More rooms for Iskandar

JOHOR BARU: The number of hotel rooms in this city is expected to total 3,000 by 2014, which is enough to cater for the demand of the Iskandar Malaysia region.

Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said that as the pace of investment in Iskandar quickened, the demand for rooms and service apartment was also expected to increase accordingly.

"Johor is poised for rapid growth as development in Iskandar gathers pace. Certainly we need more rooms to cater for tourists and those who choose to live and work in the region.

"Within the next two years, there should be an estimated 3,000 rooms available," said Ghani after the ground-breaking ceremony for the Palazzo Hotel project in Danga Bay. The 37-storey four-star hotel will be owned and operated by the Waz Lian Group, which also runs the Central Hotel chain country-wide.

Ghani said the hotel industry in the state, particularly in the city, was entering an interesting phase.

Plans for a 600-room hotel in the Premium Outlet in Kulaijaya has been submitted while also at Danga Bay a developer is planning to build a 300-room hotel, complete with service apartments.

In Desaru three more international-class hotels are being planned. The Shangri-La Group will operate a 292-room hotel at Puteri Harbour in Nusajaya and the 300-room Renaissance Hotel in Permas Jaya will open by the middle of next year.

"With the opening of the Legoland in Nusajaya soon, with four million visitors expected annually, we certainly need more rooms in this city," said Ghani. -- Bernama

Source: MOLE