2 Americans found dead at 5-star Hong Kong hotel

Authorities are investigating the deaths of two Americans whose bodies were found at one of Hong Kong's most luxurious hotels, police and reports said Saturday.

Cleaning staff found the two men's bodies in a room at the Grand Hyatt hotel on Friday afternoon, a police spokeswoman said, requesting her name not be used due to policy.

A doctor confirmed the deaths at the hotel, she said.

The cause of the deaths was not yet known and an autopsy was expected to be carried out later Saturday, the spokeswoman said. Police were not yet treating the deaths as suspicious, she said.

The spokeswoman confirmed both men were U.S. citizens, but said she did not know where they were from.

Dale Kreschler, press officer for the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong, said he could not release any details due to privacy concerns.

However, the South China Morning Post newspaper identified the two men as Cherry Paul, 45, and Victor Richard, 52, and said they had arrived in the territory on a business trip on Oct. 10.

The five-star waterfront Grand Hyatt is a favorite among Chinese and other state leaders when visiting the booming financial center of Hong Kong.

The Post said the two men were found dead on the 24th floor of the hotel, where a standard harbor view room costs about 4,300 Hong Kong dollars (US$551; euro383) a night.

The hotel appeared to be operating normally Saturday morning. A cleaner on the 24th floor said she had not heard about the deaths as she did not work on Fridays. She declined to give her name.

Grand Hyatt spokeswoman Karen Cheung said it was business as usual at the hotel, but that she could not reveal any information about the deaths because the investigation was still under way.

The hotel is also near the Convention and Exhibition Center where several trade fairs are taking place.

(pvs-cas)