BY JOY LEE

KIP Hotel KL is in the commercial district of Sri Utara in Jalan Kuching.

PROPERTY developer KIP Group has expanded into the hospitality segment with the opening of its first KIP Hotel in Jalan Kuching, Kuala Lumpur.

KIP director Valerie Ong is excited about the prospects of its new venture into the hotel business, noting the need for such a product in the Sri Utara area where, it so happens, the group has a sizeable land bank.

“We are ready for the market,” said Ong.

“I believe this three-star business hotel will work because of the class of tourists that we have here. It’s important to understand the market and to know where our tourists come from,” Ong said.

The KIP Group has been actively involved in property development and retail management with its KIP Mart chain.

Situated in the commercial district of Sri Utara in Jalan Kuching, KIP Hotel KL is just 15 minutes’ drive to the city centre.

The hotel is managed by the Lexis Group of Hotels and Resorts and boasts 199 rooms, including 12 executive rooms and three suites.

The KIP Hotel KL executive rooms have two queen-sized beds.

All rooms are equipped with a selection of amenities, LED screen TVs and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Facilities at the hotel include four function rooms, 1,969sq ft of banquet hall space, an infinity pool, a sky bar and a gym.

“With its strategic location, KIP Hotel KL is ready to deliver quality, personalised service for both leisure and business travellers on this side of KL,” said KIP Hotel KL general manager Anthony Wee.

The hotel, which Ong claimed had changed the hospitality landscape in the Selayang area, will be officially launched in mid-November.

Ong, who oversees the group’s hotel operations, including planning, branding and marketing and sales, said it was important for niche hotel operators to understand its target market in order to be able to plan the spaces and details of a hotel to appeal to customers.

Ong believes in over-delivering, describing KIP Hotel as offering four-star services but at three-star pricing.

“It is not just about offering your guests the basic services because this is a given.

“You need to think of the facilities you are offering and the retail component surrounding your hotel. And you need to understand people to offer them what they want.

“We expect this elegantly minimalist modernity design to become a magnet for corporate travellers due to its proximity to local businesses and government offices for accommodations and events,” she said.

The hotel lobby is airy and spacious.

She hopes to include more social spaces and improve on its F&B offerings in future hotels.

According Ong, these are increasingly becoming important factors in ensuring the success of niche hotels like KIP Hotel.

Plans are already afoot for subsequent KIP hotels to be established at strategic locations within Malaysia, with the next two being in Sepang and Malacca.

“KIP Hotel KL is a pilot project for us,” Ong pointed out.

“I think we can learn a lot from it. It is already a good hotel but it can be better,” she promised.

“As a niche hotel operator, we are not just thinking out of the box anymore. We have to be the creator of the box,” she added.

“You have to be good at reading what your customers want and what the trends are and going one step beyond customers’ expectations to succeed,” concluded Ong.