WHEN Carolyn Choo entered Worldwide Hotels Group (WWHG) in 2002, the family business was under immense financial and legal pressure amid a challenging economic landscape in Singapore.
It was hardly the time to take on new responsibility; but Choo, a second-generation owner, saw no other choice except to view it as a call of duty.
“What gave me the courage was a deep sense of responsibility, not just to preserve the family business, but to also protect the livelihoods of our employees who depended on us,” she recalls.
“I relied on my banking background to secure the necessary funding at the time, but equally important was the determination to prove that we would emerge stronger from the crisis.”
The lessons she drew from that period – resilience, discipline and resourcefulness – continue to define her leadership at WWHG.
Choo clinched the 2025 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award for hospitality services, having built the group into Singapore’s largest home-grown tourist-class hotel operator.
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WWHG’s portfolio spans seven brands: Icon Hotel, Hotel Mi, Hotel Boss, V Hotel, Value Hotel, Venue Hotel and Hotel 81.
The group’s 41 properties in Singapore total more than 8,600 rooms, or over 10 per cent of the country’s total supply.
Beyond Singapore, WWHG operates 11 hotels with some 2,500 rooms in key cities across Australia, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.
Strategic growth and pioneering “lean luxury”
WWHG’s incorporation in 2018 accelerated its transformation by consolidating its brands and bringing multiple benefits.
“This consolidation not only supported our overseas growth through strategic acquisitions throughout Asia-Pacific, but also helped us attract top talent and enhance organisational resilience,” says Choo.
This disciplined framework allowed for bold, calculated moves.
Even the Covid-19 pandemic did not deter the group from opening three new hotels in Singapore: Hotel Mi Rochor, Mercure Icon Singapore City Centre and Novotel Singapore on Kitchener.
These expansions doubled revenue and pushed assets under management to more than US$5 billion.
Choo is quick to point out that moves such as the $525 million acquisition of Novotel Singapore on Kitchener were never about risk for its own sake.
“Our appetite for bold investments is driven by confidence in long-term value,” she says.
“It is about balancing calculated risk with vision, much like when we were the sole bidder for a government land sale site during the global financial crisis.”
This strategic confidence has also fuelled innovation. While WWHG has built its reputation in the value and mid-scale segments, Choo has deliberately pushed into new territory.
“Traveller expectations are evolving,” she notes. “Guests seek value, authenticity and meaningful experiences, not just a room.”
This thinking inspired the group’s pioneering of the “lean luxury” concept with the Mercure Icon Singapore City Centre, a 989-room property that is the world’s largest under the Mercure brand.
The property reflects Choo’s vision of creating experiences that “redefine guest experiences by blending business and leisure with wellness and cultural immersion”.
A purpose beyond profit
For Choo, resilience and ambition are always balanced with a profound sense of responsibility.
“Resilience stems from turning challenges into opportunities, never wasting a good crisis,” she says.
But she adds that true entrepreneurial success is not only about profit.
“Our role goes beyond economic contribution, to (one that helps) build an ecosystem where everyone, especially the underserved, has a fair chance to succeed.”
For the next generation of business builders, Choo has simple advice.
“Always lead with a clear purpose and grow with humility, recognising that progress is a shared journey, built together with our people and our community.”
From her early baptism by fire during the Sars outbreak to steering through Covid-19 and making Singapore’s largest single-asset hotel acquisition, Choo has proven her mettle as a leader with foresight and staying power.
With determined discipline, she has built a hospitality group that reflects both her entrepreneurial resilience and her conviction that meaningful hospitality must serve not just travellers, but the wider community as well.
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