helvetic

Tear gas does not affect the inside of hotels, especially your rooms.

NewbieRunner

Folks, please remember this thread is about impacts of demonstrations on travel to Hong Kong. Posts discussing the current situation in general, comparison with San Francisco and Turkey, impacts on mainland students, etc. have been deleted or moved to OMNI if the posters are eligible.

NewbieRunner
Senior Moderator

Visconti

There was an incident in the Pen that I had read and was told about. So, this isn't a first hand account, since fortunately I had afternoon tea earlier and was already gone before this incident occurred; to escape the tear gas, I had read some protestors and/or perhaps those caught in the crossfire, sought shelter inside the Pen, where there were reports of tear gas making its way inside to where some guests were or had been enjoying afternoon tea.

I don't recall reading or hearing of tear gas inside hotels (which isn't to suggest it has never occurred), but I'd imagine both sides of the dispute would rather leave this establishment unbesmirched, and what happened recently was an aberration.

PS - If I recall, regarding the thread on potential TST hotels during these uncertain times, I'd likely choose this hotel above others in HK, given its multiple options to HKG. There's the Star Ferry onto HK Station, hotel airport transfer (seriously doubt protestors would mess with a Pen Rolls) and, if absolutely necessary, other more exotic options.

PS 2 - By the way, because of the current environment, there may be some pretty good rates to be had at the Pen.

Red259

What are you even basing this on? Tear gas travels by air. Last time I checked hotels aren't completely sealed off.

fransknorge

Based on the latest developments, I will not travel to Hong Kong in February as there are too much unpredictability as how the situation will evolve. It is very sad as I love the city and the people there, but I do not want to deal with this.

helvetic

Hotel HVAC systems have enough filtration that tear gas won't affect anyone in their rooms even if it's fired right in front of of the hotel.

Do you have any reports that suggest otherwise from the many instances of tear gas being fired in Central / TST districts filled with hotels?

madmolecule

This was reported in the New York Times:

On a recent Sunday afternoon, protesters and riot police faced off outside the Peninsula, one of Hong Kong’s oldest hotels. Employees quickly shut the front door, closed the blinds and rolled down the shutters, but they weren’t fast enough to prevent tear gas from floating into high tea, and while a lone violin played, guests wheezed.

JNelson113

For those who are there, how was Thursday? Still as chaotic, or any better? Thanks!

PanAmWT

I would like to respectively suggest that impacts on mainland students are not totally irrelevant. What about mainland students who plan to travel to Hong Kong (from mainland or from North America)? About student age travelers who speak mandarin from any place in the world? Especially if these people plan to visit and stay at university campuses.

On the other hand, comments on motivation of the government or the protesters, or reflecting one's political view or position, are probably inappropriate.

Hydro88

Pretty much the same, and they're back on the streets this morning already.

Kilian Zoll

At this stage it is impossible to tell what the situation will be like in February (many expats will likely have acted on their exit strategies and left the city) but you are doing the right thing. It's just not worth the risk.

TravelLawyer

Are you in Hong Kong? What streets are you referring to? I'm looking at a live feed and I'm not seeing anything outside the universities right now (morning in HK).

JNelson113

Thank you. :-(

Hydro88

Yes I am. Apple Daily and the TV are reporting protesters in Hung Hom.

Hydro88

[Redacted by mod]

A floating corpse has been discovered in TST.