Key Milestones

uol aboutuol ourhistory 01
  • Faber Union Ltd was incorporated in 1963 as a subsidiary of Faber Union (HK) Ltd and listed in 1964.
  • In 1975, it changed its name to United Overseas Land Limited after United Overseas Bank Ltd acquired a controlling interest in the Company in 1973.
  • In 1968, Hotel Merlin Singapore Limited was acquired and renamed as Hotel Plaza Limited (Hotel Plaza) in 1982, before going public in 1990.
  • In 2006, United Overseas Land Limited was renamed as UOL Group Limited.
  • The Company was helmed by the late Chairman Wee Cho Yaw from 1973 to 2024.
  • In 2009, UOL renamed its mainboard listed Hotel Plaza subsidiary as Pan Pacific Hotels Group Limited (PPHG).
  • In 2013, PPHG was successfully privatised and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of UOL. In the same year, PPHG was delisted from the Official List of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited.
  • In 2018, United Industrial Corporation Limited (UIC) became a subsidiary and was renamed in 2021 as Singapore Land Group Limited.

Property Development

uol aboutuol ourhistory 02

1960s to
1990s

  • United Overseas Land Limited was known for its prestigious landed developments and high-rise condominiums in Singapore including Faber Gardens, Thomson Hills, New Soo Chow Gardens and Island Country Villas in the Thomson area, Mount Echo Park in Tanglin, and Cairnhill Plaza and Orchard Bel-Air condominiums in Orchard.

2000 to
2020

  • From 2000 onwards, the Company experienced a rapid growth phase. It rejuvenated the mature precincts of Novena and Tiong Bahru, including 1 Moulmein Rise, Novena Suites, Newton Suites, Twin Regency, Regency Suites and The Regency at Tiong Bahru.
  • In the same decade, there was aggressive land acquisition covering the spectrum of Nassim (super-luxury); Duchess and Newton (high-end); Spottiswoode (inner city); Tiong Bahru, East Coast, Upper Thomson (mid-end) and Simei (suburban).
  • Award-winning projects with strong product offerings were built, including Spottiswoode Residences, Thomson Three, Seventy Saint Patrick’s, Principal Garden, The Clement Canopy, Amber45, MEYER HOUSE and Clavon.
  • The residential portfolio was expanded to overseas with projects including Park Eleven, a luxury 398-unit condominium in Changfeng, Shanghai, and The Sky Residences, a 160-unit luxury residential development that was part of One Bishopsgate Plaza in London.

2021 and
Beyond

  • The mature Ang Mo Kio estate was revitalised with the 372-unit AMO Residence.
  • The 1,074-unit Avenue South Residence, featuring two 56-storey towers and five conserved four-storey apartment blocks at the doorstep of The Greater Southern Waterfront, was completed with innovative Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) technology. At the time of completion in 2023, the project was the world’s tallest PPVC residential development.
  • The 520-unit Pinetree Hill was the first major residential launch in Mount Sinai in 14 years.
  • Watten House, a 180-unit freehold luxury development in the prime Bukit Timah district, was launched.

Property Investments

uol aboutuol ourhistory 03

1960s to
1990s

  • The Company made its first foray into mixed-use projects by acquiring a commercial cum hotel site at Beach Road, which now stands The Plaza and PARKROYAL on Beach Road.
  • Faber House, an office building located in the heart of Orchard, was acquired.
  • Goldhill Square, an office building with shopping podium, was acquired and subsequently renamed as United Square.
  • A prime commercial site of the former Odeon Theatre was acquired and redeveloped into Odeon Towers (now known as Odeon).

2000 to
2019

  • Novena Square, a prime commercial development directly above the Novena MRT station, was opened. A new wing was subsequently added and rebranded as Velocity@Novena Square, a sports and lifestyle mall.
  • United Square shopping mall was rebranded as The Kids Learning Mall.
  • Odeon Towers added a two-storey retail podium.
  • As part of continual asset enhancement, UOL Building was redeveloped to Pan Pacific Serviced Suites.
  • UOL opened its third mall, OneKM (now known as KINEX), one of the largest shopping malls in Paya Lebar Central.
  • The Esplanade in Tianjin, China, the Group’s first overseas mixed-use development comprising residential, retail, office and hotel properties, was completed.
  • The Group made its first foray into the United Kingdom by acquiring the Bishopsgate site in London, which would become One Bishopsgate Plaza, an integrated development with residential, retail and hotel components.
  • The Group acquired two properties in London’s Midtown – 110 High Holborn, a part freehold/part 999-year leasehold office cum retail complex, and 120 Holborn Island, a freehold property comprising office and retail spaces.
  • Park Eleven Mall was launched as a mixed-use development in Changfeng Ecological Business Park, comprising retail, office and residential components.

2020 and
Beyond

  • One Bishopsgate Plaza, a freehold integrated development in London’s Central Business District, was completed.
  • Odeon embarked on an asset enhancement initiative to be enlarged with a seven-storey annexe, which was acquired and redeveloped from the 333 North Bridge Road site.
  • United Square shopping mall was rebranded as The Learning Mall.
  • Singapore Land Tower and Clifford Centre in the Central Business District underwent asset enhancements to offer inclusive placemaking and sustainable features.
  • Marina Square and West Mall rejuvenated their offerings to add diversity to the trade mix.

Hospitality

uol aboutuol ourhistory 04

1960s to
1990s

  • The first hotel, Hotel Merlin, was developed through the acquisition of a commercial cum hotel site at Beach Road.
  • Hotel Merlin Singapore Limited was renamed as Hotel Plaza Limited (Hotel Plaza).
  • The second hotel, New Park Hotel, was acquired and renamed as PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road.
  • The Group established its presence in Australia with five hotels – PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, PARKROYAL Parramatta, Parkroyal Plaza, The Landmark Parkroyal, all in Sydney, and Sheraton Perth in Perth.
  • UOL made its foray into China with the opening of UOB Building in Xiamen. The mixed development comprising office and serviced apartments were subsequently converted to a hotel, and later rebranded as Pan Pacific Xiamen.
  • The Group purchased majority stake in two hotels in Malaysia, now known as PARKROYAL COLLECTION Kuala Lumpur and PARKROYAL Penang Resort.

2000 to
2019

  • Three hotels – Sheraton Suzhou Hotels & Towers, Sofitel Plaza Hanoi and Sofitel Plaza Yangon – were acquired to cement regional hospitality expansion.
  • The PARKROYAL brand was acquired in 2002, followed by the “Pan Pacific” brand in 2007.
  • A substantial stake was secured in Marina Centre Holdings Pte Ltd, which has interests in Marina Square Shopping Mall, Pan Pacific Singapore, Mandarin Oriental and Marina Mandarin.
  • The Group launched its first “Pan Pacific” brand extended stay accommodation, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Orchard.
  • The Group renamed its listed hotel subsidiary from Hotel Plaza Limited to Pan Pacific Hotels Group Limited (PPHG) to ride on the strong brand equity and international recognition. PPHG was subsequently privatised.
  • The award-winning PARKROYAL on Pickering, a hotel well known for its array of green features including lush sky gardens and cascading vertical greens, was launched.
  • Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road was launched, following the redevelopment of The Furniture Mall at The Plaza.
  • UOL acquired apartments in Thamrin Nine, a mixed-use development in the heart of Jakarta’s financial district, to transform them into PARKROYAL Serviced Suites Jakarta and Pan Pacific Jakarta. A hotel management agreement was also signed to operate PARKROYAL Jakarta within the same building, thus strengthening the Group’s hospitality presence in Jakarta.

2020 and
Beyond

  • The PARKROYAL COLLECTION brand, characterised by iconic design, eco-friendly practices and a focus on well-being, was launched. Marina Mandarin was acquired and rebranded under the PARKROYAL COLLECTION portfolio to be transformed into a “garden in a hotel”. PARKROYAL on Pickering was also renamed as PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering. The brand debuted overseas with PARKROYAL COLLECTION Kuala Lumpur, after major refurbishment to the former PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur.
  • Pan Pacific London was opened, marking the Group’s first “Pan Pacific” hotel in the United Kingdom.
  • Pan Pacific Orchard, which was redeveloped into a luxury green hotel, opened.
Close