Best Western to manage hotel, convention centre in Kota Kinabalu

Best Western International has inked a management contract with Sabanilam Enterprise for a new upscale hotel and convention centre in Malaysia, expected to open in 2016.

The brand new Best Western Plus hotel and conference facility is part of the ITCC Penampang complex – a 10.5ha mixed-use development that is taking shape in Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state.

The new hotel will include 330 guestrooms, ranging from 27m² to 49m², all including modern amenities such as flatscreen TVs and complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi. Other facilities for both business and leisure travellers will include restaurants, a swimming pool, fitness centre, business centre and meeting rooms.

Best Western will also manage the new convention centre connected to the hotel. It will feature a large ballroom capable of housing 170 tables for local and regional conferences, corporate events, product launches and weddings. 

Both the hotel and convention centre will be directly connected to ITCC’s four-storey retail podium and Grade A office tower and residence.

“ITCC Penampang will be a significant addition to Kota Kinabalu’s landscape and economy, and I am delighted that Best Western International has the opportunity to be part of this exciting project,” commented Glenn de Souza, Best Western International’s vice president of international operations for Asia & the Middle East.

“Malaysia is one of Best Western International’s key growth markets. We see strong potential across the country, and with the onset of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, Kota Kinabalu is expected to become an increasingly significant regional centre for trade and tourism,” he added.

In the coming years, the hotel group expects to open at least 10 new hotels across the country, adding almost 2,000 guestrooms and suites.

-TTG Asia.