The Haitian Hotel on Hong Kong West Road (Xianggang Xi Lu) is history. Both towers of the former Chinese-Japanese joint venture hotel in Qingdao are slowly being taken down. Many Qingdao residents feel nostalgic for the 80’s and 90’s when the Haitian was the top of the food chain in Qingdao’s hotel culture, a time when local richsters, hipsters, and visitors alike rubbed shoulders in the upscale dining rooms and shops in the hotel.
Steven Gao of Lennon Bar once ran a drinking establishment in the nether regions of the Haitian, and Ian Burns of the Beijing Beatles played here almost 2 decades ago – ask him about ‘the Swedish thing’. The Haitian Hotel offered fantastic views of the ocean and a respite from the busy city outside. An oasis along the coast and a part of Qingdao’s modern history, the Haitian will be missed.
The new Grand Haitian Hotel is now located on the grounds of the Qingdao Grand Theatre in Laoshan district – new memories in a new building await.
Relevant Links:
Haitian Hotel Qingdao
Chris
Too sad. Another part of recent QD history gone. They did have a nice restaurant / bar on the top floor.
Any idea what will be build there instead? Another boring high rise residential complex?