Choo Chong Ngen founder and chairman of Worldwide Hotels, owns and operates six hospitality brands in Singapore and will mark the 30th Anniversary next year. Inspired by a stay at a salaryman hotel in Japan, he launched his first Hotel 81 in 1993. In 2008, the Value Hotel brand was added, then came V Hotel in 2011, Venue Hotel in 2013, Hotel Boss in 2015 and Hotel Mi in 2017. Currently, Worldwide Hotels consists of 38 hotels in Singapore, with over 6,500 rooms contributing nearly 10 per cent of the country’s total hotel inventory.

In 2018, he expanded his assets overseas and to date, he owns eight hotels in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia and Thailand, which are managed by external operators. He intends to open Worldwide Hotels landmark 900-room 4-star hotel in Club Street and another 500-room hotel in Short Street in 2023.

Over the past decade, Chairman Choo has donated S$12.5 million to local universities, polytechnics, and Institute of Technical Education students, under Worldwide Hotels-Choo Chong Ngen Foundation, which funds bursaries to underprivileged students at these institutions.