The Hong Kong government, with bitter experience of the deadly SARS virus in 2003, had sealed them inside their hotel last Friday after it emerged that a Mexican who tested positive for the A(H1N1) virus had stayed there.

Guests rushed into the street as the hotel's doors were opened at 8:30pm (1230 GMT) to be faced with a wall of hundreds of reporters and photographers who had jostled for position, many having arrived hours earlier.

"It's fantastic to have fresh air," said a Portuguese man, who did not want to be named, as he left the Metropark, in the Chinese city's bustling Wanchai nightlife district.

Most of the guests were whisked quickly away to buses to take them to the airport or to other nearby hotels.

A woman who emerged from the hotel with a group brandishing Canadian flags said she was going to celebrate "with a macchiato from Starbucks".

Those stuck inside the hotel had earlier told AFP they were itching to see the outside world again and put their ordeal behind them.

"Looking forward to getting out of this ridiculous situation!" said Kevin Ireland, an Indian buying agent, before the doors were opened. "As soon as I check out, I am going to check into a suite at a premium hotel and get completely wasted."

Shi Wenjing, a 26-year-old translator, said she could not wait to get back to Shanghai and see her husband and three-year-old son.

"I will leave for home as early as possible on Saturday -- my family is worried about me," said Shi, who was working in Hong Kong for a French trade company.

"I have been away from my son for 10 days. We have a webcam chat every day and he would always ask why his mother has still not come back."

Tough restrictions inside the hotel eased as the week went on, with guests able to congregate in the lobby, enjoy some of the extra food sent in by families and consulates and even organise a pub quiz.

A report in the South China Morning Post said two couples had formed during the detention.

Technology has provided some comfort to those trapped inside.

Leslie Carr, a British businessman, blogged about his experience and even posted videos online about the daily boredom and meetings with health officials.

The Mexican swine flu patient was released from hospital Friday evening after a "thorough clinical assessment", a Hong Kong health official said.

Other patients admitted to hospital because they had had contact with the man have all been discharged, the official said, without providing further details.

The Mexican and three of his travelling companions had been in a stable condition all week but it had not been clear when they would be released.

The first tranche of around 30 quarantined people held in a holiday camp in the city was released Thursday. Most were passengers who sat close to the man on his flight from Shanghai last week.

Two taxi drivers who drove the Mexican and some of his friends were also allowed to leave quarantine Thursday.

Meanwhile two guests who registered at the Metropark but have still not returned could face arrest at the border if they try to leave Hong Kong, health officials said.

Hong Kong's government has apologised repeatedly to guests for the ordeal, which has been criticised by some as an over-reaction, and has insisted it was necessary to prevent the spread of the virus.

Mr Ireland told AFP after his release: "I think most people felt that it was too much but the government must do what the government must do."

"We all understand the boredom and frustration they (the guests) have experienced during a quarantine period," Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang told reporters outside the hotel.

"You might think the threat of human swine flu to Hong Kong has gone -- it has not," he said.

The 2003 SARS epidemic killed 300 people in Hong Kong and 800 worldwide after one carrier spread the disease in a city hotel.

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