Page 39 - Building Journal - May 2017

Camlux Hotel

Camlux Hotel has celebrated its grand opening as Kowloon Bays first hotel, and one of the first
factory converted hotels in Hong Kong. Managed by Camlux Hospitality Limited, the 185-room
factory Hotel near MegaBox and Kowloon Bay International Trade and Exhibition Centre brings

local hospitality with contemporary flair and cutting-edge technology to the new central business
district in Hong Kong.

ocated on Wang Kwong Road next to the former embraced the inherent limitations and constraints
Kai Tak Airport, Camlux Hotel is immediately to create an interesting spatial experience, in terms
Lrecognisable by its coral blue exterior façade, of room configurations and viewing aspects for our
signalling a new era for the former appliance factory. guests. Unlike newly-built projects, these variations
Catering to both business and leisure travellers are not of superficial décor, but the result of immense
amid Kowloon Bay s revival as a fast-developing physical challenges derived from converting an
international business and commercial hub, the six- industrial building into a hotel property, said Mr
storey hotel was converted from a factory building, Calvin Wong, General Manager of Camlux Hotel.
New Camel House, which formerly manufactured Architects of the project also opened up the patio
iconic Hong Kong-made vacuum flasks the design of the original construction site with two open green
of which is used as a motif to pay tribute to its courtyards to increase natural light penetration into
heritage. the heart of the Hotel, providing ample daylight for
Designed by T S Chu Architects, with interior by guestrooms and corridors.
APAC Workshop, Camlux Hotel features a thoughtful The retro-modern hotel features 103 Cosy Rooms,
incorporation of Hong Kongs vintage industrial style, 70 Comfy Rooms, 10 Family Rooms and 2 Studio
taking guests on a voyage into the glorious past of Rooms, ranging from 22 to 32 square metres all
Hong Kongs manufacturing industry. well-equipped with free high-speed Wi-Fi and Smart
Key design features of the Hotel include a three- TVs with avant-garde sound system that can be
part mosaic on the upper walls of the foyer in the conveniently connected to personal entertainment
Hotel lobby, which are decorated with stainless steel and even social media networks, making guests feel
discs used to produce vacuum flasks. On one wall more at home than ever.
the mosaic reads: First Hotel in K Bay in ocean Fa ci l i t i es of t he hot el a l so i ncl ude t he
blue and gold discs, while the centre section displays contemporary Café 15, a multi-functional event
a camel logo constructed with discs of the same venue, a meeting room and conference room, a
colours, highlighting the Camel brand. The third wall 24-hour gym, currency exchange, laundry and dry
features a world map, pointing to locations where cleaning, luggage storage, limousine service and
Camel products were exported to over 75 years with
a special red discover Hong Kong, underlining the
local heritage of the brand.
The wall at the reception in the lobby is fashioned
from red firebricks from the former factory, while the
reception desk is graced with 100 neatly arranged
vacuum flask glass inners. The Hotel foyer is also
decorated with a distinctive line of tiles made of raw
materials for flasks, such as brass, stainless steel and
coloured plastic.
Brass light fixtures by the elevators are modelled
after the iconic grooved vacuum flasks, while
lampshades in the contemporary guestrooms are also
up-cycled from the vacuum flasks. Other references
to the iconic home ware products include the
stainless steel clothes hangers, carpet with industrial-
style design inspired by the former factorys blanking
pattern, and industrial drawings of the flasks in
modern colourcombinations, leaving a trail of Hong
Kongs glorious manufacturing history in every
corner of the Hotel for guests to discover.
Being a conversion project, the management team Hotel exterior

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