By V. Sivaji
The 27-storey HARRIS Hotel Sunshine Penang will be the new landmark in Ayer Itam come Q3, 2023.
The hotel project which is part of the Sunshine Central in Farlim consists of a mega mixed development consisting of the retail mall, office tower, hotel, service apartment and wellness centre.
Meanwhile, the HARRIS Hotel Sunshine Penang is the first HARRIS branded hotel in Penang with 289-room inventory managed by the Ascott group.
Present to seal the management agreement was Ms Cynthia Hwang (chief executive officer of Crimson Omega Sdn Bhd a subsidiary Suiwah Corporation Berhad) and Mondi Mecja (Country general manager of Ascott Malaysia).
Lending support was State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy YB Yeoh Soon Hin along with Mak Hoe Kit ( Managing director of Lodging Private Equity Funds and Head of Business Development of Ascott Limited), Dato Hwang Thean Long (managing director of Suiwah Corporation) and Datuk Radzali Hassan, chairman of Suiwah Corporation,
Also present was HE Bapak Bambang Suharto, Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Penang and state assemblyman for Air Itam, Joseph Ng among other guests.
The new hotel will offer a 33,500 sq ft ballroom with a 1,200 capacity 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.
“The project is on track to be completed by Q3 or Q4 of 2023 as it is 86% completed. We will also have an American financial institution taking up eight levels of the office block.
“We will also generate some 3,000 vacancies for the state,” said Ms Hwang during the press conference.
Meanwhile, Mecja in welcoming their second property on the Penang Island added that the hospitality industry will come back to Penang due to its vast attractions.
“We will cater for both leisure and business travellers while the hotel is a fun and vibrant venue for all,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ascott is the largest lodging-owner-operator in Malaysia with 26 properties in 11 cities in the country. This includes 14 properties that are slated to open between 2022 and 2027 in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Shah Alam, Damansara, Penang, Melaka. Miri and Kota Kinabalu.
