New hotel out to make its mark in KL

New hotel out to make its mark in KL

THE world-renowned Intercontinental Hotel is ready to make its mark on Kuala Lumpur’s hotel and tourism industry with its unique “In The Know” policy.

Staying at hotels can be an experience but what makes it different is the lasting memories that you will share with friends and family many years later.

Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur opened its doors to guests for that very experience on Feb 1 and it will be launched officially at the end of this month.

“The brand is something people know and trust and we have 170 hotels in key locations.
Grand: The Intercontinental Hotel lobby will undergo major renovations to make the place feel warm and inviting.

“We have rebranded the hotel and we have received great response so far,” said Intercontinental KL general manager Adam McDonald said.

The hotel took over the management from MTJ Developments Sdn Bhd after the initial agreement with the former Nikko Hotel ended. Intercontinental was then selected to bring the brand to life.

Structurally, nothing has changed but over the next 18 months, a number of things will be transformed including the concierge lounge that Intercontinental pays much importance to.

“The concierge lounge is something that is unique to luxury hotels. It is the essence of what the brand is about, ‘In the know’,” said McDonald.

According to McDonald, who previously worked at Intercontinental Bali, their research proved that guests were looking for a unique experience.

He firmly believes that the concierge is part of the local experience and a special room will be set up to allow guests to get the best kept secrets of KL.

“Let’s say the guest wants to visit the KL Bird Park, the concierge can tell you the best way to get there, which routes the taxi should take and maybe even a local coffeeshop nearby that locals patronise. That is ‘In the Know’,” he explained.

There will also be development of an iPad app that has already been launched at 10 other hotels that will allow guests to look for information with the concierge.

McDonald hopes to create an opportunity for personalised experiences with people.

The lobby will also go through a major transformation to bring warmth into the hotel. Apart from that, food is also an important part of any hospitality industry and Tatsu Japanese restaurant will be the first to be refurbished with an estimated cost of RM3mil.

They will also introduce local cuisine in their buffet to allow guests to taste Malaysia’s incredible melting pot. Their endeavour will begin with a special Indian spread for April in conjunction with the Tamil New Year.

“We are also looking at exchanging chefs from other sister hotels to introduce cuisines that are new here. We can bring the Bali chef to introduce Balinese cuisine and maybe send our Chinese chefs over there to whip up Cantonese food,” said McDonald.

Campaigns have been launched at their sister hotels all over the world to introduce the Intercontinental KL hotel to their guests.

-News courtesy of The Star-