Iskandar Malaysia gets more hospitality investments

JOHOR BARU: More investments are coming into the hospitality industry in Iskandar Malaysia from domestic and foreign players within the next three years, which will add 3,000 more rooms in the region.

No less than four hotels and service apartments have pledged to provide at least 3,000 more rooms in Iskandar Malaysia by 2014.

The investment is timely as it coincides with the opening of the Kulaijaya Premier Outlet this November and Legoland in Nusajaya in the third quarter of next year.

They include the 900-room KSL Resort in Taman Century; the 198-room Granada Hotel in Bukit Indah; the 300-room Renaissance Hotel in Permas Jaya; the 292-room Traders Hotel in Nusajaya; and the 293-room Palazzo Hotel and Serviced Suites at the Danga Bay.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said Iskandar Malaysia may not have sufficient rooms to cope with the influx of tourists to the premier outlet and theme park in the next two years.

He said things will change by 2014 when Iskandar Malaysia will have more star-rated hotels and serviced apartments. "By then, we have quality rooms for visitors, as well as serviced apartments for professionals and expatriates who are likely to relocate to Johor for jobs," he told reporters after the ground-breaking ceremony of the RM105 million Palazzo Hotel at Danga Bay on Saturday evening.

The 27-storey hotel will be developed by Lentang Cahaya (M) Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Waz Lian Group. It is expected to be ready in the second quarter of 2014.

Ghani said Dijaya Corporation had announced plans to develop a luxury serviced apartment, while the Danga Bay Group is planning to build no less than two major hotels at the marina area in Danga Bay.

Moving over to the east coast of the state, he said Khazanah Nasional Bhd is working on a multi-billion ringgit development plan to transform Desaru into an integrated and premier lifestyle destination.

"In the pipeline is the building of two international class hotels and a golf course.

"There will also be a theme park with a tropical eco-adventure and water features, as well as a convention centre," he said.

Ghani said the recent opening of the Senai-Desaru Expressway has improved accessibility to the east coast significantly, thus, more hospitality investments are expected to pour into Desaru.

By Business Times