New World Development unit may manage four more Pentahotels

New World Development's hotel management arm, Rosewood Hotel Group, is in talks to run four more hotels under its Pentahotel brand in Hong Kong and Macau.

Sonia Cheng, chief executive of Rosewood Hotel and daughter of New World Group chairman Henry Cheng Kar-shun, said Pentahotel, a brand that caters to younger travellers, would expand in cities in Asia and the mainland over the next five years.

The group will open its first Hong Kong hotel property, the HK$900 million New-York-loft-style Pentahotel, in San Po Kong today, in a bid to capitalise on the government's plan to transform Kowloon East into the city's second business district. Cheng said Hong Kong could support four Pentahotels because it was a 'gateway city'.

"We are exploring opportunities in Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Central, Sheung Wan and the Western districts. We hope to have two hotels in Kowloon and two on Hong Kong Island. Macau is our next target as it is becoming a favourite holiday destination."

The 32-year-old Cheng is the granddaughter of property tycoon Cheng Yu-tung, who stepped down as chairman of New World Development in August last year.

Rosewood Hotel, formerly known as New World Hospitality, owns 40 hotels under three brands in 14 countries. It operates 16 hotels in Europe and Asia under its Pentahotel brand, with a target to expand to 80 globally by 2020.