​Before the festive season holidays, the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted an operation codenamed "Solar Flare" against premises suspected of operating unlicensed hotels or guesthouses and licensed club-houses suspected of being in breach of licensing conditions in Yau Tsim Mong District, Wan Chai District and Central and Western District for five consecutive days from December 15 to 19, to ensure the safety of customers as well as the general public.

     A spokesman for the OLA said, "During the operation, the OLA carried out surprise inspections of 48 premises. Six premises were suspected of operating unlicensed hotels or guesthouses, and two licensed club-houses were suspected of breaching certain licensing conditions. The OLA will initiate prosecution on cases with sufficient evidence after completion of the investigation."

     The spokesman stressed, "Operating unlicensed hotels or guesthouses is a criminal offence leading to a criminal record upon conviction. According to the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance, an offender is liable to three years' imprisonment and a maximum fine of $500,000. A fine of $20,000 for each day can also be imposed during which the offence continues. A six-month closure order may also be issued for a hotel/guesthouse involved in a repeated offence. Moreover, according to the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance, an offender who contravenes any condition of a certificate of compliance (e.g. failure to produce a fire certificate on demand and carrying out alteration and addition works without seeking prior approval) is liable to a maximum fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment. A fine of $10,000 for each day can also be imposed during which the offence continues."

     To enhance deterrence against unlicensed hotels and guesthouses, the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance was amended in 2020 to empower the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Authority to apply to the court, upon the second conviction within 16 months of operating an unlicensed hotel or guesthouse or the new strict liability offence in respect of the same premises, to issue a closure order to close the premises for six months. As at December 15, the OLA has applied for four closure orders under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance from the court, of which two closure orders against two premises have been issued by the court.

     Apart from conducting special operations during festive seasons, the OLA is also stepping up efforts to combat unlicensed guesthouses via online platforms. The OLA has strengthened its intelligence collection by forming a dedicated team to browse webpages, mobile applications, social media, discussion forums, etc., to search for information and intelligence on suspected unlicensed guesthouses. The OLA's law enforcement officers will initiate follow-up investigations when information on unlicensed guesthouses advertised via online platforms is found. The OLA also conducts publicity work on major Internet search engines outside Hong Kong to enable tourists to access information provided by the OLA in the course of planning their trips to Hong Kong.

     Tourists and members of the public can make use of the search functions on the OLA's website (www.hadla.gov.hk/) to check whether the hotel or guesthouse concerned is licensed or not. Any suspected unlicensed hotel or guesthouse should be reported to the OLA by the hotline (tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805), or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".

Ends/Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Issued at HKT 15:00

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