S P Setia Announces Duo Hotel Partnership In Malaysia

Datuk Wong Tuck Wai (Deputy President & COO of S P Setia), Dato’ Khor Chap Jen (President & CEO of S P Setia), Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Wan Zahid Mohd Noordin (Chairman of S P Setia), Douglas Martell (President & CEO of ONYX Hospitality Group) and Markus Aklin (Vice President, Development of ONYX Hospitality Group) at the signing ceremony announcing ONYX as the official hotel operator for the two new Amari hotels in Kuala Lumpur Eco City (KLEC) and Setia SPICE, Penang respectively.

July 30, 2018

S P Setia Announces Duo Hotel Partnership In Malaysia

Two new Amari hotels to rise in Kuala Lumpur and Penang following partnership between S P Setia and ONYX Hospitality Group

S P Setia, Malaysia’s leading property developer and ONYX Hospitality Group (ONYX), one of the region’s leading hotel management companies, today announced ONYX as the official hotel operator for the two new Amari hotels in Kuala Lumpur and Penang respectively.

S P Setia Bhd Group President & CEO, Dato’ Khor Chap Jen and ONYX Hospitality Group President & CEO, Douglas Martell, formally confirmed the arrangement at a signing ceremony this afternoon at S P Setia Corporate HQ attended by media and associates.

“Setia has grown leaps and bounds in property development sector, and the need for having hotels is a natural progression for S P Setia Bhd Group as we grow from developing townships and expand into integrated developments. The Amari hotel in Kuala Lumpur will be developed as part of KL Eco City in the capital’s Mid Valley district, while the Amari hotel in Penang will offer direct connectivity to the Setia SPICE Convention Centre,” said Dato’ Khor Chap Jen, President & CEO of S P Setia. “The Amari hotel in Penang is scheduled to open in late 2020, with the Amari in Kuala Lumpur opening in early 2021,” he said at the press conference held in conjunction with the signing ceremony.

Situated within the KL Eco City mixed-use landmark development, the 252-room Amari hotel in Kuala Lumpur will enjoy direct access to corporate office buildings, residential towers, retail mall and integrated rail hub with inter-city and inter-state rail connections. The 25-acre KL Eco City, master-planned by Los Angeles based architectural and urban design firm The Jerde Partnership, is also anticipated to be one of the first integrated mixed-use green development in Malaysia.

Up north, the Amari hotel in Penang will offer 453 rooms in a tower connected to Setia SPICE, the world’s first hybrid solar powered convention centre. The complex also incorporates a 10,000-seat events arena, aquatic and sports centre, and a lifestyle and retail village. Strategically located in the Bayan Lepas district of Penang island close to multinational corporate offices, shopping malls, entertainment areas and places of interest, the hotel will appeal to both business and leisure travellers.

“Both hotels will provide the essential services such as accommodation, F&B and facilities to support seamless business activities in both developments and also the surrounding areas. The SPICE Convention Centre and SPICE Arena have a combined capacity of 16,000 people whereas KL Eco City upon maturity, will have an estimated 8,000 commercial employees and residents,” explained Dato’ Khor.

“When we first started looking for a hotel operator, we knew we would engage with a brand that is not only well-positioned in the market but one that exudes class and quality. Originally from Thailand and expanding rapidly across Asia, Amari is a flagship brand of ONYX Hospitality Group with a rich and long-standing heritage of over 52 years, and we are confident that the brand will add value to our developments,” said Dato’ Khor.

ONYX Hospitality Group is the second international chain that S P Setia has engaged with under its hospitality wing. Last year, S P Setia inked an agreement with the Shangri-La international hotel chain to manage a 500-room hotel for one of its dual-tower development in Melbourne overlooking the UNESCO World Heritage Carlton Gardens called Sapphire By The Gardens.

“In a market as dynamic as Malaysia, we are proud to establish a dual-property deal with world-renowned S P Setia to bring our flagship Amari experience to two premium locations in the gateway cities of Kuala Lumpur and Penang,” said Douglas Martell, President & CEO of ONYX Hospitality Group.

“Since launching our first hotel in Malaysia with the opening of Amari Johor Bahru, we are continuing our commitment to this market with the upcoming opening of OZO and Shama properties in Iskandar, Johor, as well as an OZO hotel in Penang’s Georgetown. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with S P Setia and to having three of our core ONYX brands present across some of the most popular business and leisure travel destinations in Peninsula Malaysia,” Martell added.

Amari celebrates the colours and rhythms of modern Asia, with each hotel in its portfolio highlighting the textures and flavours of its unique setting through architecture, design, cuisine and service. The years 2017 and 2018 have been significant for the regional expansion of Amari, with the brand being launched in new locations including Sri Lanka, Malaysia, China and Laos.

The Amari hotel in Kuala Lumpur and the Amari hotel in Penang will be the second and third Amari-branded hotels in Malaysia and will complement Amari Johor Bahru which opened last year. The company has one hotel operating and five properties in the development pipeline in Malaysia.