The Peninsula Hong Kong was built between 1924 and 1927 and officially opened in 1928 on Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, founded by members of the Kadoorie family who envisioned it as "the finest hotel east of Suez." Originally designed to accommodate passengers of the adjacent Kowloon-Canton Railway, it quickly became a favored venue for the elite and royalty — the Duke of Gloucester was the first member of British royalty to stay there, in 1929. The hotel witnessed a pivotal historical moment on December 25, 1941, when the Instrument of Surrender of Hong Kong to Japan was signed there. Today it is the flagship property of The Peninsula Hotels, part of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels group, and underwent a major expansion in 1994 with a modern tower blending classical and contemporary style.