以前經過中環一座典雅的英式大宅，米白色外牆，通花木門，充滿歐洲色彩，深深被它吸引著。每次都會停下來仔細品味，原來是具有百年歷史的法定古蹟。
梅夫人婦女會（The Helena May Institute）由前香港總督梅含理爵士的夫人成立，於1974年易名為 “The Helena May”，為途經香港或短暫留港的單身職業婦女提供住宿，同時為會員舉辦教育及社交活動。主樓建於1916年，設施包括辦公室、圖書館、閱讀室、餐廳、休息室、課室、舍監宿舍及客房。
日佔期間（1941-45年），建築物為日軍所佔用，1941年改建為日軍宿舍及馬廐，1944年用做香港公共圖書館。1945年日軍投降後，英國皇家空軍在大樓建立總部，翌年撤走。1947年，該會重新對外開放，至今一直用做女子賓館。
梅夫人婦女會主樓屬愛德華古典復興建築風格，並糅合了藝術學院式、巴洛克及風格主義的建築特色。建築物呈凹字形，樓高三層，另設有一層地庫。面向花園道的主立面左右對稱，正中為入口門廊，地下、一樓和二樓均築有開放式長廊。入口門廊上方的弓形圓拱山牆以花形紋飾點綴，山牆由兩條具新古典風格的圓柱支撐着，柱頭上有流蘇裝飾。
梅夫人婦女會主樓外部於1993年列為古蹟。
Blue Room乃會員最愛的交誼室，寬敞優雅，有西式沙發及中式木質家具和青花瓷擺設，中西合壁。
The Blue Room is the favourite social venue for members. It is spacious and elegant, blending Western-style sofas with Chinese-style wooden furniture and blue and white porcelain decorations.
餐室位於寬敞的主樓大廳，散發百年典雅氣息。供應酒店級的國際菜式，選用真材實料及用心製作，價錢相宜。
The dining room is located in the spacious lobby of the main building, exuding a century of elegance. It serves hotel-class international cuisine, made with fresh materials with care, at an affordable price.
單人標準房200呎，共用洗手間每日＄630，每月＄12,690，有女僕換毛巾床單，包早餐。有落地大窗及小露台，開揚及通風凉快。
Single standard room is 200 sq ft with shared bathroom. $630 per day and $12,690 per month. Towels and sheets are changed daily, and breakfast is included. There are floor-to-ceiling windows and a small balcony, open, airy and breezy.
圖書館擁有超過25,000本藏書，歡迎會員隨時借閱，及全港最多英文書的私人圖書館。
The library has over 25,000 English books, the largest collection in a private library in Hong Kong. Available on loan to members at any time.
梅夫人婦女會的主樓建於1916年，有逾百年歷史。
The main building of The Helena May was built in 1916 with over a century of history.
梅夫人婦女會
地址：中環花園道35號
電話：2522 6766
網址：http://helenamay.com/
I used to pass by an elegant English-style mansion in Central and was drawn to its beige-white exterior walls and wooden doors, full of European colours. I would stop each time and savour the details. It turned out to be a Declared Monument with a history of over 100 years.
The Helena May Institute (renamed The Helena May in 1974) was established by Lady May, wife of the then Governor Sir Henry May, to provide accommodation for single working women passing through or staying for a short time in Hong Kong and to organise educational and social activities for its members. The Main Building was built in 1916, when it comprised an office, a library, a reading room, a dining room, a lounge, classrooms, matron’s quarters and bedrooms. The building was used during the Japanese Occupation (1941-1945) to house Japanese troops and to stable horses in 1941 and as the Hong Kong Public Library in 1944. It was taken over by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as their headquarters after the surrender of the Japanese in 1945 and derequisitioned from the RAF in 1946. The Institute reopened to members as a guesthouse for women in 1947, a role it continues to play today.
The building is in the Edwardian Classical Revival style with Beaux Arts, Baroque and Mannerist features. Comprising three storeys and a basement, it is built to a U-shaped plan. The main facade facing Garden Road is symmetrical with a central entrance porch and three tiers of open verandahs on the ground, first and second floors. The segmental arched pediment above the entrance porch is decorated with floral motifs and supported by Neo-classical columns with tasselled capitals.
The exterior of the main building, The Helena May was declared a monument in 1993.
The Helena May
35 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: 2522 6766
Website: http://helenamay.com/
