Holiday Villa to open flagship hotel in KLCC as tourism outlook brightens

KUALA LUMPUR: HOLIDAY Villa Hotels & Resorts is strengthening its presence in Kuala Lumpur with a new city-centre property, positioning the hospitality group to tap into the expected recovery in tourism demand under the extended Visit Malaysia campaign, which runs through 2027. 

The group has taken over Crown Regency Serviced Suites on Jalan P. Ramlee and will rebrand it as Holiday Villa Hotel Suites Kuala Lumpur by early next year, adding a flagship asset in the capital's commercial and tourism district. 

The upgraded property will offer 103 suites, comprising one-, two- and three-bedroom units, catering to business travellers, families and long-stay guests seeking accommodation in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. 

Holiday Villa Hotels & Resorts chief executive officer and managing director Nina Karina Tan Sri Azman Shah said the group is refurbishing and upgrading the property to enhance its positioning and guest experience. 

She said the Kuala Lumpur opening forms part of Holiday Villa's broader expansion strategy, which includes partnerships with international hospitality operators and growth through management and licensing agreements. 

"We currently operate 28 hotels across five countries, and we continue to expand in key cities with high demand rates as we grow our regional hospitality portfolio," she told Business Times.

Nina said the group's expansion strategy is being supported by its strategic partnership with GreenTree Inns (GTI) Hotel Management Group, the parent company of New York Stock Exchange-listed GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. 

Under the partnership, the first GreenTree Hotel in Malaysia is scheduled to open in Permas Jaya, Johor, in the fourth quarter of this year. The more than 200-room property is being developed by Malpakat Leisure Group, which also owns the four-star, 345-room Holiday Villa Johor Bahru City Centre. 

The partnership has also gained traction in China, with the opening of the 360-room five-star Holiday Villa Xilin Mountain Hotel in Guizhou and a city-centre hotel in Weihai, Shandong, in 2025. The partners have since expanded their footprint further with the launch of Holiday ViVilla Hotel, Miao Village in Guizhou, and CitiVilla Tianjin Hotel in Beichen, Tianjin. 

"Our strategic partnership with GreenTree Hospitality Group continues to support our expansion strategy, allowing us to strengthen our footprint in key markets while delivering consistent quality and value to our guests," Nina said.

Next year, the partnership will open Holiday Villa Spring Resort & Villas Nanyue, in Hengyang, Hunan, and Holiday ViVilla Hotel Shanghai by Holiday Villa in Shanghai. 

In Malaysia, Holiday Villa Terengganu is slated for a soft opening by the end of 2026. 

The group is understood to be in discussions with several developers and investors to expand the Holiday Villa brand through hotel management and licensing agreements in Malaysia and other Asian cities and resort destinations. 

Established in 1987 with its first resort in Cherating, Pahang, Holiday Villa Hotels & Resorts has expanded into an international hospitality group with properties across Malaysia, Indonesia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and China. 

The expansion comes as Malaysia prepares for stronger tourism growth under the extended Visit Malaysia campaign, with the government targeting 47 million international tourist arrivals and RM329 billion in tourism receipts. 

Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Manoharan Periasamy recently told Business Times that extending the campaign through 2027 could enable Malaysia to surpass its original tourism targets. 

He said Asean remains Malaysia's largest visitor market, contributing about 70 per cent of total arrivals, followed by China and India. 

There are currently more than 700 weekly flights connecting Malaysia and various cities in China, and discussions are underway with airlines to further increase frequencies in response to growing demand, he said. 

While higher airfares and geopolitical tensions had temporarily dampened international travel, Manoharan said booking trends are improving as conditions stabilise. 

He added that domestic tourism continues to provide a strong foundation for the industry, with Malaysians maintaining robust travel activity following the pandemic. 

Official data showed domestic tourism expenditure rose 13.6 per cent to RM121.3 billion in 2025, while total domestic visitor trips increased 11.5 per cent to 290.1 million.

-nst online.