order as angry guests were forced to leave.

Fifty visitors were affected but by last night only 37 could be contacted.

Most guests booked through the internet.

Many were from the mainland but there were others from Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia, Italy, Singapore and Argentina. One was from Hong Kong.

One mainland visitor, who checked in just hours before he was thrown out, said he was surprised when he could not get into his room when he returned in the evening.

He said he knew no one in Hong Kong and his first concern was to find a place to spend the night.

Two sisters from Shanghai paid HK$3,000 for three nights. One said it was irresponsible of management to accept guests when they were fighting a lawsuit.

The 18-story hotel is close to tourist attractions including Tung Choi Street, Garden Street and Temple Street.

Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners executive director Michael Li Hon-shing said the incident underlined deficiencies in hotel grading. A budget establishment with some decoration and very simple facilities inside can easily call itself a hotel it gives tourists a wrong impression that hotels in Hong Kong are like that, he said.

A legal definition of different hotel gradings is important in guaranteeing the type and quality of services and facilities.

He said the only check on hotels is the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance, which only monitors fire prevention in hotels.

But he said the way the hotel closed down is unacceptable and will affect Hong Kongs image.

Source: Diana Lee and Carol Chung

Check related post: Tatami Hampton Hotel closed down on 18 June 2008

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