The Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s (PolyU) School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) is moving to the new premises in December 2010. The new home for the SHTM is located in:
 
School of Hotel and Tourism Management
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
17 Science Museum Road
Tsim Sha Tsui East
Kowloon, Hong Kong
 
Since its inception in 1979, the SHTM has continued to evolve and break new ground. The School is now moving from having a vision of rapid transformation in hospitality and tourism education across the region to being an icon, a globally meaningful symbol of excellence. The SHTM’s new education model, with Hotel ICON at its heart, will help to improve hospitality and tourism education everywhere.
 
Hotel ICON is the teaching and research hotel built for the SHTM by PolyU. The University has undertaken a unique project over the past several years to develop dedicated premises for the SHTM to further enhance its world leadership position in hospitality and tourism education and to embrace the strong demand for its further contribution to Hong Kong, the region and the world. The result is an impressive complex of 28 storeys comprising three components: the SHTM home base, the teaching and research hotel and the PolyU staff quarters. Hotel ICON has already become an impressive part of the Tsim Sha Tsui East skyline.
 
At a special cocktail party entitled “A Farewell to Our Millennium” recently hosted by the School at the Millennium Training Restaurant to bid a significant part of the old premises a fond farewell, Professor Timothy Tong, President of the PolyU, said, “With Asia emerging as the global centre of excellence in hospitality and tourism business, we see the need to advance both education and research in hotel and tourism management”. “I am confident,” he continued, “that the School, with commitment of all concerned, will make Hotel ICON an internationally recognised brand as the best teaching and research hotel in the world”.

Hotel ICON, the teaching and research hotel built for SHTM by PolyU

Prof Timothy Tong (fourth from left) and Prof Walter Yuen, PolyU Vice President (Academic Development) (second from left) joined Prof Kaye Chon (third from left), students and staff of SHTM at the cocktail party “A Farewell to Our Millennium”

 
Echoing Professor Tong’s remarks, Professor Kaye Chon, Chair Professor and Director of the SHTM, said, “As a purpose-driven School, we are constantly pushing into new areas. We are confident that the international status of the School as a world-class institution will be further strengthened through the success of Hotel ICON”.

The event also marked the closure of the School’s Millennium Training Restaurant. At the new premises, the SHTM training restaurant will be known as Bistro 1979, reminding students and staff members of the School’s humble beginnings in 1979.
 
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management is one of the world-leading providers of hospitality and tourism education. It is ranked No. 2 in the world among hotel and tourism schools based on research and scholarship, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research in November 2009.
 
With 60 academic staff drawing from 18 countries, the School offers programmes at levels ranging from PhD to Higher Diploma. It was awarded the 2003 International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators Institutional Achievement Award in recognition of its significant contribution to tourism education, and is designated by United Nations World Tourism Organisation as one of its global Education and Training Centres.