MAHB hotels to be called "Sama-Sama"

PETALING JAYA (Nov 6, 2012):

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is consolidating its air-side and land-side hotels at the KL International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang under a new brand name, "Sama-Sama".

The airport operator is also in the process of upgrading its two existing hotel facilities there.

MAHB said this is part of its plans to position its airport hotel services as a specialised product brand and expand the offerings to the overseas airport market.

"(The move is also) in line with our focus to grow our commercial business as outlined in our five-year business direction (2010-2014).

"We feel that the time is right to set a new direction for the future growth of our hotel business," it said in a statement yesterday.

For starters, all three of its hotels at KLIA -- the land-side Pan Pacific KLIA, the KLIA Air-side Transit Hotel and the KLIA2 Air-side Transit Hotel, the latter of which will be ready in May next year -- will assume the new brand name.

"The new hotel brand will be ready for operational launch by Jan 1 2013, starting with Pan Pacific KLIA," said MAHB.

"With this new brand identity, (MAHB's) subsidiary KL Airport Hotel Sdn Bhd (KLAH) and Pan Pacific Hotels Group have mutually agreed not to extend the management agreement for the land side hotel beyond Dec 31 2012."

MAHB's management also gave assurance that all staff of Pan Pacific KLIA will see no change in their employment status as a result of this transition, as all staff remain legal employees of KLAH.

"This new direction that the group is taking also means new opportunities and possibilities of career growth for the hotel associates in the future, as it expands its business beyond Malaysia in the overseas ventures and offerings," said MAHB, adding that the internal announcement to the staff was "well received".

Lido Boulevard work starts, first launched in 2013

KUALA LUMPUR: Work on the Lido Boulevard project in Johor worth over RM4 billion has started with Lido Residences being the first component to be launched.
Central Malaysian Properties Sdn Bhd (CMP) chief executive officer Khoo Boo Teng said mitigation works at the project site started in July, and would be completed in the next two months.

Khoo said CMP is planning to launch Lido Residences by early next year and it is upbeat on sales.

Lido Residences comprises eight blocks of 18-26 storey condominiums with 908 fully furnished units, ranging from 2,459 sq ft to 9,089 sq ft. The units are priced over RM2 million each, or around RM1,300 per square foot.

"We are targeting foreign markets like Asean and Europe. We have a lot of enquiries and are confident of launching it next year," Khoo told Business Times.
Overlooking the Straits of Johor, the 50ha Lido Boulevard is an integrated residential and commercial development that spans 2.4km along the Tebrau Straits coastal line.

The project is located within the Iskandar region and nearby Johor Baru's Central Business District, the Customs, Immigration & Quarantine (CIQ) complex, Johor Baru's railway station and the Johor Baru-Singapore Causeway.

Lido Boulevard is one of the biggest privately-financed initiatives in Iskandar. The project is a joint venture between CMP and the Johor state government, the landowner.

CMP is a private property developer majority-controlled by Berjaya Group's Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun.

Besides Lido Residences, the project will feature serviced residences/hotel, office suites, a mall, an art and cultural centre and The Gardens.

Lido Boulevard was introduced in 2007 and was approved by over 30 departments and agencies and the Malaysia-Singapore joint-committee on the environment.

The detailed Environment Impact Assessment studies were approved in May 2008 and the Environmental Management Plan in March 2009.

The project was said to be abandoned after a portion of the land, which had been reclaimed, caved in, resulting in loss of a life, in November 2010.

Khoo said mitigation works are being carried out in accordance with the environmental guidelines. The works involve rigging out the sea area it will reclaim with sheet piles to prevent waste and debris from getting into the straits.

"Work at the project site is focused on putting in place all prescribed environmental mitigation work measures to ensure full compliance with our Environmental Management Plan," he added.

Desaru Coast GDV expected to hit RM5b

KHAZANAH Nasional Bhd's resorts and hotels invest-ment arm Destination Resorts and Hotels Sdn Bhd (DRH) expects Phase One of its Desaru Coast project in Johor to generate a gross development value of RM5 billion.

The first phase is expected to be completed in 2015, Desaru Development Holdings One Sdn Bhd (DH1) chief executive Muhd Firdaus Azharuddin said.

The project, located on a 728.43ha site, is being developed by DH1 and is currently one tenth complete, Muhd Firdaus added.

Phase One will feature four components - Datai Langkawi, Sheraton Resort and Plantation Hotel, the Riverwalk (retail, food and beverage entertainment waterfront lifestyle village) and a hospitality, tourism and culinary school.
"Two water theme parks - Ocean Quest and Ocean Splash, which are in partnership with Themed Attractions and Resorts Sdn Bhd, will also be part of the phase, together with a convention centre, two golf courses as well as prime golf residences developed by UEM Land Holdings Bhd.

DH1 is the vehicle of Desaru Development Corp, a joint-venture between Bagan Cerah Sdn Bhd and Perbadanan Darul Takzim with a shareholding of 70:30 per cent respectively.

Desaru Coast, which spans over 1578.27ha along a 17km beachfront, is strategically located on the east coast of Johor and offers ease of connectivity to Singapore and Indonesia via air, land or sea.

Muhd Firdaus said the luxury destination resort will be developed in three phases. Phase 2 and phase 3 of the development are still being discussed.

Meanwhile, DRH managing director Mohd Nadziruddin Mohd Basri said Desaru Coast is expected to attract one million visitors per annum and create over 3,500 employment within the first five years.

He added that the region's first integrated luxury destination will not only complement other developments in Johor, but also stimulate various developments of trade and homegrown businesses and new townships.

"The resort will set new standards in the industry with the objective to boost tourist arrivals, extend the length of their stay and eventually increase tourist receipts," he said.

Mohd Nadziruddin said RM600 million was obtained from Malayan Banking Bhd to part-finance Phase One of the project. Khazanah will also put in a seed capital for the development.

"On each level of the project, there are joint-venture companies and subsidiaries. There will be bank borrowings as well," he added.

By Bilqis Bahari