We are honoured to announce that Dr Aron Harilela, BBS, JP, Chairman & CEO of Harilela Hotels Ltd, has agreed to be the Guest of Honour at this year’s HK Society’s Annual Dinner. The Harilela family is not just one of the most well-known and long-established families in Hong Kong, they are also one of the most philanthropic. They are a fascinating success story. Dr Harilela is the eldest son of the patriarch, Hari Harilela, Chairman and CEO of the Harilela Group of companies. And he will be talking about his extraordinary family in a fireside chat with Brian Williams, Senior Advisor, Swire Hotels.
Date: Tuesday 27th October 2026
Venue: Cavalry & Guards Club, London
Time: 6pm Drinks Reception (cash bar); 6.30pm Welcome Drink; 7.00pm Dinner (including fireside chat)
Early bird price per person **:£130 HKS members/ £140 non-members (All places must be booked and paid for by 2nd August)
Full price from 3rd August**: £140 HKS members/ £150 non-members
Dress: Lounge suit / Chinoiserie
Additionally, Aron has most generously offered each attendee a copy* of the biography of Hari Harilela, written at the request of the family by well-known HK author, Vaudine England, who explained:
"Hari Harilela is famed for his hotels, lavish family home and his rags-to-riches success story. Yet his personal life, thoughts and goals have rarely made it into the public sphere. In his later years, Dr Hari began writing his Memoirs, focused on a theme of Lifelong Learning, but these were unfinished on his death in 2014. This book takes his Memoir as a starting point for an in-depth investigation of his roots, life and legacy. Hari was the second of eight children of a Sindhi businessman and his devout wife. When their prosperous business in southern China collapsed in the Depression, the family had to move to Hong Kong with nothing. Here in the 1930s, young Hari and his brother George began their business careers as street hawkers. They supported their growing family through World War Two and led a post-war family business which became one of Asia’s biggest tailoring enterprises. Then Hari broke into property and hotel investments, carving a whole new path in the Sindhi commercial world. His vision, determination and hard work led his family from a crowded tenement into one of Hong Kong’s most opulent mansions. Along the way, he built a dynasty to honour his father’s name, holding his family close through both poverty and riches. A ready participant in social and philanthropic affairs, Hari became a great man of Hong Kong."
* We assume that couples will only want one book per household. If you wish for a copy each, please let us know at the same time as your booking.
Speaker biographies
Dr Aron Harilela
Aron Harilela is the chairman and CEO of the Harilela Group of companies, which owns hotels on three continents and operates several of its own.
Harilela led the company into hotel management for the first time with The Hari in London in 2016, and then followed it up with a Hong Kong edition in 2020; the latter was recognised as the Best Upscale Hotel at the prestigious HD Awards less than a year after it launched.
The former chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Harilela has a Bronze Bauhinia Star and is a JP. He is married to Laura, with whom he has two children. Outside work, he is perhaps best known as one of Hong Kong’s leading polo fanatics.
Brian Williams
As Senior Advisor of Swire Hotels, Brian Williams consults in the growth and development of the group. He was previously the Managing Director and most recently the Deputy Chairman of Swire Hotels. A seasoned hotelier, he has worked in the luxury hotel market on four continents over the last thirty years.
Brian spent a significant period of his earlier career with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, including holding General Management positions at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, The Ritz London and Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park London, before becoming Vice President of Development EMEA, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
Prior to joining Swire Hotels, he was the Chief Executive Officer of The Scotsman Hotel Group.
Please email communications@hkas.org.uk to register your place(s).