Johor Baru to get its first Holiday Inn

(From left) SKS Group chairman Alan Sim, Cindi, Rajit and IHG area general manager Clive Murray after signing an agreement in Johor Baru.

JOHOR BARU: The first Holiday Inn Hotel will be built in the city centre here by 2020.

SKS Group, through its member company SKS Hotel Residences and Resorts Sdn Bhd, signed a hotel management agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHGR) to seal the deal.

The 318-room Holiday Inn Johor Baru City Centre will be part of the existing Komtar JBCC mixed development.

Visitors can look forward to shopping, dining and entertainment options, all of which are a short stroll away.

SKS Group managing director Cindi Sim said with its growing portfolio in the hospitality industry, it was a natural progression for the group to look for a hotel partner with a strong track record of operating internationally branded hotels.

“We are delighted to work with IHG to bring the Holiday Inn brand to Johor Baru,” she said, adding that the brand’s mid-scale positioning would be an excellent fit for corporate and leisure travellers alike.

“Coupled with its strategic location, we believe Holiday Inn Johor Baru City Centre will be well-received when it opens its doors to guests in 2020,” she said.

As one of the first hotels in the city to offer internationally branded mid-scale accommodation, Holiday Inn Johor Baru City Centre will be equipped with six meeting rooms, a business centre as well as an outdoor pool and gym for guests to enjoy.

It will also feature an all-day dining restaurant and a lounge offering the Holiday Inn brand’s signature Kids Stay and Eat Free programme, where children under the age of 12 can stay and dine for free.

The hotel will be connected to Persada Johor International Convention Centre via the soon-to-be-opened Persada Link Bridge, offering convenience to corporate and Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions (MICE) delegates.

Located 30km away from the Senai International Airport, Holiday Inn Johor Baru City Centre will offer convenient access to international travellers as well as visitors from Singapore with its close proximity to the Johor Baru Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) and the upcoming Singapore-Johor Baru Rapid Transit System (RTS) link.

IHG chief development officer Rajit Sukumaran said Johor Baru holds enormous economic potential that was fuelled by its strong connectivity to Singapore.

“This is because of the heightened visitor influx expected with the completion of the Singapore-Johor Baru Rapid Transit System in 2024.

“The state government is also investing in developing the downtown area into a tourism and business hub,” he said.