There is a wave of new hotels coming up in Penang. What’s more, several of them are being put up by renowned international hotel chains.
Although Penang has always been a favourite holiday destination for local and foreign holiday makers, this trend of bringing these new brands to the island is rather interesting.
This trend surely reflects the popularity of Penang not only as a holiday destination but more importantly as an attractive investment hub for foreign hotel chains.
Among the first to see its opening will be the HARRIS Hotel Sunshine Penang managed by the Ascott Group which is expected to open by Q3 next year.
The 27-storey hotel will surely be the latest landmark in the Ayer Itam area.
The hotel project is part of the Sunshine Central in Farlim and consists of a mega mixed development consisting of the retail mall, office tower, hotel, service apartment and wellness centre.
The HARRIS Hotel Sunshine Penang is the first HARRIS branded hotel in Penang with 289-room inventory managed by Ascott group.
The new hotel will offer a 33,500 sq ft ballroom with a 1,200 capacity ballroom which will serve well for Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition (MICE) events.
Bright and vibrant colours will welcome guests to the studio, one-bedded and dual-key two-bedded units along with a huge swimming pool, gymnasium, business lounge, function rooms and an all-day dining restaurant.
Next in the pipeline is the Le Meridien near the Penang International Airport (PIA). It will offer 200-rooms and also the special 2000 sq ft presidential suite.
The hotel will be connected to the airport via a link bridge. The project is part of the RM1.5 billion Penang Gateway by the Rackson House Group. This project is expected to be ready by 2026.
Another international chain hotel is the Crowne Plaza in mainland Butterworth, Penang.
The 343-room inventory hotel by IHG is the flagship hotel for Straits City by STC Property Management Sdn Bhd.
The hotel is expected to enhance the hospitality industry scene on the mainland. Its location offers connectivity to the federal highways, Penang International Airport and the city of Georgetown itself.
Another big hotel project is the former Mutiara Beach Resort site in Teluk Bahang which is expected to have another IHG brand – The Intercontinental Hotel.
The owners of the former Mutiara Hotel, Tradewinds Corporation Berhad, are linking up with IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s largest luxury hotel chains.
In its heyday, the Mutiara Beach Resort was known for its all sea facing 438 luxury rooms on a 18 acre plot.