Malaysia: IHG plans to triple the number of hotels in Malaysia in the next five years, and to debut Kimpton and Hotel Indigo in the country.
IHG South-East Asia and Korea managing director Rajit Sukumaran said the group currently has four hotels across three of its brands in Malaysia and is looking to have more than 14 hotels across six brands within the next five years.
“Demand does exist and travel will return. At the moment, it’s going to be domestic — weekend staycation and holiday season travel. On the corporate side, we will see small meetings happening, not large events. For international travel, we expect to see leisure-driven tourists coming in as soon as the border reopens. By then, we also expect meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions to return quickly too,” he said.
IHG’s occupancy rate across Malaysia year-to-date is at 30 per cent compared to last year’s 63 per cent.
IHG SEA and Korea development VP Serena Lim said the group is seeking to introduce new luxury and lifestyle brands into Malaysia, such as Kimpton and Hotel Indigo, both of which are set to launch in Kuala Lumpur.
“We are thrilled to extend our selection of brands in Malaysia through the signings of Kimpton KL at The TRX Exchange and Hotel Indigo KL on the Park,” she said.
