Hilton to double presence in Malaysia, reports weekly

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 8): It is a comfortable sight for weary travellers and tourists all over the world, as one could expect a good meal from room service and a nice comfortable bed to rest one’s tired body – that of a Hilton Hotel.

Malaysians are familiar with the Hilton brand, and according to a report by The Edge publication, US-based hospitality chain Hilton Hotels & Resorts will add nine new hotels with a room inventory of 3,000 in the country.  

The report said fresh launches in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Johor will bring the number of Hilton branded hotels, which include DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn, to 18 and room inventory to 6,400 in Malaysia.

“Hilton has a pipeline of nine properties in Malaysia. With their opening, we will increase our presence in the country by 100% by number of hotels.

“We are constantly searching for the right partners to grow our brands with, and with whom we can assess opportunities across the different segments of the market,” Guy Phillips, senior vice-president, development, Asia and Australasia, told The Edge.

“We are seeing strong occupancy at landmark hotels such as Hilton KL, where we are also known for some of the best food and beverage offerings the city has to offer. This is consistent with our strong overall RevPAR (revenue per available room) growth of 7.7%, with South Asia seeing a healthy growth of 8.1%,” he added.

According to the report by the business weekly, planned openings include the 255-room Hilton Garden Inn Puchong built by Millennium Land Sdn Bhd and the 267-room Hilton Garden Inn Kuala Lumpur Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman North owned by Singapore’s Royal Group Capital.

Another two openings planned are the 315-room Hilton Garden Inn Johor Bahru developed by Capital World Ltd and DoubleTree by Hilton Shah Alam, owned by I-Bhd property.

Phillips also revealed to The Edge about introducing a new brand in Malaysia.

“Among the upcoming properties that we are excited to be opening is Canopy by Hilton Kuala Lumpur in Bukit Bintang, which marks the debut of the Canopy by Hilton lifestyle hotel brand in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

“Scheduled to open in three years, the property will provide an energetic and comfortable stay for guests in search of thoughtful local experiences in Kuala Lumpur’s vibrant Bukit Bintang district,” Phillips told the weekly.

The 478-room hotel will be developed by Hass Holdings Sdn Bhd.

Phillips also told The Edge that Malaysia and Southeast Asia are key growth engines for the group and it has embarked on an aggressive growth plan in line with the country’s strong tourism potential.