- On 218 Macalister Road, close to Penang’s famous hawker fare
- Aimed at business travellers; beautifully appointed rooms
- Rates at about RM300/night
The very first Courtyard By Marriott brand hotel in Malaysia opened in Penang recently.
On hand to officiate the opening was Penang Chief Minister, Chow Kon Yeow along with Tropicana Group executive vice chairman Tan Sri Dato Tan Chee Sing and group managing director Dion Tan among other dignitaries.
Following a lion dance performance, the VIP entourage performed the ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of the first Courtyard By Marriott Penang.
“With the tourism industry as a fundamental pillar of the current and future socio-economic progress of Penang, we are convinced that the opening of the Courtyard By Marriott Penang is in line with our vision to transform Penang into an international and intelligent city that is a location of choice to investors and tourists,” said Chow in wishing the hotel every success.
Earlier, Dion Tan thanked the support of the state and federal agencies in making the opening of the hotel come true.
“We expect the market to rebound slowly, across the nation and especially in Penang, as it has always been popular among property buyers – Malaysians and foreigners.
“We believe that there will still be demand for properties in prime locations with attractive pricing, innovative ownership packages and offerings, especially for first-time home buyers,” said Dion.
Meanwhile, general manager, Subash Basrur added that they are excited to welcome guests to the first Courtyard by Marriott Penang.
“Malaysia is a beautiful country and Penang being the Pearl of the Orient, presents its own unique combination of modern and old-world charm that continues to attract not only international travellers but also, domestic tourists who never tire of the sights and sounds of this island,” said Subash.
Meanwhile, Cindy Yoong, the Marriott International Area Director of Marketing (Singapore, Malaysia, Maldives and Indonesia) added that the hotel is the 34th hotel in their group.
“This is the flagship of the brand and we are always open to bringing our wide range of brands to the country backed by the location and partners to work with.
“We have a wide support chain in food and beverage, room service and a wide pool of talents to support our new team.
“Presently, we are looking at areas like Malacca, and East Malaysia,” added Yoong at the post event press conference.
Among the major brands under the Marriott group are The Ritz-Carlton, St Regis, Westin, W, JW Marriott, Sheraton, Meridien and Aloft to name a few.