王府半岛酒店
The Peninsula Beijing
www.peninsula.com.cn
1989王府诞生
北京，是中国现代饭店业40年前的起跑点。
在1980年代开业的北京中外合资饭店中，最早的一批是1982年后陆续开业的建国饭店兆龙饭店丽都饭店和长城饭店等，王府饭店虽稍晚，也在第一批之列。
王府饭店的起点之高，仅从酒店的名字便可见一斑。任宝民回忆道：“王府饭店的名字，在1984年立项时还不叫王府饭店，而是叫京华饭店。1985年，合资公司注册成立，注册名称为王府井饭店有限公司，王府的后面尚有一个井字。直到酒店开业前，井字被去掉了。”
一字之差，天壤之别，令王府饭店从此声名显赫。
王府饭店的选址也独一无二。合资双方中，中方为京西宾馆，外方为香港企业家于元平先生牵头的香港熊谷深业有限公司，经双方商定，选址北京金鱼胡同8号，这是北京最核心的位置，介于“金街”王府井大街和“银街”东单大街之间。
王府饭店早在1986年就动工了。张永吉至今记得，有一天，他去王府井这儿的中国计算机研究所找一位朋友，后者饶有兴致地问：“你知道对面要搞一个什么建筑么？地下挖的坑都不一样”一打听，才知道那是在建一座大饭店。
机缘巧合，张永吉没过多久加入王府饭店，成为首任人事经理。他当时的主要工作是招人，然后把招到的人送去马尼拉培训，而彼时的王府饭店尚未建成。张永吉感叹地说：“能有哪个酒店还没建成就先把人送出国培训，两批下来四五十人，一待就是半年，都是认认真真地学啊”
与此同时，王府饭店越建越高，越建越豪华。直到华丽的琉璃瓦大屋顶完美呈现，京城“王府”的气概尽显无遗。
1989年3月1日，饭店正式开业。占地面积1万多平方米，建筑面积78,000平方米，客房578间；地上15层，地下3层，体量规模之大，设施配套之全，令人刮目相看。而饭店的餐饮设施阵容更十分壮观，竟然设立了七家餐厅：两间中餐厅是越秀厅和嘉陵楼，粤菜和川菜盛装出演；西餐厅则有法餐意餐德餐和咖啡厅，还有一个精致的日餐厅，形成当年京城豪华酒店餐厅的聚集地。此外，饭店另有3间著名的娱乐设施：幻境音乐酒廊迪斯科舞厅和夜总会。
王府饭店的规模大，人员也多，开业初期员工最多时超过1700人，仅外籍员工就有160多人，最早聘请的国际管理公司是菲律宾马尼拉国际酒店管理公司。
王府饭店的建筑是香港著名建筑师张国言的杰作。整体端庄宏伟，融合传统与现代，门口的牌楼，大堂内的白色大理石桥，还有饭店顶部的红墙碧瓦重檐殿，皆为中式建筑精华，彰显王府风采。
1990年4月1日，轰轰烈烈的开业仅过1年零1个月，因缘际会，王府饭店就与香港半岛酒店集团签订了管理合同。对双方来说，这都是一次极为重要的历史性的选择，王府饭店迎来了匹配其华丽外表的内在定力，一个登上大船的经验丰富的舵手：半岛酒店集团。这个选择，真是太及时了。
从此，王府饭店从高调的开头进入稳健有序专业的运营，一切开始走入正轨。
19902002远东贵妇 王府管家 幕后英雄
对于北京，半岛酒店集团再熟悉不过，情感很深。
早在1922年至1950年，半岛酒店集团就曾长期管理北京六国饭店Grand Hotel des WagonLits，这是京城民国时期最著名的外交饭店。1982年，北京建国饭店开业，成为北京首家国际管理的中外合资饭店，受邀为其保驾护航的管理公司依然是半岛酒店集团。
半岛酒店集团与中国的缘分更是源远流长。
早在1866年，两位犹太裔兄弟艾理士・嘉道理Ellis Kadoorie和艾利・嘉道理Elly Kadoorie就在上海创立上海酒店有限公司；1923年再与香港酒店有限公司合并而成为现在的香港上海大酒店有限公司，这家亚洲最古老的酒店公司今天依然是香港上市公司，股票号码为0045。
1927年，半岛酒店集团在香港创建旗舰店，享有“远东的贵妇”盛誉。1990年，“远东的贵妇”终于再回北京，成为“王府的管家”。
年复一年，35载，半岛酒店集团为王府饭店倾注了自己的品牌精髓。半岛的标志性符号如纯白礼服的门童pageboy，豪华的劳斯莱斯礼宾车，严格的恭迎礼仪，还有正门前一对汉白玉石狮，与饭店的中式牌楼和经典的半岛豪华落客区一起，组成完美而独特的迎宾阵容。半岛的酒店经营方略，半岛的酒店企业文化，在这座“王府”里，一页页书写，一篇篇打开，从未停止。
20032017真金白银 工匠精神
半岛酒店集团在2002年成为控股股东没多久，王府饭店就在2003年迎来了耗资三亿人民币的升级改造，客房数量从578间调整为525间，全部由半岛酒店集团投资。
2007年，王府饭店的名字正式更名为王府半岛酒店。王府半岛酒店的名字中保留了“王府”二字，打破了半岛酒店起名时冠以城市名的惯例，足见对“王府”所传承的历史份量的珍视。同年升级了豪华车队，包括2辆劳斯莱斯幻影系列及10辆宝马7系。
半岛毕竟是半岛，升级还在继续。
为了巩固王府半岛酒店在首都的领先位置，打造首都酒店居住新标准，2015年，半岛酒店集团董事局通过一项总额高达8.9亿人民币的巨大翻新工程。项目于2015年底开始，2017年全面竣工。
工程期间曾留下一张珍贵的集体合影留念，那是在王府半岛酒店大堂内的白色大理石桥前，“和过去说再见”，随即大理石桥被彻底拆除，换来直通上层宴会厅的大楼梯和宽敞的大堂吧。
在未来的岁月里，将有无数新人携手走上大楼梯，在“步步高升”的美好寓意中步入新婚殿堂；将有无数客人坐在宽敞的大堂吧，惬意地享用早餐和半岛酒店下午茶。
这一次里程碑式的彻底翻新，将王府半岛酒店的525间客房及套房改造为仅230间套房，一半以上客房数量的精简，使王府半岛酒店成为当时京城唯一一家全套房酒店。
翻新后的王府半岛酒店，可见中国传统文化元素在酒店设计上的精湛演绎，如金鱼凤凰龟背六边形灰砖和琉璃瓦；可见半岛香港总部样板间对客房每个细节的精心打磨，半岛自主研发部门对先锋科技的极致运用；酒店三层一条绵延的长廊上演《艺术回响》项目，让文化与艺术成为王府半岛酒店的灵魂。
半岛酒店的经营特色，不求快，而求稳，不求多，而求精，长远规划，稳健经营，重金投入，还有精益求精的工匠精神，成就了王府半岛酒店对最高品质的追求。
半岛精品廊 独此一家
作为半岛品牌特色，王府半岛酒店的精品廊开幕于1990年，成为中国最早的国际奢侈品牌购物空间，路易威登香奈儿和爱马仕等国际奢侈品牌的中国首店皆落户于此。
据商务运营总监周梓芳介绍：“在整个行业都不了解国际奢侈品牌的阶段，商业地产项目了解品牌的方式，就看哪些品牌入驻了半岛精品廊；反过来，国际奢侈品牌去商业地产项目展店，最好的名片就是在半岛精品廊开店。王府半岛酒店的精品廊是国际顶级奢侈品牌进入中国市场的第一扇门。”
王府半岛酒店至今仍拥有19个高端国际品牌入驻精品廊，集珠宝服饰名品家居等为一体。2022年，爱马仕和香奈儿都选择重装并扩店，着重打造漂亮的VIP室，爱马仕在2023年3月重装开业，香奈儿在同年9月重装开业，为王府半岛酒店的客人提供更好的购物体验。
The Opening of The Palace Hotel
he Palace Hotel broke ground in 1986, selecting Beijing‘s most central location at No. 8 Jinyu Hutong.
On March 1, 1989, The Palace Hotel officially opened, spanning an expansive area of over 10,000 square meters, with a construction area of 78,000 square meters and featuring 578 guest rooms. The hotel proudly showcased two Chinese restaurants and five international restaurants, along with notable venues like the Phantom Music Lounge, Disco Hall and Nightclub. The hotel‘s architectural design was a masterpiece by the renowned Hong Kong architect, Zhang Guoyan.
Just over a year and a month later, on April 1, 1990, The Palace Hotel entered into a management contract with The Peninsula Hotels group.
Grande Dame of the Far East Manager of the Palace Hero Behind the Scenes
To Beijing, The Peninsula Hotels group is no stranger and shares a deep emotional connection.
Dating as far back as 1922 to 1950, The Peninsula Hotels managed the Grand Hotel des WagonLits, which was the capital city‘s most renowned diplomatic hotel back in the day. In 1982, when Jianguo Hotel opened as Beijing‘s first Sinoforeign joint venture, the hotel management company invited to oversee its operations was still The Peninsula Hotels.
The connection between The Peninsula Hotels and China goes even further.
In 1866, two Jewish brothers, Ellis Kadoorie and Elly Kadoorie, founded The Shanghai Hotel Limited and in 1923, Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Limited was established after acquiring The Hong Kong Hotel Company. Today, it stands as Asia‘s oldest hotel company, listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange with the code 0045.
In 1927, The Peninsula Hotels unveiled its flagship hotel in Hong Kong, gaining the reputation as the ”Grande Dame of the Far East”. In 1990, the Grande Dame of the Far East returned to Beijing, taking charge as the manager of The Palace Hotel.
Year after year, The Peninsula Hotels has infused its essence into The Palace Hotel. The Peninsula‘s iconic symbols such as the whitesuited pageboys, RollsRoyce limousines, impeccable greeting protocols, and the pair of white marble lions at the entrance, along with the hotel‘s Chinesestyle archway, epitomize a flawless and distinct welcoming experience.
The Finest Craftsmanship
Shortly after The Peninsula Hotels became the controlling shareholder in 2001, The Palace Hotel underwent a renovation totaling 300 million RMB in 2003.
In 2007, The Palace Hotels was officially renamed to The Peninsula Beijing. In the same year, the luxury fleet was upgraded including two RollsRoyce Phantom Series and ten BMW 7 Series.
In order to solidify the leading position of The Peninsula Beijing in the capital and create new residential standards, in 2015, the Board of Directors of the Peninsula Hotels approved a massive renovation project totaling a staggering 890 million RMB. The project began at the end of 2015 and was fully completed in 2017.
During the construction period, a precious group photo was taken in front of the white marble bridge in the lobby, as a goodbye to the past. Subsequently, the marble bridge was completely removed, making way for a grand staircase that provides direct access to the upperlevel banquet hall and a spacious lobby bar.
In the future years, countless couples will ascend the grand staircase, symbolizing the stepbystep advancement in their lives, as they enter the hall of matrimony. Countless guests will sit in the spacious lobby bar, enjoying breakfast and the signature Peninsula afternoon tea.
This milestone renovation transformed the 525 rooms and suites of The Peninsula Beijing into just 230 suites, more than halving the number of guest rooms. It made The Peninsula Beijing the only allsuite hotel in the capital at that time.
The Peninsula Beijing showcases exquisite interpretation of Chinese traditional cultural elements in its design such as Goldfish, Phoenix, Hexagon, Gray Brick, and Glazed Tile. The meticulous craftsmanship and the cuttingedge technology can be felt in the details of every suite. The long corridor on the hotel‘s third floor features the ”Art in Resonance” project, making culture and art the soul of The Peninsula Beijing.
An Exclusive The Peninsula Arcade
As a distinctive feature of the Peninsula brand, The Peninsula Arcade opened in 1990 as China‘s earliest international luxury brand shopping space, housing the first stores in China for international luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Hermès.
According to Fiona Zhou, the Director of Operations, ”During a time when the entire industry had limited knowledge of international luxury brands, the way commercial real estate projects understood brands was by knowing which brands were present in The Peninsula Arcade. Conversely, for international luxury brands looking to establish stores in commercial real estate projects, opening a store in The Peninsula Arcade was the best business card. The Peninsula Arcade was the first gateway for top international luxury brands to enter the Chinese market.”
Until today, The Peninsula Arcade at The Peninsula Beijing still houses 19 timehonoured international brands, specializing in bespoke jewellery, fashion, lifestyle and home furnishings.
