The site was formerly occupied by the Majestic Theatre, a cinema opened in December 1928 and closed inDecember 1988. The M2 Theatre opened next to the Majestic Theatre in 1978 and also closed in December 1988. Both cinemas were then demolished and the Majestic Hotel was built on the site, with the Majestic Centre, an integrated shopping arcade in the lower floors, and a cinema, the Majestic Cinema occupying the second floor of the building. The Majestic Cinema had two small auditoriums with 401 and 432 seats respectively, and a cinema lobby at the ground floor. It opened in 1992 and closed in 2000. The cinema was then converted into the 348 Discothèque and Karaoke bar, operated by an alleged 14K triad gang leader, Teddy Hung Hon-yee. One of Hong Kong's largest discos, it closed down in 2007 following a series of police crackdowns, after having been renamed "F1" for a while. Hung ran gambling rooms, opium dens and bars in To Kwa Wan and served 14 years in prison from 1984 to 1998. In 2009 he announced that he had converted to Christianity and repented to a priest. The Majestic Hotel was a 3-star hotel built in 1992. It had 381 rooms and suites, a business centre, two function rooms, a restaurant and a bar, the Cafe Royal and the Ming Sing Bar, both on the first floor. In May 2007, a fund managed by LaSalle Investment Management acquired the Majestic Hotel and the Majestic Centre shopping arcade for HK$1.69 billion. The site then underwent a HK$188 million refurbishment programme and was upgraded to a 4-star hotel. It reopened in April 2008, having been rebranded into a Novotel, managed by Accor. The shopping arcade was renamed "Nathan Square". In 2012, LaSalle Investment Management sold the hotel to investment fund Gaw Capital Partners and the property investment company CSI Properties for about HK$2.37 billion. This deal was the biggest hotel transaction in 11 years in Hong Kong.
The hotel
The 15-storey Novotel Nathan Road Kowloon Hong Kong offers 389 guest rooms and suites. Executive Premier Lounge, In Balance Fitness Centre, Web Corner on iMac, children's play area, beauty and hot stone massage centre within the hotel, tour desk, a bar and an all day dining restaurant, including the Tasca Bar and The SQUARE restaurant. All guest rooms are provided with complimentary Wi-Fi. Between 2008 and 2012, the hotel's occupancy rate was over 95%.
