Situated along the banks of the Singapore River, the River View Hotel was officially opened in October 1985 by then Minister of State (Trade and Industry) and chairman of the Singapore Tourism Promotion Board, Dr. Wong Kwei Cheong. Owned by the Ho family of the Keck Seng Group, the hotel had been actively engaged in philanthropic works, having donated $2.2 million to charity at its opening in 1985 and $90,000 to three self-help groups in 1992. It was also part of a joint initiative by five hotels that was marketed as “The Riverside: Havelock Downtown Hotels” to draw tourists to the area in 1992.
