Page 20 - Sphere No.14 (Jul 2005)

gy for a newcomer but HWL had a proven track
record of successfully building new businesses in
difficult markets. The company immediately set
about recruiting talent to operate the new hotel.
As the HWL-owned Hong Kong Hilton Hotel in
Central had just closed in May 1995, to be rebuilt
as the Cheung Kong Center, the Harbour Plaza
was able to tap a rich vein of experienced staff to
join the new team.
All eyes were on the Harbour Plaza Hong Kong
when it opened.
“In those days, if a hotel was not in Tsim Sha
Tsui, Causeway Bay or Central, no-one went
there,” recalls Ms P C Koh, finance director of
Harbour Plaza Hotel Management Ltd. “But the
response to the new hotel was better than expect-
ed and by the end of the first year of operation, it
had achieved an impressive portfolio of corporate
customers.”
With its flagship providing a distinctive blend
of comfort, elegance and understated luxury, it
was apparent that the group had what it takes to
succeed in the international hospitality arena.
There were several opportunities for expansion as
the group was developing new properties in Hong
Kong and Mainland China.
In 1998 the 390-room Harbour Plaza
Chongqing opened, marking the group’s first
new hotel construction in the Mainland.
The following year, the 1,102-room
Harbour Plaza Resort City began
operations in Tin Shui Wai, making
it the largest hotel operating in Hong
Kong at that time. More recently, the
group purchased The Kowloon
Hotel from the Peninsula Group in
2004 and HPHR took over manage-
ment in February this year.
The group has also developed two hotels
in Tsing Yi, the Mexan Harbour Hotel and
Rambler Garden Hotel, which opened under
HPHR management in December 2004 and
February 2005 respectively.
Today, HWL has interests in 15 hotel properties
in Hong Kong, Mainland China and The Bahamas.
HPHR is active in the development and owner-
ship of hotel properties as well as hotel manage-
ment. Although the group has succeeded in
establishing a highly respected brand with
Harbour Plaza, its approach to building its hotel
portfolio is very flexible. More than half of the
hotels in which it has an interest do not carry the
Harbour Plaza brand name.
“On the one hand, we are an investor
and we don’t necessarily put the hotel
under the Harbour Plaza management
company,” Mr Chow explains. “We find
whatever is the most appropriate management
company to benefit the hotel property. On the
other hand, we are trying to expand the Harbour
Plaza fleet and grow our brand name. The parent
property division can, meanwhile, advise on
rentals and areas like project costing, so we don’t
need separate administrative teams.”
“HPHR is a hotel operator group like Hyatt or
Sheraton,” Ms Koh adds. “ It was formed primarily
to manage hotel properties owned by Hutchison
or Cheung Kong. Third-party management came
about through circumstance. For example, when
we sold the Harbour Plaza Kunming the new
owner wanted us to continue management.”
S PHERE 18
a distinctive
blend of comfort ,
elegance and
understated
luxury