Selling the S'pore brand

Among his many achievements, property magnate Kwek Leng Beng counts putting Singapore on the hospitality map and spotting the growth potential of CDL, then a small loss-making company, among the most satisfying.

Published Sun, Feb 8, 2015 · 09:50 PM

    PROPERTY tycoon Kwek Leng Beng has no qualms about going down-market. The billionaire once said he would like to build a two-star hotel one day, but he made clear that it must have "a strong talking point".

    While some might say the talking point would be that he actually built a two-star establishment, the executive chairman of Hong Leong Group is nonchalant about labels.

    In an interview last year, he shared: "I once asked my late father, 'Why don't we position ourselves as a deluxe developer?' He said, 'Why be so silly? You should do whatever that can make money - deluxe, middle, lower end - cast your net wider.