Adya Hotel Offered To Manage Four-star Hotel In Saudi Arabia

Adya Hotel Langkawi. image: www.adyahotel.com

LANGKAWI, May 31 (Bernama) -- PKB Hotel Management & Services Sdn Bhd (PKBHMS), that manages the Adya Hotel on this island resort, may take up an offer to manage a new four-star hotel in Saudi Arabia this year.


A fully-owned subsidiary of Permodalan Kedah Bhd, the management company was made the offer by the owner of the 297-room hotel during discussions held here recently, said PKBHMS Chairman Nor Saidi Nanyan.


"After Hari Raya Aidilfitri, our management team will depart for Jeddah to visit the hotel and if everything goes well, we will sign a management agreement," he told Bernama.


Nor Saidi also disclosed that the company, which had received similar offers, managed the Adya hotel chain based on the syariah concept.


"We don't see any risk in managing the Saudi hotel as it is yet to be launched. We have proposed that the hotel be named Adya Hotel Jeddah (if we get to manage the hotel)," he said.


The hotel management company also manages the Adya Hotel in in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur, and would manage the soon-to-be completed Adya Hotel Cenang here, the latest by October.


In addition, Nor Saidi said the Malaysian Rubber Board also approached PKBHMS to manage their apartment complex here while discussions were ongoing to take over the management of another hotel in Kuala Lumpur.


He said guests placed confidence in the Adya Hotel chain because it was managed in accordance with Islamic values and syariah principles.


"This concept is not only strictly applied in the preparation of halal food or related to it but it cuts across every element in accordance with Islamic teachings," he added.

-bernama.
www.adyahotel.com

Minuman, snek percuma bagi` hidupkan’ R&R Perasing

Kawasan Rehat dan Rawat (R&R) Perasing.
- UTUSAN ONLINE/ BLOG JALAN RAYA MALAYSIA

KUALA TERENGGANU 31 Mei - Jabatan Pelancongan negeri akan mengagihkan snek dan minuman panas secara percuma kepada pengguna Lebuh Raya Pantai Timur II (LPT2) yang singgah di Hentian Rehat dan Rawat (R&R) Perasing sepanjang musim perayaan kini.

Pengarahnya, Tun Ahmad Faisal Tun Abdul Razak berkata, agihan selama sebulan bagi memeriah dan menghidupkan suasana akan bermula esok dari pukul 7 petang sehingga habis bekalan yang disediakan setiap hari.

Katanya, ini sebahagian daripada pendekatan ke arah meningkatkan bilangan pengguna LPT2 yang singgah untuk berehat, bersolat atau menjamu selera dengan memanfaatkan R&R Perasing di Kemaman itu.

Bercakap kepada pemberita di sini hari ini, katanya, usaha yang dijalankan dengan kerjasama Pejabat Daerah Kemaman itu mendapat sokongan 14 syarikat swasta di negeri ini.

“Ini termasuklah Casa Hartamas, Hexatrend, Perunding Irzi, Giga Builders, DM Machinery, BBR Construction System (M) Sdn. Bhd. dan Chan Kong Meng Sdn. Bhd,” ujarnya.

R&R Perasing salah satu daripada tiga R&R LPT2 di negeri ini namun ia seakan cuba dijauhi dan agak lengang, ekoran kesan pelbagai cerita seram yang dianggap mengarut melalui media sosial di samping tiada kegiatan niaga yang dianggap menarik.

Menurut Tun Faisal, ini merupakan sebahagian daripada tarikan program promosi Jom Ke R&R Perasing dan Jom Rehat Dulu Sebelum Memulakan Pemanduan.

“Kami juga akan membuka membuka Pusat Maklumat Pelancongan di samping bekerjasama dengan Yayasan Pembangunan Usahawan untuk membuka kiosk nasi dagang dan keropok sejuk beku serta beberapa produk Terengganu lain,” katanya.

“Usaha mempromosi R&R Perasing akan berterusan selama tiga bulan dan kemungkinan akan dilanjutkan sehingga hentian ini menjadi pilihan orang ramai,” katanya.

-utusan online.

Malaysia's new hotel rating system gets thumbs up from trade

Brinchang town, Cameron Highlands

Beginning June 1, Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture will introduce a new hotel classification and rating system, which trade players generally believe is fairer and more representative than the existing star-rating system. The new classification houses categories of city hotels, highland hotels, island/beach/lake/river resorts, innovative hotels and boutique hotels. Further details of the new rating system are not available at press time. Shaharuddin M Saaid, executive director, Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners, who was on the committee to review the classification criteria, said the old rating system – in basing its requirements on city hotels – put island and hill resorts at a disadvantage. Citing examples, Shaharuddin said: “Based on the old system, a hotel needed an executive floor and lounge to be rated five stars. This was alright for a city hotel which received business travellers, but not necessarily for island and hill resorts where guests were holidaymakers.” Hotels also needed to have a swimming pool to be rated four stars and up, although the criteria was not as important in beachfront hotels or hill resorts, he added. The Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa’s managing director, Anthony Wong, said: “In the past, hotels must have two restaurants to be classified as a four-star property. We only had one and were classified as three-star under the local rating, although TripAdvisor and travel agents rated us as a four-star. "We didn’t see a need to have more than one restaurant as there were many restaurants outside our hotel, giving visitors plenty of choices.” Ganneesh Ramaa, manager at Luxury Tours Malaysia, similarly opined that the new classification will provide a more accurate picture to agents and partners. “Based on the old system, Cameron Highlands only has two properties that fit the five-star category, when (in reality) there are many more hotels that provide the services of a five-star. The old system of one-shoe-fits-all simply cannot be applied.”

-TTG Asia.

SIC RACING TEAM Motivated For Mugello

Mugello, Italy –Monday 29th May

Circuit: Autodromo del Mugello

Circuit Length: 5.2 km

Round six of the Moto3 World Championship sees SIC Racing Team riders Adam Norrodin and Ayumu Sasaki head to the beautiful Autodromo del Mugello, where their battle for points continues.

Situated in the picturesque countryside of Tuscany, the Gran Premio d’Italia is one of the most popular events of the season. At 5.2km long it is also one of the longest tracks on the calendar, consisting of six left-hand and nine-right hand corners. The technical layout combines a mixture of slow and fast turns with sweeping curves, long straights and off-camber corners, challenging both the riders and their engineers.

#7 Adam Norrodin

“Since Le Mans I have been training hard in Barcelona and focussing a lot on Mugello.
The track is really nice to ride. Last year there was a big group in the race, so my aim is to be up there with them this time. For sure we have the potential to be in the top ten; I’m feeling very motivated and prepared for this next race. Ayumu and I have been doing a lot of physical training, mainly on two wheels, during the last week in preparation; this also makes us mentally stronger. I’m feeling a lot more confident and I’m determined to score points in Mugello. We must improve our Championship position.
For a few races now luck has not been on our side but I am hoping that we can really turn things around in Italy. I can’t wait to get started on Friday and really work hard to get the results we deserve. We have a lot of potential, we just need to show it.”

#71 Ayumu Sasaki

“This will be my first time riding at Mugello and I’m looking forward to it. In Le Mans we had a tough weekend but we are making progress all the time. I have found where I need to improve so I know exactly what I must focus on at this next round. If I can do this, I’m confident that we can fight for a podium.
At Mugello I think there will be a big group in the race, so it will be very important to make a good qualifying on Saturday. First practice may be a little slow for us whilst I learn the track but after that I have two more sessions to really get up to speed and ready for qualifying; I have to be up the front this time! With a good starting position I know I can go with the fastest group and battle with the leaders; the bike is more than capable, as am I. I’m ready to get to work and do my best this weekend.”

-SIC Racing Team.
PelanconganKini supports SIC Racing Team.

THE MANGANIYAR CLASSROOM By Roysten Abel @ Dewan Sri Pinang Auditorium, Penang ( 5 ~ 6 August 2017 )

From the creator of the international sensation The Manganiyar Seduction, acclaimed theatre director Roysten Abel brings to Penang, Malaysia, the Asian premiere of The Manganiyar Classroom.

35 Manganiyar village children as young as eight, spontaneously sing and dance their boredom away, taunting and rebelling against their teachers. Watching the children’s buoyant performance will get the audiences reminiscing about their schooling days.

Its performance at the Melbourne Recital Centre, has been described as another exuberant and uplifting music-theatre experience to shine a spotlight on the Manganiyar musical tradition. This time the younger members of this tribal community are the stars of the high energy show.

Roysten Abel is known for the combination of theatre and folk music in his works. His shows are more than to just entertain, but also to raise awareness on the folk legacy’s verge on extinction because of India’s rapid modernisation.

A must-watch this year, particularly if you enjoyed The Manganiyar Seduction in GTF 2012 and The Kitchen in GTF 2014.

-AirAsia RedTix.

https://airasiaredtix.com/

Iftar@KL - Jalan Raja, Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur ( 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 & 18 Jun 2017 )

-MOTAC facebook.

Malaysia Tourism Forecast For Q2 Suggests Growth Revival In US Arrivals

NEW YORK, May 27 (Bernama) -- Tourism Malaysia expects tourist arrivals from the United States to Malaysia to register a growth revival in the second quarter of this year.

Its New York office vice-president Ahmad Johanif Mohd Ali said based on the air-bookings manifest for June until August, arrivals from the US are forecast to grow by 14% over the first quarter.

“This suggests that we will make a turnaround in the second quarter of this year. The April figures for arrivals from the US have already showed the downward trend had been arrested with a 9.5% growth over April 2016,” he said.

Based on data received from Tourism Malaysia’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, he said arrivals from the US in the first quarter of 2017 declined by 12.9% to 52,237 from the previous quarter. Tourist arrivals from the US ranked 14th among the top 15 nationalities visiting Malaysia in the first quarter of this year.

The top 10 nations were Singapore, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Brunei, South Korea, India, Japan, Britain and Australia.

According to David Andrews, an east coast tourism consultant, a number of factors contributed to the decline in arrivals from the US to Malaysia during the first quarter.

“Global political uncertainties and the outbreak of extremist violence in a number of regions may have generally dampened the mood of Americans to travel abroad.

“However, in Malaysia’s case, the real problem is associated with the non-availability of direct flights bet­ween the US and Malaysia,” he said.

Malaysia Airlines discontinued its direct flights to both the east and west coast a few years ago, while American visitors prefer to take direct flights.

Andrews, who regularly compiles tourism trends, said passengers taking carriers that offer flights to Malaysia via their home hubs had to spend layover time there.

Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Qatar are some of the airlines that regularly fly to Kuala Lumpur via their home hubs.

Johanif, who is expected to return to Kuala Lumpur on completion of his posting here, said the New York office was being shut down as a cost-cutting measure but the one in Los Angeles would continue to function.

-bernama.

Sabah, Sarawak handicrafts Given Priority In Overseas Promotion

www.kraftangan.gov.my/

KOTA BELUD, May 26 (Bernama) -- Handicraft products from Sabah and Sarawak are given priority in the promotion of handicrafts abroad by the Tourism and Culture Ministry to further widen their market scope.

Its secretary-general Datuk Ab Ghaffar A Tambi said the ministry was focusing on the products from the two states as they have a unique appeal to the international community.

'"Their rich artworks especially jungle products by the various tribes in the two states are still relatively fresh while the handicrafts in the peninsula are already well established.

" A special product from Sabah will be presented as gift to all delegates at an international tourism conference in Penang this year end as a promotional item. This is one of the promotional efforts for handicrafts from Sabah and Sarawak to go further in their global reach," he said.

Ab Ghaffar told reporters this after opening the RM800,000 Kota Belud Craft Incubator, the first by the ministry in Sabah, here Saturday.
-bernama.

Nazri: New landmark set to raise KL’s stature as top tourist spot

New era: Nazri (left) and CRCC’s CEO Zhuang Shangbiao dotting the eyes of ‘dragons’ to mark the new beginning in the journey of the Four Seasons Place at the topping out ceremony in Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: City folk here will soon be enjoying Four Seasons living. But don’t get it wrong. There will be no climatic change here.

The Four Seasons Place Kuala Lumpur, an iconic and swanky soon-to-be landmark, is set to be completed by next month.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the presence of the prestigious landmark would further raise the stature of the city as a foremost tourist destination.

“We are happy that Malaysia at last has a Four Seasons hotel and residency.

“I was told that there are only 10 in the world and this is the fourth which is similar to that found in Hong Kong,” he told reporters after witnessing the topping out ceremony of the 77-storey project by China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) here yesterday.

Located next to KLCC Twin Towers, the project consists of a 342.5m tower hotel and residency, including a shopping mall with a gross development value of RM3bil.

The tower, the second tallest after the KLCC Twin Towers, will have 240 rooms for the Four Seasons Hotel, 27,871sq m of retail space and 242 residential units.

Nazri said the hotel would be operational by the end of the year while the residency and mall are expected to open by the middle of next year.

The ceremony saw several CRCC workers filing in the last portion of the building on the last floor with concrete to signify the “last topping out” of the project.

He said the project augured well for the Belt and Road Initiative where China’s investment here would help develop the tourism industry while creating jobs and generating revenue for the nation.

Earlier in his speech, Venus Assets Sdn Bhd executive director and shareholder Datuk David Ban said the project marks the completion of CRCC’s first major development project in the country.

“I feel that this project is only a forerunner of CRCC’s commitment to the development of Malaysia.

“Clearly, it will be playing a major role in transforming the skyline of Kuala Lumpur with major iconic projects in the future,” he said.

Also present was CRCC’s chief economist Zhao Jinhua, who said that his company had adopted the Chinese proverb of “through thick or thin” in standing alongside Malaysia.

He said the company managed to hit a record construction rate of building a floor every four days.

Besides the Four Seasons Place, he said CRCC is also involved in over 20 projects in Malaysia amounting to RM5.54bil.

-thestar online.