Senior citizen billionaire Simon Sio’s story is a classic example of a rags-to-riches soap opera.
As a child, Sio led a modest life in an old building across the city’s most prestigious establishment (formerly): Hotel Central, built in 1928, it became a place where only the elites, such as celebrities and diplomats could gather.

But Sio would often sneak in inside the hotel in order to unwind— it was only one of the few places in the area with air conditioning.

Unfortunately— or fortunately for Sio, he was caught one day and thrown out of the hotel.

For most, this rejection would have been discouraging. For Sio, it became a vow. “One day, I’ll buy it,” he promised himself.

He made good his promise. At age 65, Simon Sio now owns Hotel Central, one of Macau’s oldest hotels, which he acquired in 2016 through

the Lek Hang Group, a real estate company that he founded in 1991.

Sio’s brilliance in real estate has made Lek Hang Group a leading firm in Macau’s booming property industry.

Celebrating the grand-reopening of the historic 96-year-old hotel, Sio looks back to his experience as a child and his effort and firm resolve to own it.

The opportunity came in 2000 when the hotel became available for purchase. But it took seven years of negotiations before his firm finally called the hotel its own.

Next was the restoration which proved to be even more tricky.

It was a long journey that presented many significant challenges. Built in the 1920s and expanded in the 1930s and 1940s, Hotel Central’s additional floors lacked proper foundational support, creating structural weaknesses.

Further, the building’s status as a UNESCO cultural heritage site restricted structural changes. Undeterred, Sio’s team pioneered a unique piling method that stabilized the structure without altering its historical aspect.

It was in 2019 that the construction finally began, but as COVID-19, a pandemic that struck the lives of many, hit. Hence, progress was stalled and supply chains were disrupted, increasing the cost.

Despite these challenges, Sio and his team pushed forward and their efforts finally came to fruition as in 2022, they completed the construction.

Hotel Central’s restoration cost Sio approximately US$274 million.

Still, for Sio, it was all worth it— “Money can produce volume, but money cannot reproduce history.”, he’d always say.

Sio’s mission was never about revenge.

For him, Hotel Central is more than a building; it’s a cultural landmark, and its restoration was about honoring Macau’s history. For Sio, the hotel's peak was his ‘idol’.

The newly restored Hotel Central offers a nostalgic experience, with 114 rooms styled after the 1920s to 1940s and amenities like qipao rentals. On the ground floor, the “Historical Cultural Corridor” exhibition is open to the public.