The Mira Hong Kong

History

From after 1911 until 1925, the site was occupied by the Club de Recreio (). The Club then moved to its present location at King's Park along Gascoigne Road.

The hotel was formerly named Hotel Miramar. It opened in 1948, with 32 rooms, as Hong Kong's first post-war hotel. A major expansion in 1953 added 160 new rooms. It was purchased in 1957 from a Spanish mission by the founders of Miramar Hotel and Investment Company, Limited. A new wing was built in two phases, increasing the number of rooms to 380 by 1973.

The grand opening of the rebranded and redesigned hotel took place on 17 September 2009.

In 2013, after fleeing from Hawaii, Edward Snowden stayed in The Mira for a total of 20 days wherein he leaked thousands of classified National Security Agency (NSA) documents regarding global surveillance to journalists. His presence at the hotel was a global spectacle with a media frenzy surrounding it. Laura Poitras created a documentary regarding these revelations named Citizenfour (which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film in 2015). A large portion was shot inside the hotel.

The short film Verax, regarding the 2013 global surveillance disclosures by Edward Snowden features the hotel. The film's budget included a one night stay at The Mira, the most expensive item on the budget.

On 21 January 2019, a window fell from the hotel and killed a passerby walking on Nathan Road.

References

References

1. [http://www.themirahotel.com/en/experience/the-locale.aspx] {{webarchive. link. (January 31, 2010)
2. "Hotel Wedding Venue & Meeting Facilities".
3. (December 18, 2009). "The Mira Hotel photos :: Hotel Design".
4. (2010-10-27). "The Mira Hotel, Hong Kong | We Heart; Lifestyle & Design Magazine". Weheart.co.uk.
5. "Historic Building Appraisal : Cheung Chan theatre". Lcsd.gov.hk.
6. (25 May 1986). "Miramar still a firm favourite". South China Morning Post.
7. "Miramar Milestones".
8. "Grand Opening of The Mira Hong Kong".
9. Kao, Ernest. (12 June 2013). "Whistle-blower Edward Snowden splurges on high-priced hideout". [[South China Morning Post]].
10. Taylor, Adam. (June 10, 2013). "Edward Snowden Reportedly 'Checked Out' Of Hong Kong Hotel Mira". [[Business Insider]].
11. Greenwald, Glenn. (11 June 2013). "Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations". [[The Guardian]].
12. "The 87th Academy Awards, 2015".
13. "Hong Kong directors make first Snowden film | South China Morning Post". Scmp.com.
14. Patrick Frater. (2013-07-01). "Edward Snowden Short Film Team Delivers Digital Snap Shot". Variety.
15. (21 January 2019). "Police arrest hotel cleaner after tourist killed by falling window in Tsim Sha Tsui". Hong Kong Free Press.