GEORGE TOWN: Two hotels will be built at Penang Hill next year to cater to the increasing needs of visitors to the hill resort.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said one of the hotels would be located behind the Convalescent Bungalow, while the other would be built along the slopes near the cafe in Laluan Kuli.
He said the proposed hotel behind the Convalescent Bungalow was now in the design stage, and that construction would be carried out according to guidelines set out in the Penang Hill Special Area Plan (SAP).
“The five-storey hotel, with a 200-room capacity, will begin construction next year,” he said at a dialogue and luncheon session organised by the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry, here, today.
“It will be built higher than what is set out in the SAP.
“The plan for the hotel has been delayed as the construction area involves forest reserves and we need to address that first.
“We also need to look at the safety aspects and the landslides which have been happening in the area.
“As for the second hotel, it is still at the planning stage, and we need to take into account several factors, including the landslides in the area after the massive floods last November.”
On the financial model to be used for the construction of the hotels, Chow said it would be borne by private sector developers through a professional, private, public and people partnership.
“We have yet to finalise the matter (financial model). We may have an open tender. It may not necessarily be borne by the Penang Hill Corporation.
“The hotels may even be leased for 30 years to a third party, if there is anyone interested to finance it, which will be the usual financial model used,” he added.