Under the Radar: How does hotelier Hilton assess its operations in Southeast Asia amid greater global volatility?

Under the Radar: How does hotelier Hilton assess its operations in Southeast Asia amid greater global volatility?

Today we’re going to take you through a hotel brand that is directly linked to American personality, Paris Hilton. Yes, we’re indeed talking about global hospitality company Hilton, which boasts a portfolio of 27 world-class brands including Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton and Doubletree by Hilton. Fun fact, Paris Hilton’s great-grandfather, Conrad Hilton, or the founder of Hilton, entered into the hotel business in Cisco Texas back in 1919 when he was on the way to buy a bank but bought a local hotel called The Mobley instead.  The first hotel which formally bore the Hilton name though, was opened in Dallas Texas only a couple of years later in 1925. Fast forward to today, the hotel company comprises over 9,100 properties and over 1.3 million rooms in 143 countries and territories. It also welcomed over 4 billion guests across its century of history.  In April 2026, the firm reported Q1 adjusted EBITDA of US$901 million, up 13 per cent on the year. The firm also reported a 3.6 per cent growth in system-wide RevPAR or revenue per available room. But how far is this contributed by the Southeast Asia region? Looking ahead, the firm continues to face headwinds in the second half of the year amid trade volatility which could dampen global travel spend and weigh on US demand. The war in the Middle East could also result in reduced travel to the region. But to what extent will this make Asian or Southeast Asian markets more attractive for Hilton to double down on? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Alexandra Murray, Vice-President and Regional Head of South East Asia, Hilton. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Under the Radar: (SPECIALS) A reinvention of the PC, agentic AI, Vera Rubin in full production – highlights from Nvidia’s GTC Taipei

Finance Presenter Chua Tian Tian had been under the radar for the past two weeks on her annual vacation across Asia, but she’s not coming home without bringing our listeners a little something – a Special episode of Under the Radar from AI chip darling NVIDIA’s GTC Taipei, which took place in the first week of June.  GTC Taipei 2026 brought together developers, researchers and industry leaders to dive into the latest breakthroughs shaping every industry, from AI factories, agentic and reasoning AI, physical AI and robots and even more.  Think of a reinvention of the personal computer by Nvidia and Microsoft to allow the running of personal AI agents.  In this Special, “On the Go” episode of Under the Radar, Tian Tian gave an overview of the highlights at NVIDIA GTC Taipei. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Under the Radar: How is Patience Capital Group revitalising ski resorts in the Japanese countryside areas of Myoko and Madarao and building them into recreational destinations? Its CEO explains.

Today we’re going to take you to a sleepy pocket of Japan’s countryside called Myoko. Located about a three-hour train ride from Tokyo, Myoko was said to be one of the oldest ski areas in Japan, where it once saw young skiers streaming along its neon-lit streets. That was, of course, during the economic boom back in the 1980s and 1990s, before ski-lovers swapped Myoko for other popular destinations like Niseko in Hokkaido and Hakuba in Nagano.  But one Singaporean company is hoping to inject life back into the area by buying up ski resorts in Myoko and the nearby Madarao, and building an integrated township out of them. And that company is called Patience Capital Group. Founded in 2019 by the former head of Japan at Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC Ken Chan, Patience Capital Group manages assets on behalf of institutional and private investors worldwide.  The firm says it currently manages two close-ended funds. The first is a hospitality fund focused on unlocking value in the Japanese tourism sector, and that’s where the ski resorts come in.  The fund, in particular, was said to have raised 39 billion yen from institutional investors ranging from sovereign wealth funds to a university endowment fund. The other close-ended fund, meanwhile, is a residential fund investing in mid-market residential assets located in the Greater Tokyo Area.  Beyond that, the firm also has a lifestyle vertical that aims to create a suite of consumer experiences and businesses to complement its portfolio and encourage placemaking in its destinations. But how will the various business operations under Patience Capital Group come together to create viable recreational townships in Japan? Meanwhile, the firm says it is tapping into the Japanese tourism and residential markets given a rise in investors’ interest in the country amid relatively low cost of capital.  But how much money is in the Myoko and Madarao areas exactly and what are the risks of pulling off a transformation project of this size? How sustainable is the tourism boom in Japan for long-term infrastructure projects in both the recreational and residential space? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Ken Chan, CEO, Patience Capital Group. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Under the Radar: (SPECIALS) From A&W franchise to world’s largest hotel chain operator and beyond – how will APAC ex-China region augment Marriott International’s growth story looking ahead? Its COO for the region explains.

Today we’re going to talk all about a leading hospitality player who began its business as not a property owner but an A&W Root Beer franchise!  Founded by J. Willard and Alice Sheets Marriott close to a century ago in 1927, our guest for today Marriott International got its start quenching people’s thirst during the hot muggy summers in Washington D.C.  The company then moved into serving food and becoming The Hot Shoppes, where it opened the first drive-in restaurant on the East Coast in 1928. The firm had also at one point dabbled in inflight catering as well as cafeteria management at government buildings and major institutions between the 1930s and the 1950s. But it was only thirty years after its founding in 1957 that the Hot Shoppes Inc. expanded into the lodging business with the Twin Bridges Motor Hotel in Alington, Virginia, and the rest was history.  The Hot Shoppes was renamed Marriott Corporation in 1967, before splitting into Host Marriott Corporation and Marriott International Inc in 1993 as it grew in the hotel business.  More recently in 2016, Marriott International bought over Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide for US$13 billion, bringing in 11 new brands including St. Regis Hotels and Sheraton Hotels, making it the largest hotel chain operator in the world. In 2025, the region delivered its third straight year of record development performance with nearly 200 deals signed, adding over 28,000 rooms to its development pipeline. That’s a 32 per cent increase over the year, driven by growth markets including India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Japan. But what are the key trends supporting the development activity and which is the most important market for the firm?  Meanwhile, the firm is also laser focused on doubling down room signings for its luxury segment brands including JW Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton and Luxury Collection. It is also looking at expanding beyond traditional gateway cities to emerging destinations with rich cultural heritage. But what should we know about the moves, and how will they augment the firm’s top and bottom line numbers? On this Special episode of Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Neeraj Govil, Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific excluding China (APEC), Marriott International. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Under the Radar: (SPECIALS) How is Temasek encouraging long term investors to put money into the green transition? Its Vice Chairman of Sustainability explains.

This time, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian got up bright and early to head down to global investor Temasek’s corporate headquarters located at The Atrium@Orchard to find out more about the key happenings at Ecosperity Week 2026. Organised by Temasek, Ecosperity is the firm’s key platform for sustainability and advocacy.  Themed ‘Asia’s Race Towards 2030: Powered by Innovation, Driven by Intent’, the event, which took place earlier this week, brought together leaders across government, business, finance and civil society to explore practical, scalable innovations, policies and partnerships that can help translate the region’s 2030 climate ambitions into real-world impact.  So where does Temasek see capital moving and how is it encouraging long term-investors to put money into the energy transition through a systems approach across renewables, infrastructure and other climate technologies?  How does Temasek see what makes a green project investable and how does it align the interests of innovators, policymakers and investors to get deals done?  And in terms of execution, how can policymakers and the business community come together to structure deals in such a way to de-risk projects while unlocking capital? Tian Tian posed these questions to Steve Howard, Vice Chairman, Sustainability, Temasek. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.