Lim Khay Heng, patriarch of a large family, opened the first hotel Kim Soon Lee Hotel, right on this spot in 1966. This was the most ambitious project he undertook in his years of living and working in Labuan. In the early 1930's, facing the prospect of a Japanese invasion of his hometown Kinmen (an island off the South Eastern coast of mainland China) thousands of Chinese refugees fled their home
s and dispersed to many countries. Among them was Lim Khay Heng, his young wife and 4 year old son, who landed on Labuan shores in 1935. Perhaps the island seemed familiar, surrounded by the sea, as their ancestral home had been. After the long and dangerous sea voyage, the family was happy to settle on the Southern part of the island near the sea shore in a Malay kampong which is now commonly known as Kg. Patau Patau. His early business ventures were mainly in seafood products, and he developed a reputation amongst the locals for making the best çincalok on the island. He and his wife were an industrious couple and after WW2 ended in 1945, their business prospered as their family grew. Although he was illiterate, Lim Khay Heng was a far sighted entrepreneur and business man. He built the first soap manufacturing factory (Tong Huat Soap Factory) in Labuan, and exported his soap to Brunei, Limbang, Lawas and some parts of Sabah. He also ran an import and export business dealing in rubber and copra. Meanwhile, he also owned and ran a successful provision shop called 'Thong Huat'. After nearly 20 years of hard work and business acumen, when he was in his late 50's, he envisioned that the island needed a Hotel in the center of town and proceeded to build the Kim Soon Lee Hotel. The Kim Soon Lee Hotel was constructed in 1964 and opened its doors for business in 1966. During its heyday, famous artistes from Taiwan and Korea has lived here, including the Brunei Kapitan Cina who was his personal friend. Kim Soon Lee Hotel ran successfully for more than 20 years until he grew too old to handle the business and finally closed the hotel doors permanently in 1987. The Labuan Avenue Hotel now occupies the site of the original hotel. The family of the late Lim Khay Heng felt that revitalizing the old hotel would be a fitting tribute to their father and grandfather. Therefore, after 'sleeping' for 27 years, like a Phoenix arising from the ashes, Labuan Avenue Hotel has been born. We, the family of the late Lim Khay Heng, hope to serve the public for generations to come.
