01/08/2026
【歲月長青：灣仔六國飯店】
The Luk Kwok Hotel of Wan Chai
灣仔有一家六國飯店，早於1933年開業，至今快有一個世紀。它也是由我們上一篇文章談到的陸海通所創辦。
陸海通的故事，要從1920年代的上環說起。創辦人陳任國、陳符祥父子看中上環是華商集中地，也是聯通國內外金融、航運、貿易的樞紐，對客棧、旅店服務需求很大。以銀號起家的陸海通，很快在上環設立陸海通旅館，提供住宿、餐飲、外匯兌換、旅遊及票務等廣泛服務，從此奠下經營旅館的基礎。
1930年代，陸海通打算大展拳腳。適逢歷時10年的灣仔填海工程完成，為陸海通進一步發展高級酒店的大計，提供了嶄新的舞台。
六國飯店於1933年落成，臨海而立。它樓高七層，外貌宏偉壯麗，馬上成為灣仔地標。它是當時灣仔最高的大廈，也是首間設有中菜館的酒店，同時亦是灣仔區首家設有升降機的大廈。
六國飯店的住客，在歲月中亦經過多番轉變，默默見證著灣仔的發展軌跡。1930年代，富裕人士移民美國前夕，會在碼頭附近的六國飯店暫住，等候上船；日治時期，六國飯店曾被日軍徵用；1960年代的灣仔是著名的紅燈區，酒吧夜總會林立，娛樂事業發達，吸引不少外籍水手前來消遣，一些美國海軍第七艦隊船員也喜歡入住六國飯店。荷里活以香港為題材的著名電影《蘇絲黃的世界》，其原著小說中提及的酒店Nam Kok Hotel，就是以六國飯店為藍本。
六國飯店頂層曾開設一間高級的甘露夜總會（Jambo Room）。場內設計別開生面，以非洲為主題，所有裝潢和擺設都一絲不苟，連牆上懸掛的斑馬皮都特地由非洲選購。夜總會設有茶舞與晚舞時段，並有駐場樂隊演奏，氣派十足。
隨著時光流逝，1970年代起灣仔再次填海，建成今天的灣仔北。六國飯店於1986年宣佈拆卸重建，並於1989年落成。新建築物樓高30層，涵蓋六國酒店及辦公樓層。在灣仔歷經多次填海發展後，這座曾經的臨海地標輾轉變成了區內眾多高樓之一，但它懷舊的面貌，依然訴說著歲月的滄桑。
#六國飯店 #陸海通 #陳任國 #陳符祥 #灣仔 #蘇絲黃的世界 #水手 #陸海通旅館 #甘露夜總會
The Luk Kwok Hotel of Wan Chai
Standing in the heart of Wan Chai, the Luk Kwok Hotel traces its roots all the way back to 1933, carrying a brand history that spans nearly a full century. Just like the subject of our previous article, this legendary hospitality brand was founded by the Luk Hoi Tong Company.
The story of Luk Hoi Tong takes us back to 1920s Sheung Wan. Father-and-son founders Chan Yam-kwok and Chan Foo-cheong recognized that Sheung Wan was not only a bustling hub for Chinese merchants, but also a crucial node linking finance, shipping, and trade. Demand for lodging was through the roof. Having built their empire in native banking, Luk Hoi Tong quickly established the Luk Hoi Tong Hotel in Sheung Wan. Offering everything from rooms and dining to remittance, travel, and ticketing, it laid the groundwork for their hospitality legacy.
By the 1930s, the company was ready to make its big move. As luck would have it, the massive Wan Chai reclamation project—a decade in the making—had just wrapped up, offering the perfect waterfront stage for Luk Hoi Tong’s next big play: a premier luxury hotel.
When the Luk Kwok Hotel opened in 1933, it commanded the shoreline. At seven stories tall, its grand architecture instantly turned it into a Wan Chai landmark. It held several claims to fame: the tallest building in Wan Chai, the first hotel to house a fine Chinese restaurant, and the very first building in Wan Chai equipped with an elevator.
Over the decades, the faces passing through its lobby mirrored the evolving story of Wan Chai itself. In the 1930s, wealthy locals bound for the United States would stay at the waterfront hotel while waiting to board their ships. During WWII, the hotel was commandeered by Japanese occupying forces. By the 1960s, Wan Chai had morphed into a famous red-light district teeming with neon-lit bars and nightclubs. It became a magnet for foreign mariners, including servicemen from the U.S. Seventh Fleet who frequented the hotel. In fact, the Nam Kok Hotel featured in the original novel behind the iconic Hollywood film The World of Suzie Wong was directly inspired by the Luk Kwok.
Adding to its glamour, the hotel’s top floor housed the upscale Jambo Room (known locally as 甘露夜總會). Designed around an authentic African safari theme, no expense was spared—right down to the real zebra hides imported from Africa hanging on the walls. Hosting fashionable tea dances and evening galas accompanied by a live band, it was the epitome of mid-century sophistication.
With the passage of time, further land reclamation starting in the 1970s gave rise to modern-day Wan Chai North. The Luk Kwok Hotel was slated for redevelopment in 1986 and reopened in 1989 as a modern 30-story tower, housing both the contemporary Luk Kwok Hotel and commercial offices.
Through Wan Chai’s endless cycles of land reclamation, the hotel has transitioned from a solitary waterfront beacon into one skyscraper among many. Yet beneath its modern skyline presence, the heritage of the Luk Kwok quietly carries the rich, bittersweet nostalgia of Hong Kong's bygone eras.
