Next stop, Kuala Penyu
An international holiday group is set to open a new sustainable resort in a secret location in Sabah.
CLUB Med, one of the biggest and most popular all-inclusive holiday brands in the world, has set its eyes on a new location in Malaysia – Kuala Penyu in Sabah.
Kuala Penyu is a coastal district located about one-and-a-half hours away from Kota Kinabalu city. The beautiful beaches there are wellknown to locals, but have so far remained a “secret” to tourists, who are usually seen along the more developed shorelines of Tanjung Aru Beach, Tanjung Lipat and KK.
The company is collaborating with Golden Sands Beach Resort City (GSBRC) to develop the resort, which is scheduled to open in late 2022. GSBRC is a Sabah-based company formed by investors who have extensive business experience in the country and abroad, with specific focus on the hospitality industry as well as property developments in Sabah and Kuala Lumpur.
The upcoming resort will be part of Club Med’s 5 Trident Exclusive Collection, which is the company’s premium range. It will also be the first Breeam-certified and sustainably-built beach resort in the Asiapacific for Club Med. BREEAM stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, an internationally recognised method of assessing, rating and certifying the sustainability of buildings.
“The Club Med spirit has always been to create new resorts that seamlessly blend into naturally beautiful locations and become discoverable bucket list destinations in their own right. Opening in
Kuala Penyu allows us to showcase Sabah’s beautiful surroundings in a relatively undiscovered part of the world,” said Henri Giscard d’estaing, president of Club Med in a press release.
Currently named “Club Med Borneo Kota Kinabalu”, the resort is flanked by tropical rainforests with a white-sand beachfront that’s perfect for a relaxing holiday. It is located next to a mangrove (the Binsuluk Forest Reserve is also nearby).
The resort’s design will be inspired by traditional Bornean culture and motifs. Structures will be seamlessly integrated with the surrounding rainforest, while local and sustainably-sourced natural materials will be used.
A total of 400 rooms will be available, including 40 luxury suites for the 5 Trident Exclusive Collection. There will also be Children’s Club facilities, pools, restaurants and more. On top of that, guests can also enjoy up to 30 types of land and water sports activities and excursions to discover Sabah.