Gold Coast Tourism Landmark for Sepang

Ho Hock Seng

WORK on the RM3bil Sepang GoldCoast, billed as an important tourism project in the country, has begun.

It will cover 1,850ha of sea and shore estates in front of the Straits of Malacca and 17km around a mangrove river.

Also planned are areas for retail, a dry market, restaurants, retirement village, a hotel and theme park.

Sepang GoldCoast is a joint venture between Sepang Bay Sdn Bhd and Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd. Sepang Bay is the Malaysian property development arm of the Indonesian Istana Group.

“Piling works have begun and it stretches out 1.1km from the coast and 30 metres below the sea,” Sepang GoldCoast president Ho Hock Seng told reporters.

All piling works will be completed by the year's end, and the show units completed by June or July next year.

He said this would be only part of the project's first phase. It would form the foundation for 366 units of sea villas designed to resemble the shape of a palm tree called Golden Palm Villas costing RM180mil.

While the concept itself is not new and is similar to the United Arab Emirates' The Palms very high-end development, Ho said it was the first of its kind in this region.

Upon completion in mid-2009, Golden Palm Villas will have a gross development value of RM230mil.

More plans are being drawn up to develop a 22km stretch of land along the coast.

“Response to our villas has been positive. This is very encouraging for our future projects,” said Ho, adding that 70% of the villas would be targeted at overseas buyers.

An artist's impression of Sepang GoldCoast

Ho said 76% of the units available for sale had been taken up. Of these, 116 bookings have come from Britain, 39 from South Korea, 32 from Dubai and eight from other countries. Malaysian buyers have booked 54 units.

Sepang GoldCoast chairman Yanki Regan said a selling point was the pricing.

“If you buy a Palms unit in Dubai, you would be paying much more. Our prices start from only RM465,600,” he said, adding that the Istana Group had a proven track record.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2007]

Hotels enjoying brisk business over F1

Most hotels in Sepang and Putrajaya are reporting brisk business this week, with occupancy rate of between 80 and 100 per cent, as they serve as "temporary home" to most Formula One team members and fans who are here for the Petronas F1 Grand Prix.

The New Straits Times understands that some of the prominent drivers in the race, which will take place this weekend, are staying in hotels close to the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

These hotels are the Pan Pacific KLIA, Putrajaya Marriott, The Palace of the Golden Horses, Palm Gardens Hotel Putrajaya and Equatorial Hotel in Bangi.

Pan Pacific KLIA, for example, reported a full house since Monday.

Its general manager, Hans Winees, said most of its guests made their reservations a year in advance.
"Ninety-nine per cent of our guests are foreigners and most of them like to stay here because of the close proximity to the racetrack and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport."

Pan Pacific KLIA is easily the nearest hotel to the SIC, being just a 15-minute drive away.

Many of the drivers are staying at the hotel because they have to be at the circuit as early as 6am, he said.

A Putrajaya Marriott spokesman said drivers and technical support staff from four F1 teams are staying at the hotel but he did not want to name them.

On a normal week, the hotel enjoys only 50 per cent occupancy. It is currently running at 80 per cent occupancy.

Members of two F1 teams, Spyker F1 and Super Aguri F1, are staying at the Palace of the Golden Horses at Seri Kembangan.

Members of the BMW Sauber team, considered a "home" team with Petronas as its premium sponsor, is putting up at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

The grid girls are staying at the Palm Gardens Hotel, which has offered affordable packages to F1 enthusiasts.

The technical staff of the Renault team are staying at the Equatorial Hotel in Bangi, which is currently enjoying an occupancy rate of 80 per cent.



Source : NST
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2007]