Dorsett plans major Malaysian expansion

Dorsett Hospitality International is planning a major expansion of its portfolio in Malaysia.

The Hong Kong-based hotel company has entered into management contracts for four new properties in the country, adding more than 1,000 new hotel rooms to its nationwide inventory.

The first new hotel to open will be the Dorsett Cheras in Kuala Lumpur. Welcoming its first guests in the first quarter of 2014, the new upscale hotel will be connected to the Cheras Sental shopping mall, in KL’s southeast suburbs. It will feature 319 rooms, a ballroom, restaurant and outdoor swimming pool.

Following this in the third quarter of next year will be the Dorsett Putrajaya. Owned by the Mayland Group, the new 218-room will mark Dorsett’s entry into Malaysia’s administrative capital.

Then in the third quarter of 2015 Dorsett’s Malaysian expansion will continue with the launch of the Dorsett Hartamas Kuala Lumpur. This property will offer 371 rooms in the upscale Hartamas suburb of west Kuala Lumpur.

And finally, in the fourth quarter of 2015, the company will take over the management of the Sri Jati Hotel, which will become part of Dorsett’s d.Collection brand. This boutique hotel will feature 154 rooms in the central Golden Triangle tourist area of KL.

“We are indeed very excited with the growth development of the group,” said Winnie Chiu, president & executive director of Dorsett Hospitality International. “The management contracts will provide the platform for the group to further expand its network in Southeast Asia and provide a steady income stream in the future.”

Currently Dorsett operates five hotels in Malaysia, in KL, Labuan, Subang and Johor Bahru, offering a total of more than 1,400 rooms. The addition of the four new properties will take the company’s Malaysian inventory to almost 2,500 rooms across nine hotels in five cities.

Dorsett currently operates 19 hotels in Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Singapore, but will expand to 29 properties by the end of 2015, including the company’s first two hotels in the UK.