Just 10 minutes away from the Petronas Twin Towers, there’s a relatively new hotel by IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), situated in a recently built property.
Some may remember this brand, though, considering that it actually has quite the history in Kuala Lumpur.
The brand is none other than Crowne Plaza, which once had a location on Jalan Sultan Ismail. However, this hotel closed in 2013, marking the departure of the hospitality brand in Malaysia.
But last December, it re-entered Kuala Lumpur with its new Crowne Plaza Kuala Lumpur City Centre (Crowne Plaza KLCC) venue.
During our recent stay at the hotel, we got to sit down with the general manager, Kuljit Singh, to learn more about the brand’s past life in Malaysia, and how it’s coming back better than ever.
Reintroducing the Crowne Plaza brand
Within IHG, there are a number of well-established brands. These are differentiated by distinct categories, such as luxury (InterContinental, Kimpton, and Regent). There’s also lifestyle, such as Hotel Indigo, or essentials such as Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express.
Crowne Plaza falls under the category of premium class. Some other hotels in this category may include Sheraton, The Westin, and Renaissance.
“Most international brands these days don’t really identify themselves as a three-star, four-star, or five-star,” Kuljit pointed out.
But, to that end, he revealed that Crowne Plaza KLCC has actually received a five-star rating two months ago.
For work and play
Historically, the Crowne Plaza brand has catered to more corporate clients. True to this, the new KL property has been receiving guests from the corporate and MICE segments, but there has also been a healthy mix of leisure travellers.
That balance makes sense, because in the 33-floor hotel, there are plenty of opportunities to experience both work and play.
Touching on the “play” component first, the top floor of the hotel features a fitness centre that’s open 24/7, as well as an infinity pool, complete with a lounge area that can be transformed into an event space for cocktail parties.
There’s also an “Instagrammable” platform, as Kuljit said, which is a glass-floored area where you can look all the way down to the ground floor.
For those who fear heights, this might be a little spooky, but it’s definitely an interesting feature.
In terms of dining, there’s a speciality restaurant named Le Midi. It is a French brasserie featuring a dining area, bar, lounge, and as well as an open terrace with views of the city.
The all-day dining venue, Merchants, is on the 13th floor and offers local and international cuisines. It has sections that can be closed off for private events.
Not to forget RhymBa, the lobby lounge, which offers light bites along with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
While the “play” component is certainly well covered, it’s the “work” side of things that’s arguably even more exciting.
Aside from the usual meeting rooms and ballrooms, there’s actually a coworking space in the hotel, which is rather unique. Here, there are pods for small groups, a communal table with desktops, and, and free seating areas.
This gives guests the opportunity to have a change of pace, instead of being in their hotel rooms all day to get work done.
There’s also a private meeting room here called The Studio, which is great for cosier, smaller meetings.
We were told that the coworking space is free to use by in-house guests and chargeable to corporate and walk-in guests.
Not many hotels feature coworking spaces, which is why this was so notable to us. Kuljit said this sentiment is common with other guests, too.
“We do believe that in time to come, [our coworking space] will be very popular, as it’s an opportunity to showcase the hotel and its different concepts,” he said.
Coming back strong
The general manager shared that Crowne Plaza has always been a popular brand in KL and beyond.
Its 2013 closure reportedly was due to a development project that affected the area, known as the Tradewinds Centre.
Kuljit said that the international popularity of the hotel is one reason why the building owners chose to work with the Crowne Plaza brand.
This comeback of Crowne Plaza also signals quite the aggressive growth from IHG in Malaysia. Just last December, we saw the launch of the nation’s first Hotel Indigo, which we visited earlier this year.
“For quite some time in Malaysia, there were only a handful of IHG hotels,” he said. “But in recent years, IHG has been quite aggressive in Malaysia.”
He shared that there will be a Holiday Inn opening up in Bangsar and a Kimpton opening in The Exchange TRX, which is quite exciting as it would be the country’s first Kimpton.
Moving out of Kuala Lumpur, a second Crowne Plaza location is set to open in Penang.
Back in the city, though, there is quite a lot of competition, which is something that Kuljit recognises as well. He pointed out that many global brands have been aggressive here, too.
But IHG is steadfast in its mission and growth. Aside from new properties, the hospitality company also has a loyalty and rewards programme, IHG ONE Rewards, which incentivises guests globally to stay with them.
“IHG has more than 6,000 hotels globally, and its loyalty programme, IHG One Rewards is very popular,” Kuljit said. “We have a huge following, which is a reason why owners partner with IHG as they can leverage on the benefits of the programme.”
“It’s great that the brand is back in the market. We are still new, but the word is getting around slowly but surely,” the General Manager added. He also shared that the hotel has received feedback from guests indicating their long wait for the Crowne Plaza brand to be back in town.
Well, wait no more, because Crowne Plaza is back in Malaysia, and dare we say, it’s looking better than ever.
- Learn more about Crowne Plaza Kuala Lumpur City Centre here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about hotels here.
Featured Image Credit: Kuljit Singh / Vulcan Post