The two hotels were financed by businessman Cho Jock Kim, head of Far East Publishers.

The $18 million hotel was designed by local architects Booty Edwards & Partners.

[4] Construction resumed in 1968 and the Far East Organization, owned by billionaire Ng Teng Fong,[5] listed the hotel on the Stock Exchange of Malaysia and Singapore in August 1968, through its Far Eastern Hotels Development Ltd.

[7] Interior design work was done by Dale Keller, of Pacific House (Asia) Limited[8] and the hotel featured a huge 19-panel facade mural, sculpted by local artist Gerard Henderson and a 25-foot solid aluminum lobby mural by artist Seah Kim Joo.

[15] On 13 December 2015, the ceiling of the hotel entrance collapsed and debris fell into a car.