MELAKA: MITC Hotel today officially opened its doors welcoming tourists and visitors drawn to the uniqueness of Melaka's culture and cuisines, at affordable rates.
The seven-storey hotel is a three-star hotel offering modern-contemporary accommodation for a comfortable and relaxing stay, be it for families and corporate groups.
Its general manager Sazali Sabri said the hotel which was built in 2005, had stopped its operations two years ago before it was acquired and redeveloped by the State Development Corporation (PKNM), a state government-owned corporation.
“It took us a total of RM30million to upgrade the hotel, with a cost of RM9million spent on refurbishment and more than RM20million spent on acquiring the hotel,” he said.
“This will be the first hotel in the state which uses names of the rural districts, such as Bemban Restaurant, Gadek Ballroom and Asahan Bar,” he told New Straits Times here, today.
Bemban is a state constituency in the Jasin parliament while Gadek and Asahan are state constituencies located in the Alor Gajah parliament.
Food and services provided here also embodies the quintessential Melaka style, where local cuisines such as fish head curry and Nyonya laksa are among the highlights on the menu.
The hotel was officiated by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Melaka, Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob. Also present were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron and several other state executive council members.
The hotel which was opened to the public since April 28, has received promising response with a 50 per cent occupancy rate on average.
“We are expecting the crowd to increase in the next half of the year, where Melaka usually receives more tourists during the year-end due to school holidays,” he said.
He added that the hotel was strategically located in Ayer Keroh near to tourist attractions including the Melaka Planetarium and the Melaka Zoo & Night Safari.
The hotel has a total of 189 rooms with four types of room, namely standard double, standard twin, deluxe and suite with prices ranging from RM185++ per night to RM350++ per night.
Its facilities include halls, coffee bar, swimming pool and a large courtyard for outdoor activities, which can accommodate 400 people at any one time.
Idris commented, stating that it was a major breakthrough for PKNM, a development-based corporation specialising in the industrial, residential and business sector, to expand into the hospitality sector.
“Today, PKNM is expanding its function to also focus on generating revenue to support management and development costs.
“PKNM has taken a step forward to venture into the hotel industry which would contribute to the state and the country’s economy and tourism industry,” he added.