Where Comfort Meets Elegance
Pan Pacific Hotels Group is a Singapore-headquartered hospitality company and a wholly owned subsidiary of UOL Group Limited, whose vision it is to be a trusted and household name in the industry. Here, Choe Peng Sum, CEO of the business, talks to us about their philosophy and how they continue to push the boundaries across their portfolio.
Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG), is committed to offering sincere hospitality and delivering a service that is thoughtful and dependable, where guests feel genuinely cared for. For PPHG, it is about building trust through authenticity, consistency and meaningful human connection, while allowing each property to reflect its local culture and environment.
When Choe Peng Sum assumed leadership of Pan Pacific Hotels Group in 2019, its portfolio comprised 28 properties. Seven years on, that figure is approaching 50, spanning more than 30 cities across five continents. While such growth might invite a pause for reflection, his focus remains firmly on what lies ahead.
For Choe, expansion has never been the ultimate objective. Instead, the Group’s momentum across its three brands, Pan Pacific, PARKROYAL COLLECTION and PARKROYAL, is anchored in something far less tangible: trust. This is cultivated not through grand gestures, but through a service philosophy defined as sincere hospitality – thoughtful, dependable and inherently human.
Discussing new openings, Choe highlights that Pan Pacific Dalian in China opened late last year and marks PPHG’s seventh hotel in China and its first in the vibrant coastal city of Dalian. Blending contemporary comfort with local cultural influences, it caters to both business and leisure travellers.
“The PARKROYAL Serviced Suites Hanoi in Vietnam also opened last year and this new addition represents the Group’s expanding long-stay portfolio in Southeast Asia,” Choe highlights.
With 126 thoughtfully designed suites overlooking West Lake, the property offers a residential-style living experience, including fully-equipped kitchenettes and lifestyle-oriented amenities such as an indoor pool, fitness facilities and flexible social spaces, addressing the growing demand for extended-stay accommodations.
“These openings illustrate our continued commitment to strategically expand in key markets and segments, strengthen local presence and respond to evolving guest needs with differentiated hospitality offerings,” says Choe.
As for new properties, the company has an upcoming pipeline that includes the openings of Pan Pacific Phnom Penh and PARKROYAL Jakarta this year and Pan Pacific Siam Bangkok, PARKROYAL Siem Reap, PARKROYAL Hanoi and PARKROYAL Serviced Suites Manila Bay next year.
When evaluating potential new sites, they focus on whether a property allows them to create sustainable, long-term value for both owners and guests. This typically begins with the fundamentals, a location with resilient demand, whether driven by business, leisure or a balanced mix of both. Beyond location, they look closely at the potential of the product itself, its ability to be meaningfully differentiated through design, service and the overall guest experience, rather than competing purely on scale or price.
“Ultimately, what attracts us most is the opportunity to deliver an experience that is true to our brands and service cultures, one that reflects our commitment to sincere hospitality and builds trust with guests wherever they stay with us,” Choe comments.
PPHG recognises that a positive guest experience today extends well beyond the physical stay; it begins online and continues long after check-out. This is why they have invested in strengthening every stage of the guest journey and their Pan Pacific DISCOVERY mobile app enables guests to search and book stays, manage rewards and account preferences on the go, offering greater convenience and control.
This is then complemented by their growing e-commerce ecosystem, which includes an online eShop that allows guests to purchase hotel vouchers and curated experiences, extending engagement beyond traditional booking channels. Their broader digital transformation was further reinforced with the launch of Pan Pacific 2.0, a reimagined website designed to be intuitive, responsive and guest-centric. This focus on digital experience has been externally recognised with PPHG being awarded Hotel Website of the Year, Singapore at the TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2024 Asia, reflecting their commitment to delivering clarity, ease and brand consistency in the digital space.
As we move onto the topic of sustainability, Choe emphasises that it is a core priority for the Group and is deeply embedded in how they operate, develop and grow the business across environmental, social and governance dimensions.
In February 2024, PPHG became the first Singapore hotel group to attain Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Multi-Site Certification for all eight of its Singapore properties, a globally recognised benchmark covering environmental, social and cultural and governance criteria.
“Overall, our focus is on making sustainability an ongoing operating standard embedded into decision-making, guest experiences and partnerships, so that responsible hospitality supports long-term business resilience, community impact and environmental stewardship,” says Choe.
With an ethos that is rooted in sincerity and trust, the vision of PPHG is to be a trusted global hospitality company. For them, trust is earned through consistency, responsibility and integrity over time. Taken together, their ethos is about building long-term relationships through sincere hospitality, delivered responsibly and consistently across markets, while respecting local cultural and place.
As he looks to the future, Choe feels that what lies ahead for the company is closely shaped by how both travel and travellers are evolving. As the guest profile continues to become far more diverse, with a growing mix of millennials, Gen Z travellers and digital nomads alongside more traditional segments.
“These travellers are more intentional, they expect experiences that are personalised, purposeful and genuinely enriching, rather than transactional. Value is no longer defined by price alone, but by relevance, authenticity and alignment with brands that reflect their own values, including sustainability and social responsibility,” Choe comments.
He feels this presents a unique opportunity for PPHG as this shift reinforces the importance of building hotels and experiences that are not only commercially sound, but also environmentally and socially conscious.
“Ultimately, even as our portfolio grows, we remain anchored in what guests remember most, which is how they were made to feel. Experiences, technology and design all matter, but sincere hospitality is what builds lasting relationships and trust. That focus continues to guide how we lead the business today and how we shape its future.”
