Kuala Lumpur has had a busy third quarter, with several international conferences, corporate groups and a 3,200-strong group from Perfect (China). The air-conditioned walkways connecting the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and major hotels are well underway, new hotels are opening, and established ones are diversifying their offerings.

Hotel upgrades
Crowne Plaza Mutiara (560 guestrooms) is undergoing some changes with the addition of LCD televisions to all rooms by the end of the year. Also on the calendar is an upgrade to its 30th floor  meeting space, Windows on KL. The flexible space will be refurbished with new wallpaper, curtains and carpet, giving a fresh look to the meeting rooms and breakout areas that can host events for up to 400 people. The EarthCheck Silver-certified hotel is expanding its organic garden to provide more of its kitchens’ produce requirements and will also launch new sustainability-conscious meeting packages in December.

InterContinental (473) is well into its renovation process since taking over the former Hotel Nikko in February. First to open is its new Japanese restaurant Tatsu, which seats 180 people. Financial organisations, such as Citibank and OSK, have already hosted lunches there. Its renewed Deluxe guestrooms will be available from the end of November and feature a more contemporary look with lighter furnishings, upgraded technology facilities and modern bathrooms. Next up is the main lobby, which will close in December for a two-month renovation.

Westin (443) is currently transforming its mezzanine Living Room outlet into an executive club lounge that will open by the end of the year. The hotel is also now offering in-room spa treatments.

Fresh offerings
DoubleTree by Hilton (540) has introduced cooking classes at Makan Kitchen that can be incorporated into coffee breaks or as an afternoon activity. The restaurant has three interactive show kitchens, which means groups of up to 60 people can participate at once. Also underway is a new, naturally lit meetings facility on level 10 for 80 people theatre style. The expanded meeting space is a result of market demand – the hotel hosted several corporate groups this quarter, including a six-day global event for PricewaterhouseCoopers.


The new meeting space @M at Sheraton Imperial (385) has been welcoming a steady flow of corporate groups from Malaysia, Singapore and mainland China since opening in May, including Huawei, CIMB Bank and Nokia. Sheraton is offering a full-day meeting package for US$54 per person, including two coffee breaks, free-flow snacks and beverages and lunch. Equipment includes LCD projector, PA system and flipchart.

Ritz-Carlton (250) has hosted a number of high-end business events recently, including meetings for JP Morgan and product launches for Hennessy and Unilever. The hotel is currently offering a full-day meeting package for $51 per person, including two coffee breaks and lunch until December 31.

Grand Millennium (468) has a residential meeting package for $143 single or $190 twin-share, for groups booking a minimum of 10 guestrooms. It includes breakfast, in-room internet access and full-day meeting package.


New openings
Grand Hyatt is the big opening for 2012, with an expected date in May. The 412-room hotel will occupy floors 17-39 of a new mixed-use development in the KLCC district, which will connect to the convention centre via an air-conditioned walkway. The meeting facilities outdo its moderate room count, with more than 3,000 sqm of naturally lit function space on offer. The glass-walled sky lobby and its 360-degree views will offer a great introduction for delegates to both the property and the city. Four elevators will take guests on a non-stop ride to the lobby and ballroom, which is also served by a large goods elevator with direct access to a street-level loading bay. The junior ballroom and residential-style meetings facility are located on the floor above, connected by escalators and a spiral staircase. Above this is the 11-room spa and rooftop swimming pool. F&B outlets are yet to be named, but include a 300-seat multi-cuisine restaurant, 74-seat lobby lounge, 228-seat café and 102-seat poolside restaurant and bar. Guestrooms start at a city-best 47 sqm.

St. Regis at KL Sentral has announced its opening date for December 2014. The hotel will offer 200 butler-serviced guestrooms and almost 3,000 sqm of event space, including a 1,500 sqm ballroom. Further ahead is the 150-room W Kuala Lumpur, which will open on Jalan Ampang in the KLCC district in 2016. Banyan Tree Signatures is the most recent brand to sign on to Kuala Lumpur, with a 55-storey mixed-use development to open in 2015 opposite the Pavilion shopping mall on Jalan Bukit Bintang.