Evan Kwee: Growing the global footprint of Pontiac Land’s Capella, one luxury hotel at a time
The third-generation scion of Pontiac Land’s Kwee family is leading its hospitality business in a new direction
A STYLIST IS TRYING TO persuade Evan Kwee to wear a jacket that’s not really to his taste. But clearly not wanting to cause any offence, he tries to explain his objections ever so politely, putting the “blame” on his own sartorial inclinations.
Kwee’s tactfulness is a trait that’s certainly useful in the world of hospitality that he occupies, where service and experience are the intangibles that matter.
But after over two decades in the business, he will also tell you that the industry is changing. Which is why he has not only crafted a new-concept hospitality brand, but also built its first outpost literally from scratch – by constructing islands in the middle of a shallow lagoon in the Indian Ocean.
That, and more, the vice-chairman of Capella Hotel Group and head of hospitality and design for parent company, Pontiac Land, has done and done very successfully. Just two months ago, Capella Hotels and Resorts – which currently has just eight operating properties – was recognised by Travel + Leisure magazine as the world’s best hotel brand, its second win in two consecutive years.
Kwee is chuffed.
And he has only just begun.
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Destiny written in the stars
The 47-year-old was born into the billionaire Kwee family that owns the privately held Pontiac Land Group, founded in 1961 by his late grandfather, Indonesian textile merchant Henry Kwee. Today, the luxury real estate group has commercial, hotel, residential and retail assets such as Millenia Singapore, which includes the glitzy Ritz-Carlton and Conrad Centennial hotels.
Last week, Forbes listed Kwee’s father, Kwee Liong Tek, along with the senior Kwee’s three brothers, as the eighth richest in Singapore, with a combined fortune of US$6.8 billion.
The reins, however, are being handed to the third generation. In May, Kwee’s father relinquished his role as chairman of the group to retired civil servant Peter Ong, former chairman of Enterprise Singapore. Kwee’s uncles also stepped down from the company’s board.
“A lot has changed since my cousins and I joined the company,” says Kwee. Ten years ago, almost all of Pontiac Land’s assets were in Singapore. Now, they are spread across the globe.
Yet, despite being the eldest grandson, Kwee does not remember having any major expectations placed upon him. “I just knew that one day I would work for the family.”
That day came soon after he graduated from Babson College in the US with a double major in economics and entrepreneurship in 2002. His father gave him his first big task – to develop Capella Singapore. “I have no formal design or technical training,” says Kwee. “I was told to ‘just get my feet wet’ and undertake the project from start to finish.”
And it was through this project – now occupying a special place in his heart – that he encountered the sensitive approach towards heritage buildings adopted by its designer, British architect Norman Foster. Kwee later applied the same type of care to Capella Sydney, which is housed in a sandstone conservation building that took seven years to restore and renovate.
Making islands where there were none
Pontiac Land’s most ambitious project in terms of land size, however, is the 88-hectare Fari Islands in the Maldives’ North Male Atoll. Occupying the largest of its four man-made islands is Patina Maldives, the debut resort of Patina Hotels & Resorts, a new lifestyle hospitality brand under the Capella Hotel Group. Opened in 2021, it represents Kwee’s vision of what the future of luxury hospitality looks like.
The industry, he says, is at “a fascinating crossroads”, with travel increasingly a part of people’s lives and how they view the world. Instead of just beautiful villas or great service, travellers are looking to connect with the destinations they visit, where luxury does not merely equate to opulence or exclusivity.
“I see travellers seeking out places that connect them with like-minded individuals,” he says, adding that hotels will need to cultivate strong communities for guests to return repeatedly.
Hence, he created Patina Maldives to introduce a fresh perspective to luxury that emphasises sustainability, curiosity, personalised wellness and immersive experiences that can be transformative. Besides its many green credentials, the resort offers site-specific art installations, as well as programming that is a core part of guest experiences, featuring visiting DJs, artists and musicians.
Pontiac Land also runs the more “traditional luxury” Ritz-Carlton on a second Fari island. The third is an island entirely dedicated to its employees – a first in the island archipelago – complete with a full-sized soccer pitch.
Without divulging numbers, Kwee says the cost of creating the Fari Islands is “about double” that of Capella Singapore. It has been previously reported that the estimated total development cost for Capella Singapore was around US$250 million.
Multi-generational luxury travel
Were there doubts, given that so much money was being poured into the ocean? Kwee says the biggest gamble really, was in doing something different – a multi-island concept – and targeting families in a luxury destination traditionally favoured by couples.
“You’ve got to go with your gut sometimes, right? Doing something completely new and different from the norm is always scary, but once you’ve done all you can to mitigate your risks, you have to persevere until you succeed.”
And he has been proven right. Operators are now building larger format villas for multi-generation families travelling together. This is also why the fourth Fari island, which was supposed to have opened late last year as a 56-villa Capella, has had its master plan completely reworked. It will now open in three years’ time and accommodate just 31 villas, made up mostly of two- to five-bedroom units, with home comforts such as private chefs available.
Where the next hotels land
A key requirement when choosing his hotel projects is the ability to create spaces which authentically connect with guests, says Kwee. Mainly, Capella crafts experiences that are “the hallmark of its brands” by honouring the history, nature, community and destinations its hotels are in. This means no Capella or Patina is identical, whether in their interiors or experiences.
Ultimately, the goal is to fulfil unmet needs with concepts in special locations that are hard for others to replicate. Hence, Kwee is excited about his upcoming new hotel openings, which are putting him on the road “almost every 10 days”.
In April next year, Patina Osaka, the second hotel under the Patina brand, will be unveiled, offering “endless close-up views” of the historical Osaka Castle. A few months after that, he will open Capella Kyoto, a “beautiful, luminous hotel” which he promises will be special, given its location in the Miyagawa-cho district – an important geiko and maiko neighbourhood.
In 2026, Capella Diriyah will become the group’s first property in Saudi Arabia. Situated in the Northern Cultural District, it overlooks Wadi Hanifah – a key site for preservation and restoration. “We made sure the design truly reflects the historic Najdi heritage and blends effortlessly into its surroundings. The rooftop pool is a vantage point to the At-Turaif Unesco World Heritage Site, offering priceless views.”
The group is also in the final stages of designing an exclusive, ultra-low density wellness retreat, Capella at Elanan, which is set against the stunning desert mountains of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf of Aqaba coastline.
Then in 2027, he will launch Capella in Florence, Italy – the brand’s first in Europe.
These are on top of Capellas in Taipei (2025) and Galaxy Macau (2025); Patina Tianjin (2026) as well as Capellas in Nanjing (2027) and Shenzhen (2028) and Yangyang in South Korea (2028).
He’s also planning a Patina in Bangkok, where the hotel will tie up with a local medical group to create a wellness and preventive healthcare concept.
Family values
Kwee is married to Claudia Sondakh, daughter of Indonesian billionaire businessman, Peter Sondakh. They have two children – seven-year-old Lucas and four-year-old Naomi – whom he describes as “my everything”. The cycling enthusiast and art- and nature-lover feels most relaxed and carefree when he’s with his family out in the ocean.
Himself raised in an open, “slightly more liberal” household, stewardship and multiplying blessings are values important to Kwee, who acknowledges that his family has been “incredibly fortunate”. He wants to give back, drawing inspiration from his Japanese-American maternal grandfather – the late George Aratani, founder of Kenwood Electronics and Mikasa chinaware.
“He believed strongly in contributing to the communities that enabled his business to thrive, investing and celebrating their cultures,” he says. “We’re merely custodians and our role is to care for the locales, the people and our surroundings.”
This means finding out what’s important to other people, listening more, creating jobs and serving the needs of the community for long-term and mutually beneficial outcomes wherever the group operates. “We are so far from perfect, but this is our commitment.”
His mother, Donna, has taught her four children – Kwee being her only son – to be humble. “She used to say, ‘Remember, you are no better and no worse than anyone else’. It was to remind us never to think too highly of ourselves and become proud, but also never to neglect to use our gifts and do what we can.”
The photoshoot over, Kwee, despite a dodgy knee that recently underwent surgery, goes round the room to thank everyone involved. And then he is gone, presumably to see how he can make a difference to the next luxury traveller, while making another kind of difference of his own.
Photography: Darren Gabriel Leow Styling & art direction: CK Grooming: Zoel Tee & Alison Tay, using Shiseido Location: Louis Vuitton Apartment, Ngee Ann City
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