Hotel Equatorial Penang, now a PPV, targets 2023 comeback

GEORGE TOWN – Hotel Equatorial Penang in Bukit Jambul, the biggest such establishment in the northern region, will likely reopen in two years, following its widely publicised closure on March 31.

The hotel’s adviser, Alan Ong, said it is scheduled to undergo renovations and upgrades soon.

The building’s spacious ballroom is being used as a Covid-19 vaccination centre (PPV), where up to 1,000 people, mostly workers of nearby factories, are getting the jab each day.

Ong, who is also Hotel Equatorial Management Sdn Bhd senior vice-president (operations and projects), said the premises will continue serving as a PPV for the time being.

At the height of its popularity, Hotel Equatorial Penang, boasting more than 600 rooms, was the accommodation of choice for expatriates working in the nearby Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone.

Covid-19 brought the hotel to its knees, with its management announcing that ceasing operations was the best course of action earlier this year.

Its two-year absence from the tourism and hospitality scene will allow the property to be upgraded, this time offering guests about 400 rooms, said Ong.

Malaysian Association of Hotels vice-president Khoo Boo Lim said the shutdown was expected in view of the blow dealt by the health crisis to the tourism sector.

“Some (hotels) may rebound earlier, and some, much later. But, there’s no doubt that tourism will be among the last to recover from the pandemic.”

How the industry salvages itself depends on the effectiveness of public policies and manner in which the country mitigates Covid-19, he told The Vibes.

Many hotels across Malaysia have reached the point of no return, including the well-known Hotel Istana in Kuala Lumpur that shut its doors last week.

Those that have paused their business are expected to reopen as a pale shadow of their former glory.

Foreign visitors, the mainstay of the tourism industry, are expected to return only next year, when travel curbs put in place to stem the coronavirus are relaxed.

Last year, Batu Ferringhi’s Holiday Inn shut for good, while the biggest hotel chain in Penang under the MBI Group saw three of its six establishments closed.

There have been grievances filed at the industrial court by the affected workers, who claim improper termination. – The Vibes, July 7, 2021