Meet Ho Renyung & Carolyn Choo, the 2nd Gen hoteliers who are expanding their business empires

Singapore’s hospitality industry is expanding rapidly, led by second-generation female hoteliers driving growth and innovation.

From sustainable luxury resorts to mid-tier hotels redefining affordability, these leaders are transforming the industry at home and abroad. Here’s a look at their latest developments and impact.

Banyan Group: Integrating growth with environmental stewardship

To say that Singapore hospitality conglomerate Banyan Group had a watershed year in 2024 would be an understatement.

Last year, the company launched a total of 18 properties, including Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto in Japan, Angsana Tengchong in China, as well as nine Banyan Tree branded townhomes located next to the Bang Tao Beach in Phuket.

Most recently, Banyan Group launched its 100th resort in Singapore, namely, the highly anticipated Mandai Rainforest Resort within Mandai Wildlife Reserve. The 126-hectare property offers 314 hotel rooms, and 24 treehouses shaped like seed pods.

In the pipeline later this year are expansions in Tanzania and the Dominican Republic. One noteworthy launch is Ubuyu, Banyan Group’s first safari resort in the vast wilderness of Ruaha National Park in Tanzania.

Leading these developments is Ho Renyung, deputy chief executive and senior vice-president of Brand HQ at Banyan Group (main photo, left). As a second-generation scion, she continues the legacy of the organisation founded by hotelier Ho Kwon Ping and his wife Claire Chiang in 1994.

While growth has undoubtedly been the key focus of the company, environmental stewardship is an ethos that Banyan aims to drive with initiatives such as the Rewilding Banyan Fund, which was announced by Renyung last November.

For every direct booking made through Banyan Group’s website, US$1 ($1.33) will be pledged to support long-term rewilding initiatives aimed at restoring natural habitats in the company’s operating destinations, such as an upcoming beefriendly forest on Bintan island.

Other initiatives include the expansion of Our Marine Lab at Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, which focuses on marine conservation, and the Greater Good Grants programme, which supports local communities and environments.

Worldwide Hotels: Transforming no-frills hospitality into “lean luxury”

Five-star luxury may be top of mind for most established brands in the hospitality industry, but quietly dominating an overlooked sector is Worldwide Hotels Group (WWHG), which owns seven mid-tier and budget hotel brands, including Hotel Mi, Mercure Icon Singapore City Centre, and Hotel 81.

The woman behind its rapid expansion is CEO Carolyn Choo (main photo, right), who has led the company since 2017, consolidating its six brands into a single group. Established by textile merchant turned hotelier Choo Chong Ngen in 1993, WWHG has come a long way as a brand associated with budget hotel chain Hotel 81.

Today, thanks to various acquisitions and projects led by Carolyn, Worldwide Hotels Group has expanded its presence to Australia, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and Thailand, along with 41 properties across Singapore. In 2023, Worldwide Hotels Group acquired the former Parkroyal on Kitchener Road for $525 million, reportedly the largest single-asset hotel deal in Singapore.

The hotel was rebranded in November 2023 as Novotel Singapore on Kitchener, operating under a franchise partnership with Accor, one of the world’s leading hospitality groups. That same year, the group grew its Asia Pacific presence by acquiring Novotel Melbourne Central and Ibis Melbourne Central for over $151 million.

The purchase of Oakwood Studios Sukhumvit Bangkok in December 2022 for more than $36 million expanded the Group’s overseas assets to 11, This, along with the launch of Hotel Mi Rochor – a 530-room property designed for Gen Z and millennial travellers – establishes WWHG as a brand that caters to a wide audience.

The latest addition to the group is the 989-room Mercure Icon on 8 Club Street, situated between Chinatown and the Central Business District. Room prices for this midscale, boutique-style hotel start from around $210 per night. Carolyn describes Mercure Icon as embodying the group’s “Lean Luxe” philosophy.

“As the new landmark hotel of the Worldwide Hotels group, Mercure Icon offers ‘Lean Luxe’ — the luxe you value in a vibrant destination in the heart of the city – with a touch of sophistication and cultural immersion, allowing travellers to explore Singapore’s pulse right at their doorstep,” she explains.

This month, Carolyn and her team will launch Icon Link@ClubStreet, a subterranean hub in the basement of Mercure Icon. Designed for hotel guests as well as those working and living in Chinatown and the CBD, it will feature nearly 40 dining and retail outlets with direct access to Telok Ayer MRT Station.

To learn more about the 60 women who have shaped Singapore as we know it today, click here.