Hotelier races to shelter Hong Kong fire victims using Grenfell experience

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A hotelier is drawing on her experience sheltering survivors of London’s Grenfell Tower disaster to spearhead a relief operation at a former Covid-19 isolation centre in Hong Kong as she races to source 700 beds for families displaced by the Wang Fuk Court fire.

Winnie Chiu Wing-kwan, the president and executive director of Dorsett Hospitality International, has taken personal charge of logistics at youth hostel and cultural hub Runway 1331 in Kai Tak, which has opened 500 guest rooms to accommodate up to 2,000 affected residents.

“I worked until 4am for two consecutive days … the most urgent need is to make rooms habitable immediately for those in need, so we need mattresses and bed frames,” Chiu said.

With about 300 rooms already occupied, the operator is seeking 700 ready-made single beds to maximise space, noting that traumatised families are requesting to share rooms for emotional support despite the compact unit sizes.

“Even if the units are small, they want four people in one room because … they just want to be together with each other,” Chiu said.