Don't hold back, entrepreneur urges (hktdc.com)


	Rhombus International Hotels Group CEO Calvin Mak (left) receives his award from Raymond Cheng of the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide

	Hotel LKF's Azure Restaurant Slash Bar is ranked one of the world's top 20 sky bars by the UK's Sunday Times

Opening three hotels in three years is an ambitious plan even for intrepid entrepreneurs like Calvin Mak. "That was a record for me," admitted the founder of Rhombus International Hotels Group, who opened three hotels in Hong Kong – two of them in four months. The first venture – Hotel LKF by Rhombus -- launched in 2006 in the famous entertainment district of Lan Kwai Fong in Central. The hotel opening, in many ways, signalled a new phase in the Canadian entrepreneur's career in the hospitality business.

When Mr Mak set up his hotel consultancy business in Canada in 1987, after 16 years working for major hotel groups, naysayers said it would not last. "They told me there were already 86 hotel consulting firms in Vancouver." After two years, 85 had folded, but his was the only one left standing. He admitted it was a tough two years, especially at a time when he was raising a young family. But he knew he could not give up because others were depending on him.

"Looking back, I may have been a bit naïve," Mr Mak conceded. But his efforts eventually paid off. Resisting offers to return to his previous employers, his consulting firm picked up its first two contracts six months later. The company, C.T.E.W. Group, went on to manage Rhombus Hotel in Vancouver, where it opened 14 years ago.

Then the offer came to run hotels in Hong Kong, his former home. "Franco Yeung, a global real estate investor-developer told me, ‘we need a guy like you in Asia.' So I agreed to come back to the city and establish Rhombus (HK) Management Ltd, as a subsidiary of C.T.E.W."

China opportunity

Mr Mak agreed to return to Hong Kong because of the huge potential he saw for the hotel business in the Chinese mainland. "As an experienced hotelier, you go where there's a large population." Rhombus is now working on two major hotel projects in the mainland: a hotel resort in Shenzhen in Guangdong Province and Chengdu in Sichuan Province, where a 200-plus all-suite room hotel is in the works. Still, Mr Mak admitted he is still learning about the culture of the mainland market, and is a firm believer in using Hong Kong as a platform for the region, especially to the mainland.

"Hong Kong is still the first stop in Asia," Mr Mak said. "Hong Kong's established financial infrastructure makes it easy for cash to flow in and out. Combine that with its historical link, and Hong Kong is the perfect gateway to China."

Undeterred by the ongoing global economic turmoil, Mr Mak sees the downturn as a chance to show one's mettle. "This is the time to be aggressive and not cut back," he said. But he noted that the hotel business has changed a lot in the past two decades. "The hospitality industry is constantly changing hands. When there's opportunity to make money, people will sell."

Winning formula

That explains how his philosophy on running the hotel business – profit – has made his Hong Kong enterprises successful ventures. The award-winning Hotel LKF, according to Mr Mak, is a five-star hotel with six-star service, complete with the extras. The hotel's Azure Restaurant Slash Bar was recently ranked number seven in the world's top 20 sky bars by the UK's Sunday Times. The company's second venture, Hotel Panorama by Rhombus, which opened earlier this year in the popular tourist area of Tsim Sha Tsui, caters to a cross-section of business travellers. The three-star Hotel Bonaparte by Rhombus opened in April.

His success in the field has not gone unnoticed. Rhombus was among three small and medium-sized enterprises singled out to receive the inaugural Success Story Award from the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations. Mr Mak said he was surprised, but pleased that the company was recognised. "The award is not about me," he said. "It's a recognition of our collective team's hard work."