The iconic Hotel Istana on Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur will be closing its doors on 1 September.
Based on a report by Berita Harian, the hotel’s General Manager, Nooradzzudin Omar, shared that a Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) will be offered to the affected employees.
Nooradzzudin said that the difficult decision was made due to the challenging economic situation brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, which further increased intense competition in the hospitality industry.
“We reached a decision after considering the current situation and all available options. We don’t have much choice other than to continue with this closure,” he explained.
The hotel’s efforts were also affected by new hotels and serviced apartments that arose nearby.
“The current situation is exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic that has and continues to affect our industry and its ability to reach normalcy. This affects our business, prices, returns and room bookings despite our best efforts,”
“Even as a quarantine hotel, we incurred monthly operation losses,” he added.
Tradewinds Corp Bhd, which owns Hotel Istana, is one of the largest hotel operators in Malaysia, with multiple hospitality assets located across the country.
We genuinely hope that the hospitality industry stays strong during these tough times.
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