Among the many amenities available which the guests will be pampered with include the infinity pool, restaurant and gymnasium situated on the upper lobby level.
KUCHING: The upcoming Waterfront Hotel will add a new dimension to Kuching’s hospitality industry with its ‘artrageous’ and luxury boutique hotel concept — a business model which is growing popular in the city.
“Our intent here is to deliver a five star hotel to the market,” said Dato Steve Ng, managing director of The Waterfront Hotel. “There has been many three star hotels, two star hotels in the market that’s been built but very few five star properties.”
Ng, who is also the managing director of Plaza Merdeka Holdings Sdn Bhd, shared with The Borneo Post that the Ministry of Tourism and Culture (Motac), which has seen the property, believes that The Waterfront Hotel can qualify for the five star rating.
The hotel features a combination of old world charm while also offering guests a contemporary finish and a unique luxury experience. Entrance to the property is through the historic Old Courthouse complex built in 1874.
The signature theme of the hotel will be art. Starting from the lower lobby through to the upper lobby and beyond to all the various room floors, many pieces of exceptional art by local artists will be integrated into the design of the hotel.
Additionally, the art will not be static as noted artists will from time to time display their creations in the hotel. The hotel also purchases select pieces from the artists for the hotels private collection which are displayed in the premises.
On the targeted occupancy rate, the managing director said they are targeting 60 per cent, which is the market norm currently.
“Cost wise, the property has cost us a lot more than our original budget, we’ve had lots of financial challenges,” Ng said. “But, our board of directors has been very supportive and we are very fortunate to be here where the hotel is about to open.”
He added that they are thankful for all the support from the board, shareholders and banks. The Waterfront Hotel is also the beneficiary of the Unit Kerjasama Awam Swasta (UKAS) grant from the federal government.
Situated below the hotel is the well established fully integrated Plaza Merdeka shopping centre which is accessible from both lower and upper lobbies via a dedicated escalator.
Hotel guests using the sky bridge which crosses the five storey atrium will be able to see the shopping centre in its entirety.
The shopping centre boasts a wide variety of shops including Parkson’s flagship department store, a gourmet supermarket, a two-storey Esprit store, H&M, a two storey Cotton On store, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Burger King, KFC, to name a few.
The combination of the location, the surrounding historic and commercial district as well as the 550,000 square feet (sf) shopping centre will enhance The Waterfront Hotel as the first choice for business and tourist travellers in Kuching.
While at the hotel, guests will be treated to a panoramic view of Kuching’s bustling commercial district, the Sarawak River, the stately DUN buildings and The Astana to the north and the Merdeka Padang, the historic Sarawak Museum, Kuching Mosque and panoramic views of the city to the south.
Guests will also be spoilt for choice of rooms and suites from loft suites (two-storey suites), executive suites and junior suite rooms in contemporary configurations and finishes.
There are a total of 208 rooms, 46 of which are suites.
The hotel features a sizeable ballroom (with a capacity of 600 pax, seated) and six mid-sized meeting rooms. The sales team can tailor custom packages accordingly for businesses and groups.
The official opening of The Waterfront Hotel is slated to be on January 18, 2016.
The hotel features a sizeable ballroom (with a capacity of 600 pax, seated) and six mid-sized meeting rooms.