TRADEWINDS Corp Bhd and Qatar Holding LLC confirmed to develop together the world's first Harrods Hotel in Malaysia, which is estimated to cost around RM1 billion (US$ 295 million).
KUALA LUMPUR- Qatar Holding, which owns Harrods Group, went into a partnership with Malaysian company Tradewings Corp Bhd to develop the first Harrods Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, due to open by 2018. The company also has on the drawing board Harrods Hotels properties in London and Italy.
The seven-star Harrods Hotel Kuala Lumpur, which will have more than 30 floors, will feature 250 to 300 hotel rooms and several floors for serviced apartments and retail space.
Two other luxury hotels under construction or being planned in Kuala Lumpur are St Regis at KL Sentral and the 65-storey Four Seasons Place near the Kuala Lumpur City Centre.
It is understood that the cost to build each Harrods Hotel room US$820,000 and 1.3 million, depending on the size and finishing.
A six-star hotel room costs an average US$ 900,000 to build and for five-star hotel rooms, it will cost about US$ 500,000 to US$ 820,000 each.
Qatar Holding vice-chairman Dr Hussain Ali Al-Abdulla said there will be a minimum of 200 rooms and the hotel will be ready in 2018. The hotel will be owned and operated by Harrods Hotel Management Co, Hussain said.
“I can’t reveal the project cost as we are calling for tenders in the third or fourth quarter of this year. We don’t want bidders marking up the price,” he said.
Hussain was speaking here yesterday, at the hotel’s ground-breaking ceremony in Jalan Conlay. Also present was Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
