Charge five-star rates, hoteliers told

KUALA LUMPUR: Hoteliers should not offer rooms at too low a rate as it will give an impression to foreigners that their services and rooms are of poor quality, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The Prime Minister said since the country was working hard to attract high-end tourists, the under-pricing of room rates would only negate such efforts.

“It is bad for the tourism industry as it is not the best approach and I would like to advise hoteliers not to continue doing it.

“Besides undervaluing quality, such approach will also not increase sales,” he said when opening the Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur here last night.

Also present were his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The five-star, 402-room hotel is owned by Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera and was built at a cost of RM200mil.

Najib said foreigners had often expressed disbelief that the room rates of five-star hotels in the country were low compared to those under the same category in the region.

“They wondered if our hotels were really five-star and thought that the services and quality offered by the hotels were low.

“Our rates should commensurate with the star rating because high-end tourists are prepared to pay a premium for excellent service and quality,” he said.

Najib also reminded hoteliers to pay attention to details as it would “make or break a hotel”.

The service industry, he added, was very competitive and only hotels offering a memorable experience to their guests would succeed.

Guests should be pampered by all levels of the hotel employees who make an effort to know their names, he added.

“The arrival of tourists showed an increase in January which is a good indication,” he said, adding that Malaysia was among the few countries in the world that registered a rise in the number of arrivals despite the global economic slump last year.