EM3 boy makes it, and he’s only 25

chaichin [at] mediacorp.com.sg

SINGAPORE — Studying was not a priority for Mr Adler Poh in his younger days. But despite what he calls a “difficult academic start” through the EM3 stream in primary school and the Normal (Technical) stream in secondary school, he did not let less-than-encouraging reactions of relatives and others get him down.

Instead, he revelled in the non-academic opportunities offered at Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) — being a prefect and participating in drama and swimming — before going on to pursue his interest in Hospitality and Tourism Management at Temasek Polytechnic.

And now, at the age of 25, he has added a new feather to his cap: Setting up a 32-bed hostel in Chinatown with start-up capital loaned from his parents.

Mr Poh said he was inspired by a month-long backpacking trip to Europe after graduating from polytechnic in 2009, but had to put his business plan on hold to do National Service.

His parents thought his enthusiasm would not last — until he drew up a business plan to exploit what he felt to be the gap here in hostels with a touch of luxury.

He initially thought S$300,000 would be sufficient to get the three-storey shophouse space in South Bridge Road set up. But fire safety and conservation-building requirements jacked costs up to S$500,000, and Mr Poh said he nearly gave up.

“I felt we were investing too much,” he said. But his father, flight-steward-turned-property-investor Alex Poh, 59, urged him to see the project through.

Adler Hostel opened one month ago and has welcomed 600 guests from abroad so far. Rates are S$60 per night, with discounts for booking early and a longer stay.

Mr Poh said he created an environment that he himself would have wanted when travelling — custom-built cabin beds, security lockers within each cabin, and privacy afforded with a draw of the curtain.

It cane at a price, said he got little sleep in the first fortnight, rolling up his sleeves to wash the toilets and change the sheets before a housekeeper and part-time staff were hired.

But the response from guests has been encouraging — one Taiwanese tourist initially found the hostel pricey and booked a single night there, only to stay for another three nights, he said. Seven in eight reviews currently on TripAdvisor have rated it “excellent”.

Mr Poh intends to repay his parents the loan, with interest and a cut of the profits, in five years.

“I’ve never seen myself as a Normal (Technical) student,” he said. “Dream big, and don’t let anyone hold you down.”