@ease targets 60% occupancy rate

KUALA LUMPUR: @ease boutique hotel, a hotel in Sandakan, Sabah and owned by Sara-Timur Properties Sdn Bhd, expects to achieve an occupancy rate of up to 60% in line with the industry’s average rate.


From left: Rosita Hamden, John Augustin and ICSD Ventures Sdn Bhd joint managing director Kenneth K.Y.Tiong at the media briefing

The hotel, built at a cost of over RM40mil, is part of the Sandakan Harbour Square, a RM450mil integrated, commercial, retail, and recreational development project.

At a media briefing on @ease, the operator of the hotel, Value Hospitality Group, said the peak tourist season in Sandakan would be from April to December.

“Sandakan itself has been earmarked as a new growth hub for Sabah, whereby commercial and tourism activities are increasing,” said Value Hospitality area general manager, east Malaysia, John Augustin.

Value Hospitality also manages the Prescott and Everly hotels.

@ease, which was soft launched on Nov 26, is scheduled for official launch on Dec 23.

“We are looking at opening eight more hotels in the peninsula as well as East Malaysia in the future,” said Sara-Timur joint managing director Rosita Hamden.

A property developer with various projects in the country, the company is also the main contractor for Phase I and Phase II of the Sandakan Harbour Square.

Rosita said the company was looking at having the same boutique hotel concept for the eight hotels it planned to build but had yet to decide on the cost of investment.

@ease will feature 138 deluxe rooms and suites, a business centre, and banquet and state-of-the-art meeting facilities.

By The Bernama