I almost stayed at the Shamrock years ago.
After eloping with my former husband, we trekked from our graduate dorm in the New Territories to the bustling density of Kowloon in search of a short honeymoon. One of the hotels we looked into was the Shamrock.
The Shamrock is an old school Hong Kong hotel that’s been around since the 1950s. According to Frommer’s Hong Kong, the hotel hasn’t changed much since then:
…despite lobby renovations that added marble floors and artwork from Beijing, I don’t think it’s changed much since then, including the half dozen or so small chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The guest rooms are unexciting, clean, simple, and small, though high ceilings (with the ubiquitous small chandeliers) give the rooms something of a spacious feeling. Avoid the cheapest room without windows — Dracula might feel at home, but you might want to spring for some sunshine, though deluxe rooms facing Nathan Road are also noisier.
Alas, we were not allowed to register without a passport, so moved on down Nathan Road until we could find a hotel that didn’t require a passport upon check-in. (We ended up at the Miramar–see posting from May 8th).
I’ve always wondered what it would be like to stay at the Shamrock (it’s still there). I’ve also wondered about their cable address.
I remember having a business meeting there in 1995 with Don Kirk, a journalist who has been covering Asia since 1965. It’s a great old dive hotel, love it. A bit like the Atlanta in Bangkok.
Thank you so much for your great comment! That’s so cool you had a meeting there in 1995. That’s when I went on that first honeymoon. Don Kirk reminds of an Old Asian Hand my mom met in the basement bar of the old Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. He’d hold court every night there and would tell old WWII stories. I just booked a flight back to Hong Kong–my first time back in 14 years. I was tempted to stay at the Shamrock, but since it’s my new husband’s first time in Asia, I chose the Kowloon Hotel instead. Maybe one day!!
there was a coffee shop on the first floor called the tiptop. i had many irish coffees there after school, the things we did in our uniform!! and they served us without flinching.
i know that the hotel is budget these days and caters mostly to visitors from the mainland. also the coffee shop has been replaced by a 24/7 dim sum lounge
Wow, that’s wild they served you Irish coffee! Leave it to Hong Kong for something like that. That dim sum lounge sounds good, although the coffee shop must have been charming. The YMCA on Waterloo also caters to Mainlanders.