ON THE EDGE

Ho Kwon Ping, founder and executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings, on the necessity of staying edgy.

- Joel Chua

THE ROOTS OF Banyan Tree Holdings date back to when a young Ho Kwon Ping and his wife – he a budding journalist, she a graduate student – lived in a fishing village called Banyan Tree Bay in Hong Kong. Idyllic times with “no cars, just bicycles”, which proved to be one of the most formative periods of their lives. To them, Banyan Tree evoked the romance of travel; the discovery of different cultures and the beauty of the natural environment. As a concept, however, it was “never really well written down”, Ho reveals. “We had to find our way and discover what we wanted – and had – to do, which happily coincided with what people were leaning towards.”

And he was right. Today, Banyan Tree is one of the world’s leading independent, multi-branded hospitality groups, with additions like Banyan Tree Escape, Banyan Tree Veya, Dhawa, Garrya and Homm under its fold. Its upward trajectory tells of a certain willingness – resolve, even – to live, as it were, on the edge, not afraid of testing the water and stretching beyond its comfort zone in order to stay relevant.