HOTEL UPDATE: KUALA LUMPUR

Despite a freeze on the issuance of new hotel licences in early 2016, the city’s hospitality sector seems as vibrant as ever

The hotel sector in KL is more vibrant than ever

NEW

Element Kuala Lumpur Opened: May 2017 The first of this hotel brand in Southeast Asia, Element Kuala Lumpur is situated in the 275-metre Ilham Baru Tower. Nearly half of this eco-themed property’s guestrooms are suites (120 out of a total 252 rooms). starwoodhotels.com/element Mercure Kuala Lumpur Shaw Parade Opened: March 2017 The Mercure brand has debuted in the city with the Mercure Kuala Lumpur Shaw Parade hotel. Located in Bukit Bintang, the 213-room property features a number of distinctly local Peranakan touches – a common theme among Mercure hotels – and boasts a rooftop pool and fitness centre, plus three meeting and event spaces. accorhotels.com Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur Opened: February 2017 YTL Hotels’ Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur is among the first properties in Southeast Asia to join the Autograph Collection. The 184-room hotel is situated in the business hub on Jalan Kamunting, an area replete with 1940s shophouses once known as the Asian Heritage Row. ytlhotels.com Cosmo Hotel Kuala Lumpur Opened: December 2016 A midscale addition to KL’s hotel scene, Cosmo Hotel’s 347 rooms range from regular guestrooms to family-style and studio suites. Its location in the Leboh Ampang district near the Masjid Jamek Interchange Station – two stops from KL Sentral – makes it convenient for business travellers entering the city via the KLIA Express. cosmohotelkl.com Other openings last year included Oakwood Hotel & Residence (October 2016, oakwoodasia.com) in the Jalan Ampang area, VE Hotel & Residence, Bangsar South Kuala Lumpur (June 2016, vehotel.com) and The St Regis Kuala Lumpur (May 2016, starwoodhotels.com/stregis), a 208-room luxury Starwood property located in the Sentral district. The same month also saw the launch of Holiday Inn Express Kuala Lumpur City Centre (ihg.com), while Oasia Suites Kuala Lumpur opened in April 2016, the 247-room hotel marking the brand’s first foray outside Singapore, located next to the KL Forest Eco Park, the city’s only surviving park with primary rainforest (stayfareast.com).

COMING SOON

in June this year, located in a western district of the city. Scheduled for an early 2018 launch is the 209-room Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur

, which will reside in a 65-storey mixed-use tower offering a total of 242 Four Seasons-branded residences and 27 serviced apartments, plus a fivefloor, 27,900 sqm luxury shopping complex known as Four Seasons Place Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, just over the road from the Petronas Towers, the W Kuala Lumpur

will open its doors on Jalan Ampang in March 2018, promising a luxury combination of art, design, music and fashion as well as its signature WET pool. Finally, set to open in the second quarter of 2018, Artyzen Hospitality Group’s 198-room Citizen M Kuala Lumpur

will be its third in Asia after upcoming properties in Taipei and Shanghai.

DOWN THE LINE

Originally scheduled to open this year, various issues have pushed back the completion and launch of the Fairmont Kuala Lumpur. Now looking at a 2020 opening, the 62-storey luxury hotel will offer 750 guestrooms along with

an executive lounge and Fairmont Gold, the brand’s “hotel-withina-hotel” offering. It will be located in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) development, next door to the Petronas Towers.

Accorhotels’ new So Sofitel offering comprises the So Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Hotel and the So Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Residences.

. Both are scheduled to open in 2020 and are situated a short distance from the KLCC. The hotel will offer 207 guestrooms while the serviced residence will include 590 units.

Intercontinental Hotel Group’s Crowne Plaza Kuala Lumpur City Centre

is currently scheduled for a 2021 opening, its location on Jalan Yap Kwan Seng and good meeting facilities appealing to business travellers looking for reliable midscale accommodation from an international brand. A total of 338 rooms, numerous speciality restaurants and a Sky Bar will be available.

Radisson Red Kuala Lumpur City Centre will be the brand’s first in Malaysia when it opens in 2022, offering 166 rooms over 27 floors, with meeting and event spaces, a rooftop swimming pool and gym. The upscale lifestyle hotel brand focuses particularly on design, art and fashion.