JOHOR BARU: Mah Sing Group Bhd will have a 322-room, four-star hotel under the Ramada brand in The Meridin@Medini integrated project here.
The hotel tower called Ramada Meridin Johor Baru is located next to Legoland.
Mah Sing Group CEO Ng Chai Yong signed a franchise agreement with Wyndham Hotel Group South-East Asia and Pacific Rim vice-president (acquisitions and business development) David Wray to procure the Ramada brand system for its second tower of Meridin Suites in Iskandar Malaysia.
The partnership will license Meridin Hospitality Sdn Bhd to facilitate the branding of Meridin Suites — located in the new urban township of Medini in Iskandar — as Ramada Meridin Johor Baru. The signing was witnessed by Topotels chairman Yonto Wongso.
This marks the second franchise agreement between Mah Sing and Wyndham Hotel Asia-Pacific. It will be Wyndham Hotel Group’s fifth hotel in Malaysia.
Hotel management company Topotels will manage the hotel, which will stand alongside Ramada Encore Meridin Johor Baru.
Compared to the latter, Ramada Meridin will offer a more upmarket accommodation option with deluxe hotel rooms and state-of-the-art facilities besides a yoga deck, meditation deck, reflexology area, swimming pool, wading pool, lap pool, aqua gym, cafe, BBQ area, central oasis garden, mini amphitheatre, tennis court, playground, pavilion and an outdoor gym.
Held in conjunction with the signing ceremony was the grand opening of its hotel-serviced suites’ show unit.
The units feature contemporary decor. Furnishings are ergonomically designed, and the room has a premium luxury bed for optimal comfort.
As the finishing touch, the unit is equipped with a large bay window offering a panoramic view of Medini and Legoland.
Both the Ramada-branded hotel-serviced suites are scheduled to open in 2018.
They are situated approximately 45 minutes from Singapore and less than a kilometre from Legoland Malaysia, an international family theme park.
“Mah Sing Group’s decision to brand a second hotel tower Ramada is testament to the growth being experienced by the Wyndham Hotel Group across South-East Asia and is yet another vote of confidence in the support and services the company offers,” said Wray.
The Ramada brand has a global portfolio of over 830 properties in approximately 60 countries.
Ng said Mah Sing was pleased to sign a second franchise agreement with Wyndham Hotel Group for the Ramada brand name.
“We signed the first one in September and launched Ramada Encore Meridin Johor Baru. We are very heartened by the overwhelming response received.
“Property investments are still viewed as a good hedge against inflation. We believe that buyers are attracted to the guaranteed rental returns offered, reputable hotel operator as well as brand name, and the strategic location next to Legoland.
“The special economic zone of Medini itself enjoys privileges such as tax exemption and no limitation for foreign buyers,” he added.
“The proposed rapid transit connecting Johor and Singapore, which is due to commence in 2019, and the high-speed rail scheduled for completion in 2022 will further improve connectivity and draw bigger crowds to Johor Baru,” Ng concluded.
Mah Sing’s The Meridin@Medini integrated development in Medini is a township development that will become a central business district in the newly created southern economic zone of Iskandar in Johor Baru.
Iskandar is expected to encompass an area approximately three times the size of Singapore, and to contribute to the rapid growth of Johor Baru by providing tourism, education, business and healthcare services.
Apart from hotel-serviced suites, the development offers serviced residences, and small office versatile offices (SoVo) and the Meridin Walk Lifestyle Retail.