Pan Pacific Hotels Group : Mr Gwee Lian Kheng receives Hotel Legends Hall of Fame Award at 11th Australian New Zealand Pacific Hotel Industry Conference
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Pan Pacific Hotels Group : Mr Gwee Lian Kheng receives Hotel Legends Hall of Fame Award at 11th Australian New Zealand Pacific Hotel Industry Conference
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Category: Asia Pacific - Australia - Exclusive experiences
- Rewards
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2011-07-18
Mr Gwee Lian Kheng, Group Chief Executive of Singapore-listed UOL Group Limited and Pan Pacific Hotels Group was awarded the Hotel Legends Hall of Fame Award at this year.s 11th Australian New Zealand Pacific Hotel Industry Conference (ANZPHIC).
A veteran hotelier and property developer with nearly 40 years. experience, Mr Gwee is the second person to be inducted into ANZPHIC.s Hotel Legends Hall of Fame after the inaugural award went to Koos Klein last year.
Beginning his career in the hotel and real estate industry in 1973 with UOL, Mr Gwee rose through the ranks to helm the company in 1987. Under his leadership, UOL has become one of the largest publicly-owned hotel and property companies in Singapore with a market capitalisation of nearly S$4 billion and asset base of close to S$8 billion. It is also one of the most profitable property companies listed on the Singapore Exchange, reporting S$746 million for the year ended Dec 31, 2010.
Mr Gwee is credited for growing the hotel portfolio under UOL Group Limited in the 1970s under the then Hotel Plaza Limited (now renamed Pan Pacific Hotels Group) to a global presence of 16 hotels and serviced suites.
Under the Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL brands, Pan Pacific Hotels Group manages a total of 27 hotels with nearly 9,000 rooms in Asia, Australia and North America.
The Group was able to establish its foothold in Australia in the 1990s when Mr Gwee.s foresight and business acumen led it to acquire five hotels in Australia when most investors were averse to the market.
Receiving the award at ANZPHIC 2011 in Sydney today, Mr Gwee said, "It was never our vision to operate like many other hotel chains. I envisaged a branded hotel management company working hand in hand with an asset holding company . leveraging the knowledge and needs from both sides."
In Australia today, the Group owns and operates PARKROYAL Darling Harbour and PARKROYAL Parramatta in Sydney and Pan Pacific Perth. Its latest acquisition was the Hilton Melbourne Airport which was rebranded PARKROYAL Melbourne Airport in April this year.
"Like your theme in this conference, we also intend to .Catch the Next Wave. as well. With Pan Pacific Hotels Group under a new regime with Patrick Imbardelli, the current CEO, we will continue to look for opportunities for asset acquisitions and management contracts in this region."
Pan Pacific Hotels Group is currently aggressively expanding its hotel portfolio in the key markets of Australia, New Zealand, Greater China, Asia and North America. In Oceania, its growth strategy includes extending the Pan Pacific portfolio to hotels and resorts in Melbourne, Gold Coast and Queensland and Auckland in New Zealand and the PARKROYAL portfolio in Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Cairns, Gold Coast and other parts of Queensland.
A Singapore citizen, Mr Gwee graduated with an Accountancy honours degree at the then University of Singapore. He is a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (UK) as well as Institute of Certified Public Accountants (Singapore). He was also a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries.
Mr Gwee was a past Committee Member of the Real Estate Developers. Association of Singapore (REDAS), Joint Working Committee on the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), a Board Member of Singapore Hotels Association, a Council Member of the Singapore Society of Accountants (now known as Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore) as well as Governor of Saint Andrews School Board of Directors. He was conferred the Public Service Medal (PBM) in 1994 and Public Service Star (BBM) in 2002 by the Singapore President for his community service over the last 29 years with the Singapore Children.s Society. He was also presented with the ¡°Asia Pacific Hotelier of 2002.. Award in the 6th Asia Pacific Hotel Investment Conference.
At 70 years of age, Mr Gwee has not lost any of his passion for the hotel and property business. Four decades into the business, he continues to work hard and drive the conglomerate with the same integrity, discipline and entrepreneurial flair.
About ANZPHIC and the Hotel Legends Hall of Fame Award
For 11 years, ANZPHIC has been Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific’s leading hotel industry conference, attracting CEOs and other senior executives from a diverse range of industry stakeholders including hotel and serviced apartment operators, owners, investors, lenders, developers and advisers, interested in networking in the industry and gaining up to the minute insight on market opportunities and industry trends. The event annually attracts 350 to 400 delegates from within and beyond the region. The ANZPHIC Hotel Legends Hall of Fame Award is given to a hotel leader who has worked tirelessly, creatively and with distinction in the management, operation or ownership of guest accommodation in the region and in doing so has brought about an exceptional level of achievement for not only to his or her organisation, but also for the interests of the industry in the region.
About Pan Pacific Hotels Group
Pan Pacific Hotels Group is a listed hotel subsidiary of Singapore-listed UOL Group Limited, one of Asia’s most established hotel and property companies with an outstanding portfolio of investment and development properties. Based in Singapore, Pan Pacific Hotels Group manages a portfolio of 27 hotels with nearly 9,000 rooms in Asia, Australia and North America under two acclaimed brands: Pan Pacific® and PARKROYAL®.
Pan Pacific ® is a leading brand in Asia and the Pacific Rim situated in key cities of distinguished destinations offering premium accommodation and services. PARKROYAL® is a collection of comfortable leisure and business hotels and resorts located in the heart of cities and interesting locales across Asia Pacific.
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