P&B in Peninsula, Hong Kong

Carol Nicdao-Brill "CFO" of Prizmic & Brill and one of its "Founders" Vinko Mario Prizmic taking us for a visit. The Grand Dame of the far east…

Long hailed as one of the finest hotel in the world, The Peninsula Hong Kong has been celebrating the City’s dramtic progress since 1928…

The creator of this houte couture furniture Matthew Brill was not able to be there ... due to the preparation of his "cream de la cream" collection of coming Manila Fame 2013

Join us at SMX Convention Center booth e33 to see more of our products. The show is until March 14-17

Fashion arcade The Hotel has one of the oldest fashion arcades in Hong Kong. Throughout the years, it has housed international brands such as Chanel, Dior, Hermès, Gucci, Prada, Shiatzy Chen, Louis Vuitton and Cartier. Apart from inter

national fashion houses, it was also home to Hong Kong brands                                                                                                                                                  such  as  Betty  Charnuis  Clemos  in  the  60s  …  

Some men pursue pleasure with such breathless Some men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it. So to avoid this...come with us

2012 Refurbishment To celebrate the Hotel's 85th anniversary in April 2013, it launched a HK$450 million refurbishment programme. In September 2012, the first phase of the Peninsula Tower was completed. New features includes digital enhancements ranging from touch-screen tablets, DVD library of 3D movies to High-definition televisions. The decor of the rooms are in pared-down Oriental chic, with plain cream upholstery, vintage luggage-inspired drawer handles and Chinese ink painting-inspired ornaments. However the renovation did not include the iconic lobby, restaurants and bars and remains unchanged.

Founded by members of the Kadoorie family The Peninsula was built with the idea that it would be "the finest hotel east of Suez." In December 1928 the hotel opened in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, located at junction of Nathan Road and Salisbury Road and directly opposite the quays where ocean liner passengers disembarked. Kowloon was also the last stop on the trans-Siberian rail link that brought travelers from Europe. As such, the Peninsula hotel was ideally situated to take advantage of the increasing number of wealthy visitors to the area. On 25 December 1941, at the end of the Battle of Hong Kong, British colonial officials led by the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Aitchison Young, surrendered in person at the Japanese headquarters on the third floor of The Peninsula. The Governor was confined for two months in one of the hotel suites before he was shipped to a prison in Shanghai. The resort was then renamed "Tōa Hotel" (東亜ホテル "East Asia Hotel"?), and the rooms were reserved for Japanese officers and high-ranking dignitaries, while Hong Kong sank into misery and destitution.[2] In his book God Is My Co-Pilot, Colonel Robert Lee Scott, Jr., USAAF, commander of the 23d Fighter Group, China Air Task Force, described in detail an aerial raid he led on the Japanese shipping anchored in Hong Kong harbour, conducted 25 October 1942, and the

lone attack he personally made in his Curtiss P-40K Warhawk (nicknamed Old Exterminator) upon the famous Peninsula Hotel: "So I looped above Victoria Harbor and dove for the Peninsula Hotel. My tracers ripped into the shining plateglass of the penthouses on its top, and I saw the broken windows cascade like snow to the streets, many floors below. I laughed, for I knew that behind those windows were Japanese high officers, enjoying that modern hotel. When I got closer I could see uniformed figures going down the fire escapes, and I shot at them...I turned for one more run on the packed fire escapes filled with Jap soldiers, but my next burst ended very suddenly. I was out of ammunition."[3] It was restored to its original name after Japan was defeated and the British regained control of the colony. The hotel today is part of the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels group headed by Sir Michael Kadoorie, is the flagship property of the The Peninsula Hotels group. In 1994, an extension was added to the original hotel in the form of a 30-storey tower, which is topped off by a helipad. 1994 Expansion In 1994, the hotel was expanded with a 30-story tower that follows the same style as the existing building. The facade of the existing hotel building was preserved, including the forecourt, the lobby and the front facade. The hotel remained in operation while construction commenced.[4] The new Peninsula Tower is atop with a helipad, being one of only two private rooftop helipads in the territory, the other being located on top of the Shun Tak Centre. It is used to transport VIP guests to the Hong Kong International Airport, with flight duration being 7 minutes. The total number of rooms increased to 300 with an addition of 132 rooms and suites. Other new features included 10 floors of office space, shops and hotel facilities.[4]

Found Memories

Somewhere in the tropics unearthed by a mild tsunami was this amazing Trunk that looked as if it were owned by a traveler from another era. The latch of this trunk came ajar and out spilled letters that were surprisingly well preserved. With a closer look the letters spoke of love, romance , travel and secret meetings which really struck the imagination. There were also stage passes to a most unusual Festival.

The trunk and letters were from a time that all philosophers were unsuccessful in finding the truth in a world full of eccentricities. Did these artifacts belong to a curious traveler, a poet, a magician or a romantic fool? It seems this trunk had changed hands through the years with two sets of initials masked to its side.

A Short passage stood out in one of the letters… it read…

"Time is that elastic band you are holding in your hands. You are stretching it. More and more. And it feels so elastic, so endlessly elastic that you can pull it all the way to the farthest horizon… and beyond. You feel you could touch the sun… and maybe even further… and when you’re completely convinced that this is so, it ruptures and stings your fingers. Maybe that is the pain of time… the time which lasts and will always manifest in different ways. But…" (paper torn)

It seems this trunk stood through the test of time for both its owners. If only this mysterious wardrobe could talk.

The thought of being the new owner of this valise was exciting . Can you imagine being the care taker of endless memories. A patron of the arts once said, "richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten".

Let’s try to remember.

P & B