Grace Ma

Section L’s colourful website with cheeky photos of travellers crossing roads in Pokemon garb and blowing bubbles in bed gives a hint of what to expect when you stay with the Japanese apartment-hotel brand. Co-founder and CEO Howard Ho opened Section L in Tokyo with the vision of “hotels without strangers” at the cusp of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020 – unwittingly, of course.

Antonio Gonzalez had not banked on his career his career to take a turn into hospitality. The Barcelona-born, Dubai-based executive spent a decade developing business management and marketing strategies for FMCG and healthcare companies. A posting in Dubai, followed by a stint with a hotel business in Europe, opened his eyes to opportunities in the lifestyle and hospitality sectors. In 2011, he co-founded Sunset Hospitality Group and is now its chairman and CEO.