52 | FORBES ASIA APRIL 2018
and Melaka, which are scheduled to open by the end of next
year.
Meanwhile, Allen is hunting for more acquisitions, par-
ticularly in and around Singapore, which is already home to
roughly half the group’s annual revenue. “he next three years
look extremely positive,” he says, sipping a midmorning cofee
in a quiet corner of the luxury Grand Park Orchard, the group’s
crown jewel in the city.
Looking back, Allen sees his life as divided among his three
favorite places: Hong Kong, Singapore and the U.K., where he
moved for boarding school and now spends part of every sum-
mer. he split seems to feature in his thinking about where to
focus Park Hotel’s expansion. While Singapore and Hong Kong
are prime targets for growth, Law’s aspirations are wider. He’s
looking to manage and buy more hotels throughout the region,
including gateway cities in Japan and Australia. But also on
his radar: a hotel acquisition in London that could launch an
eventual European operation.
“I dare to dream big,” says Allen, his boyish face cracking
a smile. He credits his grandfather Law Ting-pong, the clan’s
founding tycoon, with that two-word mandate just before
his death in 1996 at age 84 (see box, above). “He told me, ‘Do
whatever your heart wants, but whatever you do, dream big.’ ”
In times of challenge, says Allen, he falls back on those words.
Expanding in Asia would take advantage of the rising hotel
revenue in the region that’s forecast for the next ten years as
more Asians join the middle class, boosting tourism and the
demand for rooms. hat includes midscale accommodations, apart of the market growing much faster than upscale segments.
To catch this wave of new travelers, particularly Millennials,
Park Hotel plans to roll out its midscale Destination brand in
major cities.
While Allen has a largely free hand in managing the busi-
ness, hotel acquisitions are a family afair. “My father gets
involved only with major investments and divestments,” he
says, noting that his father, who serves as chairman, has never
vetoed a hotel purchase Allen wanted to make. Law Po, 69,
declined to be interviewed.
Allen recalls the early days in 2005 when the pair far outbid
local competitors to buy an old four-star hotel that became the
Grand Park Orchard. “We didn’t know anything about Singa-
pore,” he says, thinking back to his arrival from Hong Kong
with just one suitcase. “he silver lining: We could look at the
property with fresh eyes and no baggage.”
What did the pair see? “A fantastic freehold property smack
in downtown,” he answers, adding that straightaway they could
see a clear upside. he retail space, which included a karaoke
bar and a Singtel shop, could be upgraded to generate enough
of a return alone to recoup their initial investment of $185
million. As for the rather tired hotel, when upgraded it would
be a draw for travelers aiming to stay in the heart of Singapore’s
shopping district, not far from the Central Business District
and a stone’s throw from the private Mount Elizabeth Hospital
& Medical Center.
Allen moved Park Hotel’s headquarters to Singapore in
2005, believing that it held more potential for expansionFORBES ASIA
ALLEN LAW
RULE OF LAW
Filial commitments run deep for Allen Law, and he says he visits Hong Kong frequently
to spend time with his parents and many other relatives. A member of the family’s third
generation, Allen has two sisters and some 20 cousins. During his childhood, he recalls,
there were big family gatherings on Sundays where everyone spoke Cantonese. He said
the patriarch, Law Ting-pong, endowed his six children and their ofspring with the family’s
core value: “Do good business and then individually do good to society.”
Ting-pong was Allen’s first employer. As a teenager he spent summers working in the
family’s garment factory in New Kowloon and learning the business—from making yarn
to sewing clothes for top brands in the U.S. and Europe. He’s quick to point out that his
grandfather was a self-made tycoon. Ting-pong had come from China in his early 30s with
nothing and began as a gardener. He didn’t achieve material success until after decades of
hard work and some luck, eventually opening the factory and then starting Bossini Interna-
tional, a listed clothing-store chain.
Apart from chairing Park Hotel Group, Allen’s father, Law Kar Po, invests in non-hotel
properties and other assets as managing director of Lobo Investment. Allen’s older sister,
Wendy Law, a lawyer, is active in the family business, overseeing the clan’s real estate
investments.
Kar Po’s brothers carry on the family’s garment heritage. Elder brother Kenneth Lo runs apparel manufacturer Crystal Interna-
tional, which went public in November and supplies retailers such as Uniqlo and H&M. A younger brother, Ka Sing, and his wife own
67% of Bossini, and his wife is chairman.
Allen calls himself a “freethinker,” rather disconnected from organized religion but loyal to his family’s values and financial legacy.
“From day one I told myself, ‘I am the third generation, I won’t let the business fail,’ ” he says. “I need to protect and preserve wealth—
that’s always in the back of my mind.” —J.P.
Patriarch Law Ting-pong’s advice to his
grandson: “Whatever you do, dream big.”CHU MING-HOI/SCMP