Search Results forpenang
Marriott expands in Malaysia with debut of Le Méridien brand in Penang
Marriott International announced it has signed an agreement with Rackson Hospitality Sdn. Bhd to bring the Paris-born Le Méridien brand to Penang, the 'Pearl of The Orient'. As part of the Penang Gateway development, the 200-room Le Méridien Penang Airport will be strategically located by the Penang International Airport and will be part of a mixed-use development that will also comprise of an independent residential tower, medical center, commercial, and retail space. The hotel construction is due to commence by mid-2022 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Rivero Delgado, Marriott International's Area Vice President for Singapore, Malaysia, and The Maldives said: "This signing underscores our commitment to further growing its footprint across Malaysia. We are confident that Le Méridien Penang Airport will enhance the hospitality offering on the island and will inspire travellers to explore the world in style." Known for its famous soft sandy beaches, art, architecture and fondly regarded as the food capital of Malaysia, Penang is a melting pot of cultures and holds the status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located on the main Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah road, the Le Méridien Penang Airport will feature a sky bridge connecting guests directly to the adjacent shopping mall. The new hotel will also offer guests convenient access to Bayan Lepas industrial areas and Georgetown, which are just a 15- and 25-minutes' drive away. "This means a lot to us and represents a big leap forward for an up-and-coming developer like us. The hotel building façade will stand out prominently with its interesting design elements. It will be almost impossible for business clientele and holidaymakers, both local and international, to miss this landmark upon touching down at the airport. Upon completion of Penang Gateway, it has the potential to become an accessible iconic landmark in the heart of Bayan Lepas that will raise the economic and architectural standards of the city," said Kelvin Lor, CEO for Rackson Group.
Travel Safe Alliance Malaysia expands partnership with Tourism Penang to attract travellers to the state
Travel Safe Alliance Malaysia (TSAM) has joined forces with the Penang State EXCO Office for Tourism and Creative Economy (PETACE) to raise the travel market confidence in Penang state. Travel Safe Alliance Malaysia (TSAM) has joined forces with the Penang State EXCO Office for Tourism and Creative Economy (PETACE) to raise the travel market confidence in Penang state. Travel Safe Alliance Malaysia (TSAM) has joined forces with the Penang State EXCO Office for Tourism and Creative Economy (PETACE) to raise the travel market confidence in Penang state. TSAM, which was recently launched in October this year, comprises four major players in Malaysia's tourism, business events and the airline industry, namely the Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS), Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) and airlines under the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) consisting of Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and MASwings. With tourism activities gradually picking up, the joint partnership is seen as a timely move by Penang to lead efforts in tourism and economic recovery, where safety and hygiene aspects are prioritised across the industry including for hotels, food establishments, convention centres, tours, and transportation. Penang State EXCO for Tourism and Creative Economy, YB Yeoh Soon Hin, said: "As the Penang State EXCO for Tourism & Creative Economy, spearheading necessary efforts to ensure everyone's safety is also essential to me. We have and will continue to work hard to ensure that Penang can safely receive tourists to revive the economy." He noted that the double assurance of Penang's industry-specific safety accreditation programme -- the first in Malaysia -- and TSAM's travel solution certified by Bureau Veritas Certification Malaysia, raised the benchmark for travel safety. "This provides solid assurance to travellers that the Penang State Government puts travel safety top-most on its agenda and welcomes tourists to its shores for peace-of-mind holidays," he said. He added: "On top of that, Penang Responsible Tourism campaign was also unveiled in July last year to remind all parties of their respective roles while partaking in travel activities. Allow me to note that this campaign is also updated from time to time, in accordance with the guidelines outlined by the National Security Council, to better suit the nation's pandemic situation." Pointing out that TSAM would provide a competitive edge for those in the tourism industry, YBhg Datuk Tan Kok Liang, President of MATTA, shared: "TSAM will play a key role in promoting Malaysia as a travel-safe destination more so since travel safety and hygiene has become one of the top concerns for travellers worldwide today. TSAM will set the bar in first-to-last-mile travel standards, and accredited Malaysian tourism stakeholders will definitely have a keener competitive edge when it comes to competing for market-share in various key source markets." YBhg Dato' N. Subramaniam, President of MAH, was pleased that the hygiene practice established by the hoteliers was gaining traction. He said: "Malaysian Association of Hotels first launched the Clean & Safe Malaysia hygiene and safety certification for hotels back in July 2020, and today it has become the benchmark of hotel safety standards as well as a key component in TSAM. The endorsement by the Penang State Government is a significant step forward to further boost travellers' confidence for the impending tourism recovery." Meanwhile, MACEOS President, Mr. Francis Teo, felt that industry-wide implementation of consistent safety standards was necessary to strengthen Malaysia's tourism industry. He called upon all tourism industry players to subscribe to TSAM, saying: "TSAM looks forward to seeing a wider acceptance and implementation of its certification programme among the island's tourism industry players. This is especially urgent in light of the launch of new flights into Penang from Kota Kinabalu and Kuching from 1 December 2021." Group Chief Executive Officer of MAG, Captain Izham Ismail, said that the collaboration was in line with its corporate mission of providing a safe travel experience. He said: "We are excited to collaborate with our counterparts in Penang as this continues to be a key domestic market for us – evident with the recent launch of Penang as our new hub for direct flights from the state to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. As the national carrier, we will continue to be the flag bearer in providing a seamless, safe and hygienic travel experience for business and leisure travellers, supported by our sister airlines Firefly and MASwings. This is underpinned by our 7-star rating for COVID-19 health and safety measures by Airlines Ratings, consisting of stringent safety initiatives and procedures so our passengers can travel with peace of mind." He added: "Safety and security are an integral part of MAG's DNA and way of doing business. We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure safety in all aspects of our operations and the stakeholders in our journey. As a responsible organisation, we recently completed a detailed audit for our subsidiaries with the Bureau Veritas Certification Malaysia to ensure that we not only meet the standards of health within the organisation but also certify our efforts in keeping our customers safe. This will further strengthen our commitment to ensuring safer and seamless travel, so that leisure and business travellers can continue to #FlyConfidently with us." At the same event, MAG launched its MHFlySafe campaign and logo that further reinforced its commitment of putting safety and hygiene as the anchor across all end-to-end consumer touchpoints – beginning from the check-in counters, lounges, onboard its flights and through to point of arrival. With year-end travel to Penang expected to rise due to pent-up demand and attractive holiday offerings, tourism industry players can instil confidence in the travelling public by subscribing to the TSAM certification programme endorsed by PETACE.
Hello Pearl of the Orient! Courtyard by Marriott makes debut in Malaysia with Penang property
Courtyard by Marriott has announced the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Penang – the first Courtyard debut in Malaysia. Located along the bustling Jalan Macalister in the heart of Penang’s UNESCO-listed George Town, the new 199-room hotel is set to provide the best hotel experience so guests can pursue their personal and professional passions while on the road. “We are thrilled to continue to grow our presence in Malaysia with the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Penang,” said Rajeev Menon, president of Asia Pacific (excluding China) in Marriott International. “Designed for today’s ambitious and enterprising traveller, the opening of the property marks Marriott International’s 17th brand in Malaysia and further compliments our growing footprint in the country.” Famed for its cultural heritage, historic charm, and palm-fringed beaches, Penang is located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is known as ‘The Pearl of the Orient’. The new hotel features rooms and suites designed to be smart and spacious, boasting 360 unobstructed views of Georgetown and the Straits of Malacca. Each room is fitted with thoughtful amenities and come with high technology equipment and an ergonomic work area, perfect for business or leisure travellers. The public spaces are inviting and flexible to stimulate ideas, along with a business centre in the lobby with everything guests need to move forward. The hotel offers one signature dining venue, and a bar that serves up a vast selection of drinks.
Podcast – Penang Re-Born, Penang – Malaysia
Penang Re-Born Facing the Straits of Malacca, Penang was one of the great trading ports in South East Asia. Once part of the Sultanate of Kedah, it was ceded to the British East India Company on the strength of a lie in 1786. The British may have been the administrators, but it was the Chinese who controlled the business. The British built the imposing public buildings, whilst the Chinese built their shophouses and mansions on a mangrove swamp near the main port. St George’s Church in George Town is a beautifully restored building that is the oldest Anglican Church in South East Asia. Its imposing set of exterior columns were built to withstand at least a metre of snow on the roof, a fate unlikely in a city that is barely three degrees north of the Equator. Nevertheless, St George’s is certainly worth visiting and, by law, has to open for at least one hour each day. The interior is bright and breezy featuring teak altar and pulpit, with wooden louvered windows and doors down both sides to facilitate air movements. Once outside and a few paces up Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling and you are well into the narrow streets of Chinatown. This part of George Town has recently been declared a UNSECO World Heritage Site, but such an honour came with conditions. One condition was that buildings in a state of bad repair had to be renovated using traditional methods. For instance, they couldn’t use modern paints because they don’t breathe. Traditional paints do breathe, and as the town is built on a former swamp the walls need to breathe to rid themselves of rising moisture. The heritage area does give you an impression of what Georgetown was like is during its earl days, and is still part of a very vibrant city. Here, businesses of all types operate from tiny shops which line the bustling streets cheek by jowl. Getting around is easy. There are free buses which can take you into the heritage area. However, for the visitor, I believe that the best way to experience the streets is to walk them. This part of Georgetown is flat, so strolling is easy. One very good reason to see the area by foot is to enjoy the amazing street art, which can be found in the most surprising areas. For me, discovering the street art was pure joy. It is not gaudy nor garish, but just appears. Sometimes the art is thought provoking, at other times it is humorous. The art does not dominate the streets, but becomes very much a part of it. For instance, a painting of Bruce Lee on a wall that has lost some of its plaster. The bare bricks are untouched, so Bruce has bits missing where the plaster should be. There are also dozens of wrought iron caricatures which have anecdotal descriptions of the streets they adorn. These are very whimsical, and a great way to introduce you to the main trade of the street. The house where famed shoe designer Jimmy Choo began his apprenticeship has a comic adornment. On Muntri Street the rich merchants once housed their mistresses, hence its alternate name of `Love Lane’. Here there is a caricature of a large, near naked man climbing out of a window. To understand the lifestyle afforded the wealthy, a visit to Pinang Peranakan Mansion on Church Street is a must. By the way, the spellings of Pinang and Penang seem to be interchangeable, one being a relic of the Portuguese, the other of the British. I was fortunate to be shown around the impressively decorated Pinang Peranakan Mansion by Lillian Tong, who is the Museum Director. What a brilliant hostess she was as she vividly re-enacted vignettes from the elegant mansion’s history and told its story with mesmerising enthusiasm. The Peranakans, who were also known as Babas and Nyonyas consisted of Chinese men who married women who were not Chinese, but who were either locals or were from nearby Thailand and Indonesia. These women, and their children, developed their own culture, and Lillian wore traditional Peranakan clothes. Originally the home of Kapitan Cina Chung Keng Kwee, it was a typical Chinese courtyard mansion featuring lots of carved-wood panels, with British influences such as Scottish ironworks and English tiles. Now a museum it is filled with over 1,000 antiques and collectibles. Within each room is either ornate furniture, period clothing, precious jewellery plus plenty of crockery and glassware of all types. It is a local tradition for engaged couples to have their official photos taken at the mansion prior to their wedding, and I saw two brides preparing for their photo shoot. The mansion is much larger inside than it looks from the outside, and I discovered quite a good, and reasonably-priced, jewellery store in one of the rooms. The Heritage Area of George Town is well worth visiting as it is no relic, but still a thriving commercial and residential centre. From the wooden clan jetties, where many people live on pylons about the harbour’s edge (a little tip – go at high tide when the odour is less vile), to the shophouses, mansions, temple’s and street art of inner Georgetown, Penang is definitely a great place to visit.
Banyan Tree brings first Angsana to Penang
Angsana Teluk Bahang, on the popular Malaysia island getaway of Penang, is all set to level up the profile of the thriving tropical destination with its own take on how to run a five-star luxury property when it opens, by the end of Q2 2020. Angsana Teluk Bahang Managed by Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts, the hotel is approximately a 50-minute drive from the Penang International Airport, a 30-minute drive from George Town and a five-minute drive from Batu Ferringhi. Guests will appreciate the resort’s convenient accessibility to nearby popular tourist attractions in the Teluk Bahang vicinity, namely the Penang National Park, Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm, Penang Tropical Spice Garden, Penang Tropical Fruit Farm, Penang Batik Factory, Penang Art & Garden and Escape Adventureplay and Waterplay Theme Parks. Room and Suite categories include Superior Room, Deluxe Room, Premier Room, One-Bedroom Suite, One-Bedroom Deluxe Suite, Two-Bedroom Suite, Two-Bedroom Deluxe Suite with a patio garden and a mini jet tub at the entrance, Two-Bedroom Pool Suite with a plunge pool and Two-Bedroom Sky Garden Suite, a penthouse with a private sky garden and outdoor jet tub. Two-Bedroom Pool Suite All rooms and suites offer a panoramic view of the Andaman Sea and come equipped with a 49-inch Smart television with music and movie channels, air-conditioning, luxurious amenities, international direct dial, bathroom with rain shower and long bath, bidet, hairdryer, digital clock with USB port, electronic safe box, Wifi connectivity, coffee and tea-making facilities, amongst others. Discussing the opening GM, Nigel Fisher, said: “The resort’s development came about with a vision of drawing inspiration from the rich Penang Peranakan Baba Nyonya heritage. Its architecture and interior design will incorporate the vibrant colours and intricate floral with geometric patterns of the Straits Eclectic Style, as well as pay tribute to Penang’s status of being a UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) world heritage destination.” Kebaya Ballroom Meetings and events can be organised at the resort with its Kebaya Ballroom located on the Ground Level of the resort, which can accommodate up to 300 guests, and three smaller meeting rooms which are suitable for private meetings and intimate events of 10 to 40 persons. Furthermore, there will be the functional Jubilee Pavilion by the infinity swimming pool deck area, which sets as the perfect venue for private events of 30 to 200 persons. Tailor-made proposals to meet guests’ needs and requirements can be arranged accordingly. Special Wedding banquet celebration packages are also available.
Doubletree Hilton Penang
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang, Jalan Low Yat, Puncak Ria, Batu Ferringhi, Penang, Malaysia Malaysia
Angsana Teluk Bahang Penang
The Angsana Teluk Bahang, Jalan Teluk Bahang, Teluk Bahang, Tanjung Bungah, Penang, Malaysia Malaysia
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