Traders Hotel, Shangri-La’s mid-range brand, is preparing to launch in a third Malaysian location in the second quarter of 2013.
Traders Hotel Puteri Harbour in will open in Johor Bahru, the capital of Johor state and the second most populous city of Malaysia. The city is located across the Straits of Johor from Singapore and linked to the Lion City by Johor-Singapore Causeway and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link. The new hotel will join Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur and Traders Hotel Penang, opening with 283 guestrooms measuring from 32 sqm and with views of the bay. These will be housed in three four-storey buildings.
Other facilities include a 515 sqm ballroom, fitness centre and spa, rooftop garden-lounge bar and infinity pool as well as two restaurants.
Traders Hotel Puteri Harbour will be a component of Nusajaya, one of the five flagship zones in the emerging hub of Iskandar Malaysia, which is a new southern development corridor in Johor covering the entire district of Johor Bahru as well as neighbouring areas. Its size is three times that of Singapore. The hotel will be surrounded by projects such as the Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park, Johor State New Administrative Centre, Medical Hub, University Park and Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios. The new Legoland theme park is a five-minute drive away and Senai International Airport about 30 minutes.
In recent years, Johor Bahru has worked hard at overhauling its rather seedy image as a border town known for cheap consumer goods and knock-offs. The Iskandar development, whose RM6.8 billion (US$2.2 billion) master plan seeks to attract investors with its promise of being a pro-business city in the southern gateway to peninsular Malaysia, reflects government efforts in this direction.
For more details, visit www.shangri-la.com/traders
Margie T Logarta
