Mt. Davis Youth Hostel gets major facelift

09/28/2012

The 31-year-old Jockey Club Mt. Davis Youth Hostel, the first city hostel of the Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association, has been renovated with a HK$9.54 million donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.  The refurbished hostel comes with enhanced facilities to provide high quality services to local and overseas travellers.

Today (28 September) Jockey Club Steward Lester C H Kwok joined Under Secretary for Home Affairs Florence Hui and Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association Chairman Michael Wong to officiate at the re-opening ceremony of the hostel, located on Mount Davis Path in Pokfulam.

Mr Kwok noted that the Club’s partnership with the Association dated from the 1980s, and had involved numerous hostel construction and renovation projects.  He said the Mt. Davis project was particularly satisfying because it met the Club’s commitment to protecting environment and conserving heritage.  “Apart from having its facilities enhanced, the hostel has installed some green equipment to save energy and encourage hostellers to adopt a low-carbon lifestyle during their stay.  In addition, the hostel is going to promote a historic walk around the heritage site on Mount Davis, enhancing public awareness of heritage preservation,” he said.

Formerly known as Ma Wui Hall, the hostel was built in 1981 with the Trust’s donation and was opened by the then Club Steward Lamson Kwok, father of Lester C H Kwok.  As demand increased over the years, the Trust funded the Association to expand the hostel’s capacity by constructing an additional wing. Upon completion in 2000, the hostel was renamed as Jockey Club Mt. Davis Youth Hostel.

Today, the rejuvenated hostel is equipped with an array of new facilities, including sea-view twin rooms, a common room, canteen-cum-multi-purpose room, and backpack-sized lockers with power sockets as well as green facilities, such as solar panels and lighting system with human body sensor device.

The Trust has also supported the Association in producing a Mount Davis Heritage Trail Map that features heritage sites located near the hostel, including the Mount Davis Battery Grade 2 Historic Building.  This enables hostellers to have a better understanding of the history of Mount Davis and its military sites.  The renovated hostel is expected to attract over 30,000 users every year.

The Club has long been committed to local recreational and cultural development through building a number of recreational facilities and supporting various activities.  Examples include the construction of outdoor training camps, water sports centre, Victoria Park and Hong Kong Stadium.  Moreover, the Club has put strong emphasis on heritage conservation.  One of the recent Club donations went towards preserving the British explosives magazine site in Admiralty, demonstrating the success of conservation, maintenance and revitalisation of a historic site.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is not only one of the world's leading horse racing organisations but also a world top 15 charitable organisation and Hong Kong’s largest community contributor, donating HK$1.7 billion in 2012. It is also a major taxpayer, Hong Kong's single largest by far, generating over HK$16 billion a year for public funds. The Club pioneers technology applications for sporting and betting entertainment, striving for the highest levels of customer service. As a membership club, it is recognised as one of Asia’s most prestigious, with more than 23,000 members. These multifaceted roles make it a well-respected and remarkable organisation, dedicated to its mission of enhancing the quality of life for all Hong Kong people.