Hotel magnate David Chow is taking his winning formula from Macau to the world

by Alex Lai
Portrait by Gary Mak

Entering David Chow Kam-fai’s spacious offices can make for an anxious moment – the tycoon is not only a shrewd businessman but also a pillar of the Macau establishment. until recently he was a member of the Legislative Assembly, and still puts in the hours as Honoured Consul of the Republic of Cape Verde to Macau. so it’s fair to say he knows how to keep himself and his people busy. born in Hong Kong in 1950, Chow spent most of his youth in the united states. its entrepreneurial culture evidently rubbed off on him, for after graduating in Hotel Management he quickly went into business for himself, drawn by the lucrative nature of the casino business. “i was involved in quite a few hotel projects in Las Vegas back then,” the pioneer says.

Returning to south-east Asia in 1990, Chow had set his sights on Macau. but while the 1990s saw many entrepreneurs borrowing money for their businesses, he steered clear of liability. “i’m not keen on building my business on debt, it’s simply not my style,” he claims.

The Fisherman’s Wharf project, co-developed by casino magnate stanley Ho and himself, officially opened on 31 december 2006 and is the first of this kind of themed entertainment attraction in macau’s tourism market. He is visibly proud of this long-cherished project – despite a perceived downturn in its attractiveness in recent years, which has led him to plan a revamp of the site by adding a dinosaur museum. “now i am only waiting for the government’s approval. it’s going to be one of its kind in Asia,” he promises, brimful of confidence.

Chow’s interest in creating hotels has continued with the luxury The landmark Hotel, which opened in macau in 2003. And four years ago his passion was ignited again, this time in beijing, when his company invested Rmb 3 billion to found the legendale Hotel and Apartments, whose innovative design was inspired by the palatial 19th-century architecture of southern europe. it also broke new ground in terms of its business model. “While other luxury hotels in beijing are managed by international hotel groups, i wanted to create a different system. it was the first time a macanese company had ever operated a luxury hotel in China, surrounded by the country’s most significant landmarks and historical sites.” Chow feels that the legendale’s character is in keeping with the ‘one World one dream’ slogan of the beijing olympics. “by presenting a hotel in a european style, overseas visitors became aware that beijing was ready to welcome them.”

Chow favours an artful blend of old-world european charm and traditional Chinese hospitality. “my hotel has 1.5 staff per room – service with a human touch matters.” Asked what challenges he encountered during the project, he murmurs, “it was certainly a period of four hard years.” melinda Chan, his wife and also the managing director of Legendale Hotel and Apartments, adds, “We needed a lot of sculptures for the interior, but the northern mainland workers didn’t have the expertise, so we urgently had to recruit workers from southern China.”

Chow describes his working relationship with his wife as, “i plan and she executes.” Chan remarks, “He is the pragmatic and down-to-earth type, who likes to source and select every single material for the hotel.”

The couple are grateful that the whole team showed real spirit in achieving prompt completion of the Legendale project just before the beijing Olympics. Chan recalls, “We were nervous and didn’t know if we could make it, but we always maintained our belief at meetings. i had to stay in beijing for three months doing site visits every day and night prior to the opening.”

Chow’s Macau projects are only a fraction of what’s on his plate. The assiduous businessman keeps plugging away at new ventures, and is planning resort projects everywhere on the planet. These include a Chinese-themed town in Tunisia – 17 square kilometres presenting 5,000 years of culture – which promises to be another eye-catching project.

key to success

Flipping through The Legendale Hotel Beijing’s commemorative book, one finds photos of Chow shaking hands with representatives from 56 countries – including 22 heads of state who stayed at the hotel during the Beijing Olympic Games last year. Chow takes great pleasure in such diplomacy and hospitality, which is considered very important in Chinese culture. “Respect is the key when it comes to doing business in China,” he says.