Hospitality's New Frontier

Mr. Allen Law, CEO of Park Hotel Group, reveals how heritage, technology, and a seamless guest experience come into play to transform the Grand Park City Hall into a hotel of the future

- Anton D. Javier

JUNE 2018 was a day to remember, with US President Donald Trump and North Korea s supreme leader Kim Jong Un holding a historic summit that would change the course of the world as we know it. But it was business as usual for Mr. Allen Law, CEO of Park Hotel Group, who, in between shots during our photo shoot, was at the Grand Park City Hall slobby, making sure that furniture was in place, the cabinets behind the lobby bar were working and free from creaks, and catching up with various hotel staff who, perhaps, needed his final say on a multitude of things.

It might be an occupational hazard to squeeze in whatever he could in a five-minute window, but for the 38-year-old, it was all in a day s work. Someone who has dedicated 14 years of his career in hospitality, building the brand from a single hotel in Hong Kong to a 1 6 property success that it is today, ensuring that the smallest matters are attended to is as important as making high-level executive decisions.

CHARTING OUT THE FUTURE

Mr. Law recalls that back in 20 0 4, his father, Mr. Law K ar Po, a successful businessman and chairman of the Park Hotel Group, acquired the Park Hotel Hong Kong in Tsim Sha Tsui and asked him to run it. While exciting, Mr. Law admits that he didnt know much about the hotel industry. The fresh graduate had no choice but to dive right into a six month accelerated program at the hotel, and work two shifts and rotate through various departments to get an understanding of the hotel business. In other words, it was a baptism of fire.

Besides the hands-on crash course in operations, I read extensively about leadership and looked for opportunities to learn from the best in class. Nearly 1 5 years on, I may have learnt the A to Z of the hotel business, but charting out where the future lies remains the key challenge, says Mr. Law.