Our History

1. The Shangri-La name

Listen to Mr Robert Kuok talking about the naming of Shangri-La.

2. A special link

How did the construction of a mill at a sugar plantation in Sumatra pave the way for a five-star hotel opening in Thailand?

Located in Sumatra, Gunung Mudu Plantations (GMP) started production in 1977. GMP was officially opened in 1979.
The Sugar mill at GMP was built by the Thai Rung Ruang Group (TRR), a sugar producing and trading company founded by Suree Asdathorn in Thailand.
At the time TRR had not yet built any mills outside of Thailand. But Robert Kuok and Suree Asdathorn had an excellent working relationship based on many years of sugar trading together. The deal for the GMP mill was sealed with a handshake. The mutual trust between the two men enabled the project to proceed successfully.
In 1981, Shangri-La Group made plans to build a five-star hotel in Bangkok. Several sites in the city were considered, but none were suitable. When Suree Asdathorn heard from Robert Kuok that Shangri-La was looking for land, he offered to help.
Suree Asdathorn found an exceptional piece of land on the banks of the Chao Phraya River for the site of Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok. Ground-breaking was in 1982; and the hotel opened on 3 August 1986.

3. Where is the letter “K”?

Rising Himeji, one of Pacific Carriers Limited’s bulk carriers, showing the funnel mark designed by Ean Kuok and Captain Oleg Olsson in January 1978. The arrows on the funnel mark point towards the bow when viewed from either side of the ship.

The original funnel mark of PCL (Pacific Carrier Limited) was created by Ean Kuok and Captain Oleg Olsson in January 1978 in Singapore. The main aim was to have a funnel mark which is clearly visible from afar. Their original design intent was to place the letter “K” within a circle. The final design used the outline of the “K” to create 2 arrows. When approving the design, Robert Kuok said that the arrows should be pointing ‘forward’ to indicate progress. As such, the hidden ‘K’ had to be reversed. On all PCL ships, the arrows in the funnel mark always point towards the bow, when viewed from either side of the ship.

4. Pyramids of sugar

The group’s origins were in the sugar business.

One of our first companies was Malayan Sugar Manufacturing, which has since been sold.

The logo for MSM is based on the pyramid shape of a pile of raw sugar. It was designed in 1963 by Leng Hin Why, a company engineer.

5. Graphic detail

Did you know that the Kuok Group logo was designed by the same person who designed the Hong Kong Dollar banknotes? Who is he?

The designer who designed the Kuok Group logo and the Hong Kong banknotes is Henry Steiner.

6. Water for everyone

In 2012, Kerry Group Kuok Foundation established its 11th base in Deman Village, Xunhua County, in China's Qinghai Province.

The Foundation mobilized villagers to repair their leaking water pond, and introduced long-term water conservation. In this video, the villagers tell their own story.

7. Horizon Club: an ingenious solution

The first-ever Horizon Club was launched in Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel in 1981. It was initially called Club 21 because it was on the 21st floor of the hotel, and only accessible by stairs.

Before the relocation of Hong Kong's international airport in Kai Tak, building developments in the entire Tsim Sha Tsui area in Kowloon were subject to statutory Airport Height Restrictions for aviation safety reasons.
These height restrictions limited the maximum height of buildings. In the case of Kowloon Shangri-La hotel, the maximum number of stories which could be built was 21. The lift machinery room had to be located on the top floor (21st floor) of the building. Therefore, the hotel lifts went only as far as the 20th floor.
The 21st floor also had guestrooms and the Tiara Lounge. The only access to the 21st floor was by stairs. Guests staying on the 21st floor had to take the lift at the 20th floor and walk up one flight of stairs to their rooms. It would have been difficult to sell the rooms on 21st floor, especially as an executive decision had been made against 'discounts' on room rates.
Management came up with an ingenious solution: To make the rooms on the 21st floor more attractive to guests by enhancing service and benefits. The 21st floor rooms would be named "Club 21", and guests staying in these rooms would have special exclusive privileges, eg. complimentary breakfast, personal concierge, etc.
Kowloon Shangri-La opened as Shangri-La Hotel, Hong Kong, on 17 June 1981. Club 21 rooms proved to be very popular with guests. Soon, many return guests were specifically requesting rooms on the 21st floor. What began as a "problem" turned out to be a unique marketing opportunity.
Eventually Club 21 in Kowloon Shangri-La was re-named Horizon Club, and the concept was expanded and implemented in all Shangri-La hotels.
It is an extraordinary success story.

8. Power up

80 units of solar panels are installed on Hong Kong Kerry Centre's rooftop, with a total area of 620 square feet. The solar panel project started operating in August 2020, and generates approximately 16,000kWh of electricity annually.

9. Crocodiles in the river and no road

“It was on the river. There were crocodiles there. But the river was teeming with fish, so the crocodiles had plenty of food and were not interested in you.”

“We had one of the most beautiful sites but we didn’t have a road. But RK’s ability to get things done made it work. I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to start building a hotel without a road to it!”

Which hotel site is this? Answer here! — Which hotel site is this?
The two quotes are “eyewitness accounts” from persons involved in Shangri-La’s construction of the hotel. The hotel referred to is Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok, which was built on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in 1986.

10. Logo’s - old and new

Kerry Centre Hotel Beijing was built in August 1999 and rebranded as Kerry Hotel, Beijing in 2011.

Kerry Godown Group started operation in 1981. Several name changes later, it was eventually rebranded as Kerry Logistics Network in 2000.

Kuok Group Archives

Launched on 8 August 2018, the Archives have photographs, audio recordings, videos, artifacts, documents and unique records of the Kuok Group’s development since 1949. With over 36,000 items, we have many stories to tell.