Opened in 1985, the Dai-Ichi Hotel at Anson Road was a business-class hotel jointly developed by the Hong Leong Group and the Dai-Ichi Hotels chain from Japan. The hotel’s developers ran into problems with the authorities during the construction stage after an earth dumper fell off the eight-storey of the uncompleted building in 1984. Later known as the Harbour View Dai-Ichi Hotel, the 416-room property was acquired by the Republic Hotels & Resorts in 1995 and renamed Copthorne Harbour View Hotel four years later. Following a two-year renovation costing $40 million, the hotel was reopened in 2002 as the first M Hotel under the Millennium & Copthorne (M & C) Hotels chain. The hotel’s image was also revamped to reflect its new status as a modern hotel for discerning business travellers who wanted functional facilities without the frills provided by luxury hotels.
