 THE
Regent Kuala Lumpur, will undergo a US$25 million (RM92 million)
renovation and refurbishment exercise this year following the
management takeover of the hotel by its owners, CDL Hotels (M) Sdn
Bhd, from Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.
The renovation and refurbishment, which will be done
progressively over the next 12 to 17 months, will see the interior
of the rooms and public facilities undergoing a marked change.
"We are looking at the drawings now ... the bulk of the
investment will go towards the front of the house, restaurant and
lobby," general manager Michael Sengol said.
"Rooms will have a fresher look," Sengol told Business Times in
an interview, adding that the exercise would help it compete with
new players in the market.
CDL Hotels (M) Sdn Bhd, which is under the umbrella of the
Millennium & Copthorne International Ltd, will however retain the
Regent brandname under a franchise agreement.
The hotel, one of the first five-star hotels on Jalan Bukit
Bintang, was built in 1989 at a cost of US$62 million (RM228
million) and was then managed by The Regent International Hotels.
Four Seasons took over the management in 1996 to November 2005
following the acquisition of the Regent brand
Interestingly, since the takeover of the hotel by the owners,
business seems to have picked up tremendously in the January to
March period and looks bright for the remaining year.
Sengol does not expects a slide in business despite the
renovations.
So far this year, the hotel has managed a 73.02 per cent
occupancy at an average room rate (ARR) of RM282.
This compares with what the hotel finished in 2005 at - an
average occupancy of 60.35 per cent and an ARR of RM259.
This year, said Sengol, the hotel is looking forward to to
closing 2006 at an average occupancy rate of over 80 per cent and an
ARR of RM310.
According to Sengol, The Regent Kuala Lumpur is the 10th hotel in
which he has been involved in for pre-opening/rebranding.
"Based on our past record, we will deliver (our projections)," he
said.
"We are working more aggressively as we now have a more buoyant
market. We have more new businesses coming into Malaysia as well as
the leisure market," he said.
But what Sengol is most proud about is his staff and the service
The Regent offers.
"The Regent will be a flagship hotel for the group in Asia in
terms of standard of service and looks," he said.
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