KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is set to have its own hotel and hospitality lab with a "five-star view" by 2026.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor announced today that the construction of the facility, known as Hotel UMS, and the hospitality lab under the Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy (FPEP) involved a RM10 million allocation from the University Development Fund Reserve.
"UMS is now 30 years old, and we aspire to be a respected and comprehensive university that produces graduates sought-after by the industry," he said in the groundbreaking of the hotel lab site here today.
"This hotel lab is one of our initiatives to meet the needs of the industry, particularly in contributing to the tourism sector in Sabah and Malaysia in general," he added.
The proposed UMS hotel lab is a five-story building built on half an acre of land, and construction is expected to begin by the end of this year.
"We (UMS) are blessed with a beautiful landscape and this hotel lab will offer a five-star view, further enhancing the beauty of our university.
"Various facilities will be available and offered to students, such as meeting and event halls; training kitchen; training restaurant; front office and reservation lab; housekeeping lab; pastry lab and cafe lab.
"From time to time, we will raise additional funds for the hotel lab when needed. The development and expansion of the hotel lab will continue to grow larger and more significant."
FPEP dean Associate Professor Dr Mohd Rahimie Abd Karim said the hotel lab would enhance the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in the university's Hospitality Management Programme.
"Once completed, the UMS hotel lab will give students practical experience in the actual operations of a commercial hotel, covering areas such as front office management, room services, housekeeping, event management, food and beverage (F&B) services and more," he said.