The chosen members have access to the clubhouse’s private barber, tailor, wine cellar, library, dining and bar concepts, as well as the venue’s private suites, each themed after a specific individual in The Carlyle’s history and tailored to that personality specifically in its design.

Here, Cheng tells STYLE about Carlyle & Co and changes in the hospitality industry at large.

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What was behind your decision to introduce Carlyle & Co to Hong Kong?

The genesis of Carlyle & Co began in [the brand’s hotel in] New York … It’s a melting pot for creativity and a gathering place for local New Yorkers. When I was there, I thought that it would be great if we could recreate this type of spirit and atmosphere and bring it to Hong Kong. We have the opportunity with this building.

We were contemplating what to do with the upper floors of this building above the Rosewood, and I thought about creating this private member’s club, really carry on the Carlyle kind of soul and spirit and bring it into Hong Kong. I grew up in Hong Kong, and very traditional members’ clubs are often very highly priced, which means the community will naturally be defined by income and profession. We really want to create a kind of new breed of members’ club, where it’s about building a community defined not by your income, but by who you are and what you can bring to the club as a person. It’s an exclusive club, but not elitist. 

How does the club fit with today’s sort of hospitality? What are consumers looking for now that they weren’t looking for 10 years ago?

When you walk in as a member, you want to feel like you’ve arrived and come back home, to have that sense of belonging. You don’t want a cookie-cutter, standard experience that you would expect in the usual club or hotel.

[The club] was deliberately curated according to what we thought our members would love to have. This goes back to Rosewood and how we developed the brand: our philosophy of a sense of place, that every hotel is carefully curated. It’s about celebrating the local community, the history of the location, the culture of the location, and every property has their individual personality.

Nowadays, our consumers are looking for experiences and venues that will inspire them. They want to discover things, they want an element of surprise. Ten years ago, consumers defined luxury by a kind of extravagance and what you see. I think nowadays, it’s more about the experience, the simple pleasures, the small details.

How has the pandemic affected your business strategy?

Right now, every market is experiencing different kinds of travel restrictions. In Hong Kong, our current short term [consumers] are all locals. It’s driving vacations and driving business. But for example, in the US, they’ve opened up much more so there’s a lot of domestic travel. For Mexico, the strongest feeder market is the US. We are seeing an all-time high in terms of occupancy and rates in all of our resorts in Mexico and the US in our history since opening.

What are your thoughts on how millennials and Gen Z affect your industry?

Millennials and Gen Z are looking for purpose-driven brands – brands that have a very strong point of view on how to make an impact with society, how to make a contribution to the community. Even our own employees are looking for a purpose-driven culture. And so we’re going to take purpose as the core strategy for the company. It’s more than just checking the box, it’s actually become the centre vein of the organisation and really drives a lot of the business decisions.

What values do Chinese consumers in particular hold dear, and how has this influenced your business strategy?

Chinese consumers are our target clientele, and they’re very international. A lot of them have either been educated abroad or have international travel exposure. They share similar values: brands with a more sustainable angle, looking at organic materials, and really paying attention to their well-being.

Our launch of Asaya, for example, was about developing a brand that’s about taking care of oneself. It’s not just a traditional spa, it focuses on helping our clients to discover what they really need. Do you need support emotionally? Do you need [help] after having a baby? Do you need support or counselling on being a mother? Do you need nutrition classes or fitness or just emotional wellness? It’s less about massages and facials than holistic wellness. 

Has your gender impacted your line of work and how you see it?

I have three brothers. I’m the only girl and my parents would treat me the same as them and give me equal opportunities. Because of that, it actually influenced my leadership style. I’m a strong believer in giving equal opportunity to the people that work in the company, regardless of gender or race or background. It’s really about whether you have the talent, whether you have the passion, whether you have the commitment, more than whether you are a girl or of a certain race. If you look at my leadership team, the majority happen to be women, though they were not hired because they’re women, but because of their capability.

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What are three things you always pack with you when you stay at a hotel?

Running shoes, my phone (I can’t leave my phone) and a good book.

Would you rather stay at an urban hotel or a beach villa?

Right now, I would love to go to a resort. I really miss Phuket, and my family and I love that property (Rosewood Phuket). We used to go there a couple of times a year. It has a great kids programme and my kids love it.

Would you rather go 1,000 years into the future or into the past? 

Past – I would know in advance what’s happening now and plan accordingly!

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