By V. Sivaji
For the very first time in Penang and maybe in Malaysia, two premier hotels will be located under one high-rise tower !
They are the 5-star boutique, JdV by Hyatt and the 4-star Galaxy Minyoun Penang The Light City Hotel.
The latter is making its first foray in the South East Asian region. The JdV Hyatt will occupy six floors while the latter will occupy nine floors of the tower block.
Located at the Light City along Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, the JdV by Hyatt will offer some 156 rooms while the Galaxy Minyoun Penang The Light City Hotel will have 303 rooms.
They are part of The Light City’s 34-storey mixed-use building which includes office units and various shared amenities – meeting and event spaces, restaurants, a bar and leisure facilities.
Ths new development will surely add to the already burgeoning hospitality industry scenario in Penang.
Galaxy Minyoun’s other hotels currently are in Chengdu, the Galaxy Minyoun Chengdu Hotel, China and another in Uzbekistan in 2022.
Present to witness the hotel management and franchise agreement signing ceremony was Penang Chief Minister, YAB Chow Kon Yeow.
Representing the IJM IJM Perennial Development was their group chief executive officer and managing director, Lee Chun Fei and his team.
Others present were the State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy, YB Wong Hon Wai, Zhang Jianming, the chairman of Minyuan Hospitality, Goh Seow Eng, CEO of Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd, Ms Sarah Leow, vice president of Development and Owner Relationship, Hyatt Asia-Pacific among others.
In his address, Chow hailed the signing a pivotal milestone in the journey towards becoming a digitally empowered, smart and liveable city of the future.
“The Light City is more than just another integrated development, it is a cornerstone of our Penang2030 and Penang Digital Transformation Masterplan’s aspirations to strengthen connectivity and digital infrastructure.
“This project is a critical component of our aspiration to establish Penang as a gigabit state, embodying our commitment to innovation and technology that enhances the quality of life for all who live and visit here”, said Chow.
Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC) will have a capacity of 8,000 people and will cater for local and international meetings and conventions.
The gathering also saw a MOU signing with Maxis and GlobalComm Telecommunications to provide mobile and fixed connectivity to the smart city project.
The Light City project expected to be completed progressively from Q1, 2025 features – the largest convention centre in Penang with a column free space capable of hosting 8,000 guests. a 750-metre-long waterfront promenade, the largest iconic waterfront mall in Penang, office spaces and the Mezzo and Lightwater Residences.
Meanwhile, Joie de Vivre (JdV) Hospitality is a hotel and restaurant company based in San Francisco, California, and the second-largest operator of boutique hotels in the United States.
