The Peninsula Hotels
A Hong Kong-based luxury hotel brand operated by The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, known for landmark properties, formal service, and classic luxury.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Peninsula Hotels is an international luxury-hotel brand operated by The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, the Hong Kong-based hospitality and property group associated with the Kadoorie family. Its history began with The Peninsula Hong Kong, which opened in Tsim Sha Tsui in 1928. The property became the group’s flagship and is described as Hong Kong’s oldest hotel still operating under its original name. Its location, grand architecture, formal service culture, and long association with the city’s commercial and political life established the Peninsula identity before the brand expanded overseas. The group’s early international growth was selective rather than rapid. The Peninsula Manila opened in Makati in 1976, extending the brand into the Philippines. The Peninsula New York followed in 1988 and marked the company’s entry into the United States. The group then opened a property in Beijing in 1989 and a hotel in Beverly Hills in 1991. These openings established a portfolio strategy centered on prominent properties in major gateway cities, rather than a large standardized network of mid-market hotels. The brand’s offering combines luxury accommodation with full-service hospitality. Typical operations include guest rooms and suites, destination restaurants and bars, meeting and event facilities, concierge and chauffeured-transport services, and spa or wellness amenities. The Peninsula name is positioned around personalized service, refined surroundings, continuity of tradition, and a high level of operational attention. Individual hotels are designed to reflect their cities while retaining shared elements of the brand’s service and visual identity. Environmental and ethical issues have also influenced the brand’s public profile. In 2012, Peninsula hotels announced that shark fin soup would no longer be served on their menus, a notable decision because the dish had traditionally been associated with luxury banquets in parts of China. The Peninsula Tokyo received EarthCheck certification in 2015, while The Peninsula Beijing gained BREEAM accreditation in 2017. The group later faced criticism from campaigners over the use of eggs from battery-caged hens at its hotels. In response, Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels announced a commitment to use only cage-free eggs by 2025. The Peninsula Hotels remains an active luxury hospitality brand with a relatively limited, high-profile collection of properties. Its identity continues to depend more on landmark locations, heritage, and service standards than on the scale of its hotel count. The brand should be distinguished from unrelated companies or properties using the word “Peninsula”; the authoritative subject here is the hotel chain operated by The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels.
History
The Peninsula Hotels traces its identity to The Peninsula Hong Kong, opened in 1928 in Tsim Sha Tsui by the Kadoorie family’s Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels organization. The hotel was developed during a period when Hong Kong was becoming an important maritime, trading, and commercial center. Its location opposite the harbor and its grand design helped it become a landmark of the city. The property remains the brand’s flagship and is regarded as Hong Kong’s oldest hotel still operating under its original name. The corporate history behind the brand is older than the Peninsula name. Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited was incorporated in 1866 and built its business through property ownership, development, and hospitality. The opening of The Peninsula Hong Kong gave that wider property group a distinctive luxury-hotel identity. Rather than separating the hotel from its surrounding real-estate interests, the group developed the Peninsula name as a premium expression of its long-term ownership and operating model. International expansion began with The Peninsula Manila, which opened in Makati in 1976. The property extended the brand into the Philippines and demonstrated that the Peninsula concept could be adapted to another major Asian capital while retaining its service-led positioning. The Peninsula New York opened in 1988, representing the company’s entry into the United States. A Beijing property followed in 1989, and The Peninsula Beverly Hills opened in 1991. Together, these openings created a geographically diverse but deliberately selective portfolio. The expansion model emphasized landmark urban destinations and high-touch operations. Peninsula hotels typically combined luxury rooms and suites with restaurants, bars, event spaces, concierge services, and wellness facilities. The hotels were not positioned as interchangeable mass-market units; instead, each property was intended to have a strong local presence while sharing the parent group’s service culture and the Peninsula name’s association with classic luxury. The brand’s later history includes decisions related to environmental responsibility and supply-chain standards. In 2012, the group removed shark fin soup from its menus. The decision was significant because shark fin soup had long been associated with formal luxury banquets in Chinese-speaking markets, and its removal represented a public sustainability position. The Peninsula Tokyo received EarthCheck certification in 2015, and The Peninsula Beijing obtained BREEAM accreditation in 2017. The group subsequently attracted criticism from campaigners regarding the continued use of eggs from battery-caged hens in its hotel operations. Competitors including Mandarin Oriental, Hyatt, and InterContinental had made cage-free commitments, increasing pressure on Peninsula and its parent company. Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels responded by announcing a commitment to use only cage-free eggs by 2025. This episode illustrates how the brand’s luxury positioning increasingly intersects with expectations about responsible sourcing and hospitality operations. The Peninsula Hotels remains active as a comparatively small, high-profile luxury hotel collection. Its competitive identity rests on heritage, prime city locations, architecture, formal service, and individualized guest care rather than on broad numerical expansion. The parent group continues to be the central corporate owner and operator of the brand.
- 2025
Target year for cage-free egg sourcing
[1]Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels committed to using only cage-free eggs across its hotels by this target year.
- 2017
The Peninsula Beijing gains BREEAM accreditation
[1]The Beijing property receives BREEAM accreditation for building-environment performance.
- 2015
The Peninsula Tokyo gains EarthCheck certification
[1]The Tokyo property becomes EarthCheck certified.
- 2012
Shark fin soup is removed from menus
[1]The group announces a ban on serving shark fin soup across its hotel menus.
- 1991
The Peninsula Beverly Hills opens
[1]The Peninsula expands its United States presence with a property in Beverly Hills.
- 1989
The Peninsula Beijing opens
[1]The brand adds a property in Beijing as it continues its selective expansion in major Asian cities.
- 1988
The Peninsula New York opens
[1]The company enters the United States with a hotel in New York.
- 1976
The Peninsula Manila opens
[1]The brand expands internationally to Makati in Metro Manila, Philippines.
- 1928
The Peninsula Hong Kong opens
[1]The Kadoorie family’s hotel opens in Tsim Sha Tsui, establishing the flagship property and the Peninsula brand identity.
- 1866
Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels is incorporated
[1]The corporate group that later operates The Peninsula Hotels is incorporated and develops interests in property and hospitality.
Products and positioning
Ultra-luxury urban hospitality combining landmark locations, heritage, formal service, and highly personalized guest experiences.
Luxury hotel · 1928
The Peninsula Hong Kong
The flagship Peninsula property opened in 1928 in Tsim Sha Tsui. It anchors the brand’s heritage and is known for its landmark harbor-side setting, grand hospitality environment, formal service, accommodation, dining, and event facilities.
Luxury hotel · 1976
The Peninsula Manila
Opened in 1976 in Makati, The Peninsula Manila was the brand’s first major international expansion. It extends the Peninsula service model to the Philippines and provides luxury rooms and suites, dining, events, and related full-service hotel amenities.
Luxury hotel · 1988
The Peninsula New York
Opened in 1988, The Peninsula New York marked the group’s entry into the United States. The property represents the brand’s urban-gateway strategy, combining luxury accommodation with dining, wellness, meeting, and personalized guest services.
Luxury hotel · 1989
The Peninsula Beijing
The Beijing property opened in 1989 and forms part of the brand’s Asian portfolio. It provides the Peninsula’s luxury lodging and service concept in a major Chinese capital and later became associated with BREEAM accreditation.
Luxury hotel · 1991
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
Opened in 1991, The Peninsula Beverly Hills expanded the brand’s presence in the United States. It applies the Peninsula model of high-end accommodation, dining, wellness, and individualized service to the Beverly Hills market.
Hospitality services
Peninsula luxury hospitality services
Across its properties, the brand offers luxury rooms and suites, restaurants and bars, afternoon tea and other dining experiences, spas or wellness facilities, meetings and events, concierge assistance, and destination-oriented services such as chauffeured transportation.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017BREEAM accreditation at The Peninsula Beijing
Mainland China
The Peninsula Beijing pursued and received BREEAM accreditation connected with sustainable building and environmental performance.
Outcome. The Beijing hotel became BREEAM accredited.
- 2015EarthCheck environmental certification
Japan
The Peninsula Tokyo obtained EarthCheck certification, giving the property a recognized environmental-management credential.
Outcome. The Peninsula Tokyo became EarthCheck certified.
- 2012Shark fin menu ban
Global Peninsula hotel operations
The group removed shark fin soup from its menus, positioning the decision as an environmental and responsible-dining measure.
Outcome. Shark fin soup was no longer served on the group’s hotel menus.
- Cage-free egg sourcing commitment
Global hotel operations
After campaigners criticized the use of battery-caged eggs, Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels announced a commitment to transition its hotel operations to cage-free eggs by 2025.
Outcome. A 2025 cage-free sourcing target was announced.
Brand decisions
2017
BREEAM accreditation for The Peninsula BeijingOtherBackground
Building and operational sustainability became increasingly relevant to the positioning of international luxury hotels.
Action taken
The Peninsula Beijing obtained BREEAM accreditation.
Aftermath
The accreditation added a sustainability credential to the Peninsula portfolio.
2015
Environmental certification for The Peninsula TokyoOtherBackground
The group was documenting environmental-management efforts at individual properties.
Action taken
The Peninsula Tokyo obtained EarthCheck certification.
Aftermath
The Tokyo property received an externally recognized sustainability certification.
2012
Remove shark fin soup from hotel menusStrategyBackground
Shark fin soup was a traditional luxury banquet dish in parts of China, but its environmental impact generated growing concern.
Action taken
The Peninsula Hotels stopped serving shark fin soup across its menus.
Aftermath
The decision became a notable sustainability action associated with the brand’s dining operations.
- Commitment to cage-free eggsStrategy
Background
Campaigners criticized the group for using eggs from battery-caged hens, while competing hotel companies were announcing cage-free sourcing targets.
Action taken
Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels committed to using only cage-free eggs by 2025.
Aftermath
The commitment responded to animal-welfare criticism and set a sourcing target for the group’s hotel operations.
- Mandarin Oriental — Mandarin Oriental was cited as one of the competitors making a cage-free egg commitment.
- Hyatt — Hyatt was cited as one of the competitors making a cage-free egg commitment.
- InterContinental — InterContinental was cited as one of the competitors making a cage-free egg commitment.
Recent events
- 2017
The Peninsula Beijing gains BREEAM accreditation[1]
Other
The Peninsula Beijing achieved BREEAM accreditation, adding a recognized building-environment sustainability credential to the group’s portfolio.
- 2015
The Peninsula Tokyo receives EarthCheck certification[1]
Other
The Peninsula Tokyo became EarthCheck certified as part of the brand’s documented sustainability and environmental-management activity.
- 2012
Peninsula Hotels removes shark fin soup from menus[1]
Campaign · Other
The hotel group announced that its properties would stop serving shark fin soup, addressing an environmentally controversial luxury-dining practice that remained culturally significant in parts of China.
Campaigners criticize use of battery-caged eggs[1]
Other
Animal-welfare campaigners criticized Peninsula properties for continuing to use eggs from battery-caged hens while several competing hotel groups were making cage-free sourcing commitments.
Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels commits to cage-free eggs by 2025[1]
Campaign · Other
Following criticism over egg sourcing, the parent group announced a commitment for its hotels to use only cage-free eggs by 2025.
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