Executive Chairman of Hong Leong Group Mr Kwek Leng Beng was recently awarded “Best Singaporean Investor to Italy” by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (ICCS). This annual award is presented to business people who have made impactful investments in Italy and helped to boost bilateral ties between Italy and Singapore.

The award was presented to Mr Kwek for the acquisition of the former Boscolo Palace Roma. The hotel has since been rebranded as Grand Hotel Palace. In early 2014, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels (M&C) made its first foray into Italy by acquiring the hotel at €65.5 million. This was M&C’s first hotel in the key gateway city of Rome. At the ICCS Business Awards ceremony, Mr Kwek’s Italian counterpart Mr Massimo Zanetti was awarded “Best Italian Investor to Singapore” for his acquisition of Boncafe, a major food and beverage company.

The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Senator Benedetto Della Vedova was the guest of honour at the Business Awards Ceremony luncheon.