We recently met up with Mike DeNoma, the CEO of GuocoLeisure (GLL)'s hotel division. GLL has a colourful past. Formerly known as Brierley International, it once grew into the largest company in the New Zealand stock exchange under its founder Sir Ron Brierley, who used it as a holding company and a launching pad to undertake acquisitions.

Today the company is majority-owned by Guoco Group, Quek Leng Chan's Hong Kong-listed holding company. While the company continues to hold legacy investments such as Bass Straits Oil Royalty and Molokai Island, GLL is today very much focused on hospitality as its core business. The group's ownership and management of some 4000+ hotel rooms in London makes it by far the largest hotel operator in that gateway city. GLL's flagship hotels in London include prime properties such as The Grosvenor Hotel, The Royal Horseguards, Charing Cross Hotel, The Cumberland and The Tower London.