L-r: Hwei Yee Tan, CEO, STC Property Management; Eric Teng, CEO, Straits Developments; Rajit Sukumaran, MD, South East Asia and Korea, IHG Hotels & Resorts; Vivek Bhalla, vice president, operations, South East Asia and Korea, IHG Hotels & Resorts.

IHG Hotels & Resorts will be bringing the Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand to Malaysia’s Penang state after agreeing a deal for a ‘future city’ site.

The new partnership between IHG and STC Property Management Sdn Bhd will see the hotel integrated as part of Straits City, an expansive 40-acre, sustainable mixed development in Butterworth.

Green living

The site incorporates green technologies to promote a more sustainable living and spaces designed to encourage interaction, communication and creation. The master plan development is by The Straits Trading Company Limited and Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad.

At a waterfront location, the flagship Crowne Plaza Penang Butterworth Straits City will offer sweeping views of the Straits of Penang. The 343-room hotel will host amenities and facilities catering to travellers of every disposition when it opens in Q1 2024.

Blended travel

Eric Teng, CEO of Straits Developments Pte Ltd said: “Upon completion, Straits City will help elevate Butterworth Penang as the future city, comprising an integrated mix of residential, retail, offices and commercial components. We are confident that the partnership with IHG will bring our vision of developing Straits City into a world-class work-live-play destination to life.”

IHG’s MD for South East Asia and Korea, Rajit Sukumaran, said: “We are delighted to partner with STC Property Management to debut the Crowne Plaza brand to Butterworth Penang, and in Butterworth’s scenic coastal area that is undergoing transformation to become the new residential and commercial hub of Penang.

“This signing underscores IHG’s commitment to further expand its footprint across Malaysia and grow its portfolio in strategic destinations. The Crowne Plaza brand is a perfect fit for modern travellers who desire a seamless transition between work and life, and for business nomads working remotely across the globe. We are confident that Crowne Plaza Penang Butterworth Straits City will enhance the hospitality offering in Butterworth and set a new standard for blended travel.”

Majoring in Malaysia

The Crowne Plaza brand continues to expand rapidly across Asia Pacific, with more IHG properties scheduled to open in Malaysia in the next few years, including Crowne Plaza Kota Kinabalu, Crowne Plaza Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Hotel Indigo Kuala Lumpur on the Park, and Kimpton Kuala Lumpur.

IHG’s upcoming launches are part of a pipeline of 10 hotels due to open in Malaysia in the next three to five years, adding to the existing six properties it operates. Asia Pacific itself will be the future home of more than 75 Crowne Plaza hotels which will feature the newly opened Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay in Vietnam, and future openings including Crowne Plaza Vinh Yen City Centre in Vietnam, Thailand’s Crowne Plaza Bangkok Grand Sukhumvit, and Crowne Plaza Melbourne Carlton in Australia.

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