This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on March 25, 2019 - March 31, 2019

Mah Sing Group Bhd plans to officially launch its first hotel, Ramada Meridin Johor Bahru, on March 29. Wholly owned by Mah Sing, Ramada Meridin is a 32-storey tower with 752 rooms in Bandar Medini, Iskandar Malaysia. It is located about 45 minutes’ drive from Singapore.

“As this is our first foray into hospitality, we wanted to work with an established brand and hotel operator. Wyndham Group is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, which owns and manages a portfolio of more than 55 world-renowned hotel brands, including Ramada hotels,” says Mah Sing group managing director Tan Sri Leong Hoy Kum in an email interview.

“In 2015, we signed an agreement with Wyndham Hotel Asia Pacific to use the Ramada brand for this hotel,” says Leong. According the developer, Ramada Meridin is Wyndham Hotel Asia Pacific’s largest property in Southeast Asia in terms of room count.

“We held Ramada Meridin’s soft opening last July and we have been making sure everything is tip-top for our guests. The reviews have been very good so far,” he says, adding that the hotel is managed by Topotels Hotels & Resorts.

According to the developer, the hotel offers a few unique selling points. “In most countries, Ramada hotels are positioned as business hotels. This is the same for Ramada Meridin. However, its strategic location close to [just 700m away from] Legoland, and its proximity to Johor Premium Outlets, also attracts a lot of holidaymakers,” says Leong.

“To cater for both markets, we have three room categories — the deluxe room (323 sq ft), classic suites (646 sq ft) and premium suites (883 sq ft). These room sizes are larger than the average hotel rooms.”  

The hotel offers state-of-the-art kitchen

facilites, a yoga deck, meditation deck, reflexology area, swimming pool, wading pool, aqua gym, two restaurants — Delish Restaurant and R’s Kitchen — and a barbecue area.

“We have an award-winning chef — Chef Mozart Muhamad — who was a guest judge for Masterchef Malaysia. The little details make up a great experience for our guests,” says Leong.

Mah Sing Group has a portfolio of 47 projects in Kuala Lumpur, Greater Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor and Sabah with an accumulated gross development value and unbilled sales of

RM26.6 billion. Its projects span residential, commercial, industrial and hospitality.

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