Fresh new look for hotel

Holiday Inn Resort’s Penang’s RM11mil ongoing renovation is aimed at re-positioning the hotel to increase its occupancy rates from next year. Its general manager Stella Jacobs said in an interview that 161 rooms at the beach wing had been completed and full completion was expected in December this year.

“We will start with the coffee house, the lobby lounge and lobby area soon. “The renovation for the 189-room Ferringhi Tower wing is currently also ongoing,” she said. Jacobs said that for this year, the hotel expected to maintain an average of around 60% occupancy rate, more or less the same as last year, due to a softer market.

“Arrivals from the Middle East have been slower as a result of the (political) turmoil in the region. “We are also getting fewer arrivals from the UK and the rest of Europe due to the challenging economic climate there. “Furthermore, since Ramadan is in Aug this year, the Arab tourists are cutting short their stay so they can go home to prepare for the fasting month,” she said. Tourists from the Middle East comprise about 30% of the Holiday Inn Resort Penang clientele, while arrivals from UK and Europe comprise about 20%. “The remainder includes visitors from Australia and Singapore as well as the domestic market,” she said.

On the renovation exercise, Jacobs said that each room would sport a new contemporary design and a soothing fresh colour. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) televisions, iPod docks and broadband facilities will be installed. “The renovation will also enhance our 16 children’s suites which are equipped with Playstation 3 (PS3) equipment. We are the only hotel in Batu Ferringhi with suites for kids,” she said.

The renovation exercise is part of the Holiday Inn in-house refresh programme, a global multibillion dollar campaign that started in 2007. It was aimed at re-launching the world’s most recognised hotel brand. The highlight of the campaign involved the launch of the new logo for the Holiday Inn brand name in 2007.
-thestar online.