InterContinental to make debut in Malaysia next year

SINGAPORE: The InterContinental hotel brand will make its entry into Malaysia on Feb 1, 2011, when it replaces the current Nikko Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

In a statement yesterday, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) said the 473-room Nikko Hotel in Jalan Ampang would take the name InterContinental Kuala Lumpur.

IHG Asia Australasia managing director Jan Smits said IHG was excited to bring the InterContinental brand to Kuala Lumpur.

He said the hotel market in Malaysia had the potential for long-term growth, especially in view of the country's target of 36 million tourist arrivals by 2020.

Smits said Kuala Lumpur was a key regional destination and Malaysia was one of the few South-East Asian countries that saw an increase in visitor arrivals in 2009, a trend that had continued to-date this year.

Thomas Lee, director of the hotel's owning company MTJ Development Sdn Bhd, said with the InterContinental brand, the hotel would be able to capture an even greater share of the growing number of visitors to Kuala Lumpur, one of the most visited cities in the world.

The statement said the hotel was slated to embark on a 30-month refurbishment, which would take place in three phases.

Currently, there are 170 InterContinental hotels operating globally in more than 60 countries, including 50 in Asia Pacific.

In Malaysia, IHG also operates Crowne Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur, Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie, Holiday Inn Resort Penang and Holiday Inn Malacca.

With the recent signing of the Holiday Inn Express in Kota Kinabalu, IHG will have all its key brands operating in Malaysia when the Holiday Inn Express debuts in the market.

By Bernama