A man who was kicked out of one of Macau’s most prestigious hotels as a child is now the owner of that establishment. As a young boy, Simon Sio suffered the humiliation of being asked to leave the Hotel Central in Macau. At the time, he “swore I would buy it someday,” he told CNN. Fast forward to 2024, the childhood promise has been fulfilled. Mr. Seo, now 65, founded his own real estate development company, Lake Hang Group, in 1991, and now owns the land he once shunned.
His motivation to acquire the hotel – which opened its doors in 1928 – was not born out of malice, but from a desire to restore an important part of Macau’s history. The Hotel Central, originally named the President Hotel, was a landmark that had vanished by the 1960s.
“The demon watched me grow into an old man. That’s why I had a deep emotional attachment to it. At its peak, this was my ideal. As I grew older, its decay made my heart uneasy,” he told CNN.
After the seven-year acquisition process ended in 2016, Mr. Seo faced the difficult challenge of renovating the nearly century-old building, especially because it is a protected cultural heritage site.
His team developed innovative solutions, including a new piling method to strengthen the structure without altering its historical essence. Despite facing obstacles, including delays from the COVID-19 pandemic, the renovation was completed, with a total investment of approximately 2.2 billion Macanese Pataca (approximately Rs 2,310 crore). The hotel now plans to have 114 retro-style rooms, a “Historical Cultural Corridor” exhibit, and a shopping mall and rooftop bar, among other amenities.
Mr. Seo justifies every penny he spends and emphasizes the importance of historical preservation in tourism. “Looking back, projects like Hotel Central are relatively few and far between in the market, especially projects with such an extensive history,” he told CNN. There’s a saying I tell everyone around me: ‘Money can create volume, but money can’t recreate history.’
He hopes the renovation of Hotel Central will inspire efforts to improve Macau’s historic sites, thereby diversifying the city’s appeal beyond casino resorts. With the government’s commitment to restoring heritage buildings, Mr Siow remains optimistic about Macau’s tourism future, saying, “Macao is small. We cannot increase the size. We only have thirty-three square kilometers…but even small things can be great. So we need to move towards excellence like jewellery.”
