The woman behind Rosewood’s rise
In a male-dominated world of hospitality leaders, Rosewood Hotel Group CEO Sonia Cheng (33) is shaking up global luxury, turning a family legacy into a multi-billion-dollar empire.
Cheng follows a familiar pattern: inherit a legacy business → modernise it for a new generation → scale through culture, not volume.
💡 The power of local roots: By empowering local chefs, designers, and cultural curators, Cheng turned individual hotels into global benchmarks.
Rosewood now spans 58 properties worldwide under her leadership, with Rosewood Hong Kong — named No.1 in the World’s Best Hotels 2025 — valued at ~HK$15.9 billion (~USD 2 billion) alone.
The China Survival Guide for Western Businesses
Entity setup, WeChat strategy, hiring your first local team. 12+ years on the ground in Shanghai.
