The Peninsula Hong Kong pays tribute to James Bond with Terry O'Neill exhibition and special hotel package

The Peninsula Hong Kong hotel, featured in the movie The Man With The Golden Gun, pays tribute to James Bond with a unique photographic exhibition by iconic British photographer Terry O'Neill.

The Peninsula Hong Kong with its fleet of green Rolls-Royces

"All About Bond at The Peninsula" exhibition
With their twin histories of glamour, refinement and timeless style, James Bond and The Peninsula Hong Kong have long been kindred spirits. It is fitting then that Asia’s Grande Dame is celebrating SPECTRE, the latest cinematic outing for the world’s most famous secret agent with a programme of special themed events, kicking off with a unique photographic exhibition by iconic British photographer Terry O'Neill, entitled "All About Bond at The Peninsula" ahead of the Hong Kong premiere of SPECTRE in November.

British actor Roger Moore poses with a gun as James Bond.
Photo by Terry O'Neill

Guests will have the chance to trace the cinematic history of the dapper secret agent by visiting the curated exhibition of Terry O’Neill’s Bond photographs, which features unique images of Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig in the role, as well as a selection of the films’ most famous Bond Girls.

Irish actor Pierce Brosnan appearing as British secret service agent James Bond.
Photo by Terry O'Neill

A must-see for fans of 007, the exhibition will be on display at Gaddi’s Restaurant and the hotel’s first-floor corridor exhibition space from 4 November to 10 December 2015, in tandem with a pop-up exhibition from 2 to 8 November 2015 at leading Hong Kong contemporary art gallery, The Cat Street Gallery, featuring signed editions of O'Neill's iconic photographs. Jetting in to host a VIP “In Conversation with the Artist” talk in Felix on 4 November, O'Neill will offer insights into his impressive body of work and reveal the stories behind these arresting images.

Scottish actor Sean Connvery as James Bond in 'Diamonds Are Forever', Las Vegas, 1971.
Photo by Terry O'Neil

Renowned British photographer Terry O’Neill has the distinction of having shot five Bonds, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, more than 20 iconic Bond Girls, as well as Frank Sinatra, Elton John, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Audrey Hepburn and Faye Dunaway. His association with James Bond films began in 1964, when he photographed on the set of Goldfinger, starting a relationship with the franchise that has endured for more than 50 years.

“Licence to Thrill”, an exclusive VIP dinner
On 4 November 2015 The Peninsula is hosting a spectacular VIP dinner at Gaddi’s Restaurant in partnership with Bond’s favourite bubbly, Bollinger Champagne, to launch the exhibiton.

O'Neill will be guest of honour at the VIP dinner, in addition to hosting an artist talk that day, charting his career as one of the leading celebrity photographers of the 20th century.

Gaddi’s, Hong Kong’s original French fine dining restaurant, pays homage to Bond with “Licence to Thrill”, an exclusive VIP dinner on 4 November 2015. Held in conjunction with Champagne Bollinger, the six-course dinner will showcase delectable dishes inspired by past Bond movies. The sumptuous menu will be paired with five types of Champagne from Bollinger and Jebsen Fine Wines, including the Bollinger SPECTRE limited edition, which has been created to celebrate the release of SPECTRE. The dinner is priced at HK$ 3,288 (approx. $425 or £275) + 10% per person, and reservations can be made by e-mailing gaddis@peninsula.com or by calling +852 2696 6763

“A Bond-worthy Stay” accommodation package
For the ultimate 007 experience, The Peninsula is offering an indulgent accommodation package through “A Bond-worthy Stay” promotion, which includes a stay in a suite, “Licence to Thrill” dinner at Gaddi’s for two, a pair of James Bond-themed “Shaken Not Stirred” cocktails, and round-trip luxurious Rolls-Royce transfers, as well as the Bollinger SPECTRE limited edition. And exclusive for those who book the night of 4 November, access to the VIP artist talk with Terry O’Neill. Guests can also make their stay even more indulgent with a 15-minute helicopter tour* of Hong Kong at an additional cost of HK$ 9,995 (approx. US$1,290 or £830).

Priced from HK$ 8,740 (approx. $1130 or £730) + 10%* per room per night, “A Bond-worthy Stay” is available from 1 to 30 November 2015 can be booked by e-mailing reservationphk@peninsula.com or by calling +852 2926 2888.

*Subject to availability. Minimum stay of two consecutive nights required. The helicopter experience is subject to weather conditions. Terms and Conditions apply.

The Man With The Golden Gun
As well as a shared appreciation for the high life, James Bond’s connection to The Peninsula Hong Kong stretches back to 1974, when the hotel served as a home from home for the cast and crew of The Man with the Golden Gun. Director Guy Hamilton was effusive in his praise at the time, stating that, “The Peninsula hotel is the hotel in Hong Kong,” and commending The Peninsula for allowing the filmmakers to make use of the hotel’s exterior and suites during the shoot.

Other cast members also praised the hotel, including two-time Bond Girl Maud Adams, who called The Peninsula “The best hotel in Hong Kong” and later recalled that: “Hong Kong was a great place. I’d always wanted to go there and it was a fantastic place to be… We stayed at The Peninsula hotel, which is of course world famous… We were met by Rolls-Royces, which they’re famous for. Each of our suites had its own private valet… We were really treated royally.”

Swedish actress Britt Ekland in a yellow dress and matching tights, circa 1964.
Photo by Terry O'Neill

The Peninsula, and its world-famous fleet of signature green Rolls-Royces, also features in a memorable scene from the film in which Bond (Roger Moore) and Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland) tail Adams’ character, Andrea Anders, to the hotel. “All the green Rolls-Royces belong to The Peninsula hotel,” says Goodnight. “You see what a two-year posting to staff intelligence does for a girl?”

Read more about the Peninsula Hong Kong

Thanks to Frank Anderson for the alert