KUCHING: The opening of Tune Hotels’ latest property in Bintulu scheduled for January 3, 2011 is testimony to the company’s commitment to Sarawak and will further promote and develop the state’s tourism and travel industry, in particular within the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) belt, said Tune Hotels group chief executive officer, Mark Lankester.
According to the company’s press statement, the 101-room Tune Hotels Bintulu would be the pioneering limited-service hotel chain’s second hotel in Sarawak, making it the only state other than Selangor to have more than one Tune Hotel. The first Tune Hotel in Sarawak opened at the Kuching Waterfront in 2009.
Apart from Bintulu, Tune Hotels Kota Bharu in Kelantan (173 rooms) was also slated for opening on January 23, 2011, making it a double celebration for Tune Hotels as it ushered in the new year.
Commenting on the Bintulu hotel, Lankester said, “Bintulu’s strategic location in central Sarawak, coupled with good air connectivity to Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and other towns as well as being on the massive Trans-Borneo highway between Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, presents enormous potential for the development of tourism as well as other priority industries under SCORE. The opening of Tune Hotels Bintulu will not only provide more convenience and comfort to tourists and holidaymakers to the ‘Gas Town’ but also those on business trips there.”
Bintulu was famed as Malaysia’s main producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) but more recently has been identified as one of the growth areas under SCORE. Bintulu is the gateway to Samalaju, one of SCORE’s five major growth nodes, aside from Tanjung Manis, Mukah, Baram and Tunoh. Bintulu is also an important access point to Bakun, Southeast Asia’s largest hydroelectric dam.
The press release further pointed out that SCORE was launched in 2008; a major initiative undertaken to develop the Sarawak Central Region and transform the state into a developed one by 2020. It was aimed at accelerating the state’s economic growth and development, as well as improving the quality of life for the people of Sarawak. SCORE was officially launched in Bintulu by the then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The core of the corridor was the energy resources, particularly hydropower, coal and natural gas found abundantly within the Sarawak Central Region. This would allow Sarawak to price its energy competitively and encourage investments in power generation and energy-intensive industries that would act as triggers for the development of a vibrant industrial development in the corridor.
Lankester added, “Increasing the number of our hotels reiterates our commitment to increasing our network of hotels to have 100 hotels in major cities globally, providing five-star beds at incredible value and affordability. The opening of Tune Hotels Bintulu and Kota Bharu will further add value to savvy travellers, both business and tourists alike, who are keen to adopt our pay-as-you-use concept.”
“2011 is the start of a great new year for us and our guests. We have kept our focus on ensuring that we remain true to our guests and deliver great new hotels in great central locations at great prices. Kota Bharu and Bintulu are really exciting for us as one is the first Tune Hotel in Kelantan and the other is our second Tune Hotel in Sarawak.”
The opening of the Bintulu and Kota Bharu hotels brings Tune Hotels’ number of operating properties in Malaysia to nine and 12 globally. Tune Hotels’ existing hotels in Malaysia are located in Kuala Lumpur, KLIA-LCCT Airport, Kota Damansara, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu; Kuta and Legian in Bali, Indonesia and one in London, England.
To celebrate the opening of the two brand new hotels, Tune Hotels is offering rooms from as low as RM0.12 for its Malaysian hotels; from 12,000 rupiah for its Bali hotels and from £25 for its London hotel.
Promotion is available exclusively online at www.tunehotels.com until November 20, 2010. The low rates are applicable for stay periods from September 1 to November 30, 2011 for all Tune Hotels’ existing hotels. For the new hotel in Bintulu, the promotional stay period is from January 3 to November 30, 2011 while for Kota Bharu it is from January 23 to November 30, 2011.
For real-time updates and promotion updates, guests can stay connected with Tune Hotels via Facebook at www.facebook.com/tunehotels and on Twitter via www.twitter.com/tunehotels.
For booking and further information, visit www.tunehotels.com.