First Hotel Opens At New Kuala Lumpur Airport
<B> First Hotel Opens At New Kuala Lumpur Airport</B>
By Judy Jacobs
<I>Malaysia</I> - The Pan Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which, along with the new airport itself, opened in late June, is making the most of its position as a business hotel near an airport.
The hotel's approach, in fact, is inspired by the airlines themselves. "The hotel is divided into two wings, with rooms positioned similarly to the airlines seating arrangements, i.e., economy, business and first," said Felix Yeo, the Pan Pacific's director of operations and development.
The model should be familiar to most of the hotel's guests, who will come from the business sector. Yeo estimated that 60 percent of guests will be corporate. Of that number, 70 percent will be transient travelers and 30 percent will be attendees at conventions and one-day seminars.
The 441-room hotel, meanwhile, is the first international property to open at the new airport in Sepang, 30 kilometers south of Kuala Lumpur. KLIA sits at the southern edge of Malaysia's new Multimedia Super Corridor, the country's burgeoning version of Silicon Valley.
The Pan Pacific distinguishes itself from other airport hotels by the fact that it was designed to be an "urban oasis," replicating traditional Malay culture and featuring abundant foliage, lush tropical plants and fish ponds. That ambiance, along with its location--just a 10-minute walk over a skybridge from the airport--will make it an ideal location for meetings, Yeo noted.
"Multinational branches of companies in Malaysia converging at the airport for a meeting or motivational training are our focus," he said.
Among the property's meeting facilities are a ballroom that holds up to 1,000 people, ten function rooms, a 200-seat auditorium and video- and teleconferencing facilities.
Not forgetting the transient traveler, meanwhile, the hotel is offering a "Refresh Yourself" package that includes a room and access to the swimming pool, gym and sauna for an hourly rate. Rack rates at the property range from $110 to $160, and the hotel is offering a 50 percent off opening special for its first three months.
Like the Pan Pacific itself, Kuala Lumpur International Airport also is focusing on ambiance and attractions. Reflecting Malaysia's natural environment, the facility has adopted the theme "airport in the forest, forest in the airport." This theme is carried out by a rain forest arboretum in the center of the international terminal, as well as forested land surrounding the airport facility. It was conceptualized by architect Kisho Kurokawa, who was also inspired by Islamic architecture in the design of the airport terminal.
During the first phase of a three-phase development program, the airport will operate with two runways, handling 25 million passengers per year. By the year 2025, when the facility is completed, it will have five runways and be able to handle 60 million passengers per year.
A railway from Kuala Lumpur to the airport currently is under development. For now, passengers can choose a luxury bus, taxis or a new limousine service that has been created to serve KLIA.
Business travelers with a layover at KLIA in the future will find that the facility is, as it bills itself, "more than an airport," with many new attractions being created in the area. Foremost among them, the Formula One racing circuit now under construction less than two miles from the airport, is expected to be ready by early next year, in time for the Formula One Race scheduled for April.
Also nearby will be the Peat Swamp Wetland Botanical Garden, which will serve as home to indigenous and migratory water birds and other wetland wildlife. It is expected to ensure the airport a leading role in environmental tourism in the region.