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deals. Carlson had a tie-up with David Boward of Radisson
Hotels in Australia to manage their franchised properties there
and so his company was entrusted with the responsibility of
managing Radisson properties in Indonesia as well. We also
created a joint venture with Prarob Mukawis, ex-president of
the Regent Hotels, Thailand for managing our properties in
Thailand. Carlson soon nominated a senior official, Jack
Geddes to coordinate the growing scale of sales and
marketing for our hotels in the region. Things were looking
good by 1994.
However, the ASEAN markets suddenly saw one of the worst
economic downturns in late 1995. With stock markets and
general numbers on the decline, investors were shying away
from investing in real estate, which adversely affected our next
phase of development since hotels typically have longer
gestation periods than other commercial projects. It is at this
stage that we reviewed our strategy. While continuing to work
in the ASEAN markets, we started focusing more on South
Asia, which was mostly possible with the guidance and
constant support of Jim Olson who oversaw development for
Radisson International in the Asia-Pacific. He was swift and
sharp to understand the different cultures and customs of Asia
and the diversity in its work styles and ethics. He believed in
‘acting local while going global’, and nurtured the team to
achieve our next set of goals keeping such nuances in mind.
Given the company’s reluctance to invest in real estate,
provide minimum guarantees or take properties on lease, the
only option available to us was to identify strategic partners
share the benefits of growth together. Carlson chose the joint
venture and representation route to specifically enter the
South Asian market though the development of new brands
remained a more uphill task. Even in mature markets like
Singapore, significant opportunities came our way but
because of company policy not to invest in real estate, we lost
out to others who were prepared to seed the market with
minimal investments or provide minimum guarantees.
However, despite certain policies whose efficacies are
debatable, we were encouraged to work outside our territory
Carlson’s upper midmarket brand in those days was ‘Colony since the company was still small and flexible. Not many
Hotels & Suites’ and we managed to tie up with Tunku’s people are aware that Radisson Hotels Asia was instrumental
Melawar group to develop a few Colony hotels in Malaysia and in bringing the Radisson Lexington Hotel, New York, and
Indonesia. We also signed other properties under the Radisson Radisson Hotel, Mauritius, into the company’s fold. Radisson
brand with leading industrialists and developers of the region. Hotels Asia was also responsible for bringing Carlson’s
Our key investors included the Salim Group of lndonesia. We restaurant brands TGI Fridays and Italianni’s to Singapore,
were also lucky to sign an ultra-luxurious resort property in Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and later to India, but more on this
Langkawi with the then chairman of Malaysian Airlines. later.
Our partners in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand were quick During his first press conference in Singapore in 1991, J.B.
in building or converting their existing hotels to the Radisson announced that the company would brand at least 40 hotels
brand. Most of these hotels started operating within 18 to 24 in a span of four years. I had no idea how I would achieve this
months of signing contracts. This gave the Radisson brand target. But he turned to me and said, ‘It is you, K.B., who will
huge visibility and we started moving into newer territories. We make this a reality.’ We actually achieved all this in a span of
signed key hotels in Surabaya, Bali, Jakarta, Bangkok and Kuala five years. J.B. had been right, and my respect for his vision
Lumpur. grew even more.
We didn’t have the resources at the time to operationally In 1995, with the onset of new liberalization laws India began
manage these hotels so we focused on signing only franchise to open up its economy. There was a huge gap in the

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