Former Tailai Hotel

Former Tailai Hotel

The Former Tailai Hotel is a cultural relic protection unit of Tianjin.

Former Tailai Hotel

Era: 1928

Address: No. 158 Jiefang North Road, Heping District, Tianjin

Category: Important Modern Historical Site and Representative Building

The hotel was first constructed in 1928. It was jointly invested in by S.B. Talati, an Indian Briton, and British businessman Laideaw, and named after the main investor. The original ground floor and three floors below were used for restaurants and the lodging section, while the floors above the fourth were designed as apartment-style guest rooms, making it one of the high-end international hotels in Tianjin at that time.

The building faces Jiefang North Road to the east, Zhangde Road to the south, Daguh Road to the west, and Taian Road to the north. It covers a land area of 1,801 square meters and has a construction area of 7,002 square meters. Designed by the Belgian firm Eiffel Company, it features a steel-concrete structure with partial six floors. Its layout is roughly rectangular, with the first-floor façade featuring a covered corridor-style canopy; the second to fourth floors decorated with alternating large areas of yellow-brown textured bricks and water-washed stone square pilasters; the fifth floor equipped with continuous cantilevered balconies topped with openwork parapets. Some exterior details incorporate simplified European classical ornamentation. Except for the first floor, the interior is all hallway-style, with a central atrium to enhance lighting. The internal facilities are comprehensive, and the lodging functions are fully equipped. The entire building reflects a modern architectural style infused with Western European classical architectural concepts. The current condition of the building is good.