This is the first beach resort development in Malaysia to be managed by award-winning Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts under their Angsana brand, and is set to become a benchmark development for Malaysia’s tourism and property sector.
KUALA LUMPUR – Dato’ Simon Foong, Co-Founder and Group MD, Senja Aman Group and Mr Ho Kwon Ping, Chairman, Banyan Tree Holdings, launched the sale of luxury Suites for the ‘Angsana Teluk Bahang, Penang’ at the Grand Hyatt, Kuala Lumpur.
Also present at the launch were Andrew Langston, VP, Hotel Operations, Asia Pacific, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts; and Paul Tan, Managing Director of Senja Aman Development.
The event saw the first release of the development’s exclusive collection of 150 fully furnished two-bedroom luxury suites. These units that are available for sale through strata titles, offer a strong value proposition for investors, packaged with an attractive leaseback model and lifestyle programme. The units will be meticulously managed by Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts to maximise investment returns for the purchasers.
Priced from RM1.6 million onwards, the sizes of these luxury suites range from 950 square feet to 1,200 square feet. The developer is holding exhibitions on the 8th and 9th March at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur and on the 29th and 30th March in Singapore’s Four Seasons Hotel to market these suites. Knight Frank has been appointed as exclusive agents for the sale of these units.
Owners of these exclusive suites will be able to stay in their units for 60 days a year and enjoy the resort’s range of facilities. All Angsana Teluk Bahang’s Suite owners are automatically enrolled into The Sanctuary Club, an innovative exchange programme which allows owners to exchange part of their annual entitlement for a complimentary stay at any destination within the network. In addition, discounts and privileges are offered to all owners including hotel accommodation at all Banyan Tree and Angsana resorts around the world, spa treatments, restaurants and gallery merchandise.
Said Mr Ho Kwon Ping, in his speech, “Penang has flourished as a tourist destination in recent years with a steady increase in visitor arrivals. With its rich culture and UNESCO Heritage site status, we are confident Penang is an ideal destination to expand our footprint with Senja Aman as our partner.”
Strategically located on 8 acres of land in the island’s last prime beachfront site in Teluk Bahang, the eco-luxurious development with a GDV of about RM500 million will have a built up area of 615,000 square feet excluding the area for parking facilities. Teluk Bahang is Penang’s well known eco-tourism precinct, with its serene beaches of fine sand and pristine cool waters with a spectacular view of the Andaman Sea.
The resort, upon completion targets to command benchmark room rates in Penang ranging from USD210 to USD1600 per night. The resort will comprise three main buildings with around 300 luxurious rooms and suites that will be sea-facing with direct beach accessibility. Designed with three swimming pools, five F&B outlets, 12 double treatment rooms under the award-winning Angsana Spa, 12,000 square feet of retail space focusing on wellness, anti-aging and rejuvenation offerings, the resort aims to be a truly integrated wellness resort. Building works is scheduled to commence in June 2014. The first phase of the resort is targeted to complete in Dec 2016 and the resort is slated to open its doors in early 2017.
The development will further spur the island’s tourism industry that is currently attracting 5 million tourists a year via 500 flights a week.
Said Dato’ Simon Foong during the launch, “When I first saw the beautiful sandy beach of Teluk Bahang, framed by lush tropical forests and the magnificent Andaman Sea, I knew I had found something special, and in its potential I saw a vision. I got together with partners who shared my enthusiasm, Datuk Richard Fong and Mr. Loo Hooi Keat and together we brought this vision to life.”
“While we started on the foundations of Teluk Bahang’s future, we knew we had to find someone who was an expert in hospitality, who supported our unique vision and my personal business values. In time, we found just such a person in Mr Ho Kwon Ping and Banyan Tree. In them we found a partner who shared our vision, our values of sustainability, and sense of community”, he added.
Envisioned to become one of the most environmentally friendly hospitality developments in Malaysia, Angsana Teluk Bahang, Penang is uniquely positioned to take advantage of its proximity to the many existing eco-tourism sites and attractions, including the Penang National Park, Teluk Bahang fishing village, Tropical Fruit Farm, Butterfly Farm, the 31-acre Escape Eco Theme Park, and the Tropical Spice Garden. A bicycle network will link the development to all these eco-tourism spots.
Drawing inspiration from the rich Penang Peranakan Nyonya Baba architectural and design heritage, the development’s architecture and interior design will incorporate the vibrant colours and intricate floral and geometric patterns that dominate the design of buildings, crafts and artifacts favoured during the height of the Straits Eclectic Style, as well as pay tribute to Penang’s status of being a UNESCO world heritage destination.
The highly lauded Angsana Teluk Bahang will integrate best practices in green building. The design and management of the development will adhere to the principles of EarthCheck Sustainable Design Standards, consistent with Banyan Tree Hotels & Resort’s commitment to sustainable tourism.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
