I was actually born in Hong Kong

But I’ve been away for 22 years, serving different companies in different locations. This is my 15th destination for work. I’m definitely happy to be back after such a long while.

Hong Kong is a city of excitement.

A lot is happening all over the place, even in areas where you wouldn’t expect it. There’s no district or one area without nightlife. It’s up to you to go out and grab it. It’s available all over.

Nowadays when people come to Hong Kong

They do not have much spare time…so you have to come in with a purpose. For leisure time I think Lantau Island is an interesting destination with the [Big] Buddha. Our rooftop bar [with an outdoor deck on the 32nd floor], Sugar, is also a great place.

The process of building this hotel basically up from scratch

Has been exciting. We were thinking of how we were going to put across whatever we had in mind into reality… When we first joined the company, we had to wear hard hats. It was a construction site.

EAST is attractive to visitors

Because what we’ve been doing is different, [in terms of] the design itself and what we can offer... We provide the kind of quality that people want to see. When guests come it’s more like home. It’s not like a traditional hotel. Being a lifestyle business hotel, guests come and do whatever they want and we accommodate that.

Even when I was in secondary school

I was thinking of working in a hotel, so that’s why I went to hotel school, and from then on I’ve been working in the hotel industry. It’s always been something I wanted to do.

Managing EAST has a lot to do with creating it…

[and] ensuring that things work. On a daily basis you see how things evolve, how things change…We sat down and talked about what we wanted to deliver. We figured we’d do it from scratch…and now it has become a reality.

EAST, 29 Taikoo Shing Road, Island East. Tel: 3968 3968 www.east-hongkong.com