Miri Marriott named Best Family and Recreational Resort

MIRI: Marriott Resort & Spa once again make a name among the crème de la crème of the South East Asian hospitality industry by winning a prestigious award at the highly-acclaimed Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards (Hapa) 2011-2013 Regional Series.

The resort received the ‘Gold Hapa Signature Family & Recreational’ award under the Establishment category.

The resort’s general manager Marcel Hinderer received the award at a two-night Awards Presentation cum Gala Charity Dinner held at Capella Singapore and Mandarin Orchard recently.

It was attended by over 600 hospitality industry players and nominees.

“We are really honoured to receive this recognition and enjoy the distinction among the best in the region, one that family travellers have confidence in.”

“The recognition is also a significant achievement for Sarawak as it gives tremendous sense of pride that Sarawak’s resort and hotel is on par with those in the region. We look forward to scaling greater heights by constantly enhancing our product and service quality,” said Hinderer.

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Grand Margherita Hotel - Rebranding of a top hotel in Kuching

HOLIDAY Inn Kuching (now Grand Margherita Hotel) was established in 1976.

Under the umbrella of Holiday Inn chain, the hotel started with just 149 rooms, two banquet halls, a fine dining restaurant, a Chinese Restaurant, a bar and a coffeehouse.

The hotel grew by leaps and bounds and by 2011, had added a new wing – Sadong Wing – with a total of 288 rooms. The original hotel building is known as the Serapi Wing.

The hotel housed the state’s first discotheque – Bionic Disco – which was later turned into a banquet room. In the latter years, the Aquarius Club was added as the state’s first underground entertainment outlet.

Going with the trend, the club was renovated and became the ‘happening place’ in the 80’s with the Tribes Music Restaurant and Bar which saw more than its share of celebrities and musicians.

Among those who preformed there were local artists in the likes of Datuk Sharifah Aini, KRU, Amy Search and Poetic Ammo and from the international front, Jordan Hill, Guy Sebastian, Human Nature and Plus One.

Its expansion included the requisition of the two beach resorts – Damai Beach and Damai Lagoon, now known as Damai Puri – and a city hotel, the former Crowne Plaza Riverside Majestic Kuching, now known as Riverside Majestic Hotel.

Exotic was the main theme of the hotel’s decor with rattan, timbered structures of native designs and wood being the dominant features mirroring the country’s rich diversity of culture and heritage.In 2009, the 30-year-old hotel underwent rebranding and was renamed Grand Margherita Hotel.

Explained the hotel’s general manager Arthur Yeap: “The renovation was part of the hotel’s rebranding plan to ensure quality facilities.”

A new name, a new image and a new beginning – it was time for a change. “It also marked the hotel’s commitment to improving its products and services to be on par with international standards to ensure it continues to offer guests the definitive hotel stay,” he said.

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Damai Beach Resort plans ‘ballroom by the sea’

Kuching’s Damai Beach Resort will soon begin its RM4.9 million refurbishment plan which will see it coming up with the country’s first “ballroom by the sea”.

The 25-year old beachfront resort, nestled at the foothills of Sarawak’s famed Mount Santubong, will also undertake the refurbishment of its rooms, main coffee house, kitchen, as well as its central lobby areas under the plan.

“We are aiming to get it all ready before next year July’s Rainforest World Music Festival here although the refurbishment of rooms is expected to be completed even earlier by October this year,” said Damai Beach Resort’ Director of Business Development Caroline Yeo.

The ballroom which will feature long, glass windows, giving the impression of being in the ‘middle of the sea’ to patrons, will be able to seat 700 people theatre-style and 500 people dinner-style, Yeo told journalists from Peninsular Malaysia on a familiarisation trip to Kuching organised by the Sarawak Convention Bureau recently.

Plans for the ballroom had been submitted and some revisions are being made for improvement in various areas, she said.

The hotel will also retain much of the natural flora and fauna around the beach area when building the ballroom.

“We do not cut any trees unless it is really necessary,” Yeo said.

The Damai beach resort is just five minutes’ walk from the Sarawak Cultural Centre which is the grounds for the annual Sarawak Rainforest World Music Festival.

Also only 35 minutes away from Kuching town, the resort is a major ‘place to stay’ during the event which brings both artistes and music lovers from around the globe to this part of the world to celebrate the diversity of music and sounds amid the lush rainforest settings.

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Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort’s water park fully operational

MIRI: Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort (BTRR)’s water park is now fully operational.

The open water park set amid the lush rainforest, which is one of its kind in Malaysia, consists of two swimming pools – one adult’s pool and a children’s pool – that are equipped with inline tube and body waterslides running through the forested area with ten other recreational structures.

Being its latest attraction for visitors to indulge in, the resort has also added a giant waterslide, where one can cascade down from a height of about 25 feet and have a big splash onto the pool.

Occupying an area of about two acres, the whole water park took about three months to complete.

“The public can now enjoy not only the nature but have fun for themselves and their children,” said the resort’s managing director Henry Law Ing Hua.

Speaking to reporters, he said before the water park was built, he received suggestions from visitors to build a pool that would entice and bring fun to their children.

Law added that since the resort first opened its doors to the public in June 2007, numerous improvements had been added and the latest were the new swimming pools and water park.

BTRR is an agro and nature resort nestled in the natural setting of the pristine and lush tropical rainforest adjacent to Lambir Hills National Park. It is located about 36km from Miri City, along Miri-Bintulu Road, about forty-minute drive away.

The resort offers an exciting and comprehensive range of facilities.

These include chalet and hotel accommodation, cafe and restaurant, meeting and conference rooms combining relaxation with a wide range of sports activities, sightseeing, educational and recreational activities of nature walk, rainforest trekking, night safari, pony ride and boat ride.

Set in tranquil and serene surroundings with lush greenery, BTRR is truly a tropical paradise amidst the tropical forest, a perfect retreat for relaxation and revitalisation of the body, mind and spirit, and a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.

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Miri Marriot holds ‘Hawaiian Night 2010’

More than 200 Miri Marriott Resort & Spa’s associates celebrated the 2010 Annual Dinner in ‘Aloha’ style at its Sarawak Grand Ballroom here recently.

The annual dinner, themed ‘Hawaiian Night 2010’, was celebrated in the most exclusive style as all beautiful ladies and handsome men dressed in their best tropical beach wear with flowery accessories, including the hula grass dress, to best fit the occasion.

Decorated with trees, surfboards and sands, the ballroom was transformed into an indoor beach that was simple but dazzling.

Upon associates’ arrival, flower leis and door gifts were given as way to greet ‘Aloha’ (welcome).

The stunning decorations and preparations from entrance, photo shoot corner and the ballroom have prompted the resort’s general manager Marcel Hinderer to commend the organising committee and associates for they had outdone themselves this year.

Hinderer got the evening off on a high note with his welcoming speech in which he thanked all the associates for their hard work and great team work which saw a rewarding year 2010.

The resort swept six top awards for ‘Best Purchasing Department’, ‘Top 5 HAPA Hotel/Resort of the Year’, ‘Top 10 in the categories of Service Excellence’, ‘Best All-Day Dining Restaurant’, ‘Best Front office’ and ‘Best F&B Personality’ (won by the resort’s F&B manager, Amgad Moussa) recently at the highly-regarded Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards (HAPA).

The evening continued with the much-awaited presentation of the coveted associate appreciation awards, and department and outlet achievement awards, by Hinderer to the year’s outstanding associates and departments.

With live entertainment provided by Miri Marriott’s M-Connexion Band, Sand Pepper Band, and dancing till well after midnight, the event was held successfully and indeed a memorable one.

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Top recognition for Miri Marriot

Miri Marriott Resort & Spa has gained excellent recognition from the Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards (Hapa) 2010-2012 Malaysia Series winning awards in at least six categories.

It bagged the Best Purchasing Department major and ranked among the top five of Malaysia’s Hotel/Resort of the Year.

The resort was also ranked among the top 10 in the Excellence Service Award, Best All-Day-Dining Restaurant and Best Front Office while its F&B manager Amgad Moussa was rated among the top 10 in the Best F&B Personality Award.

The awards were presented by Tourism Minister Datuk Sri Ng Yen Yen during the Hapa Malaysia 2010-2012 gala dinner and awards presentation ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 22. Present to receive the award were the the resort’s general manager Marcel Hinderer, who were accompanied by Amgad and public relations and communications manager Lian Pasan.

Hinderer said winning the awards was a significant achievement for the Miri Marriot Resort & Spa and “ a great source of motivation for our associates”.

“The awards are a testimony of the level of commitment and dedication demonstrated by our associates to put us among the top resorts in the country in delivering excellent services to all our valuable guests.

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Sarawak resorts and homestay programme can increase tourist revenue

SANTUBONG, Damai and Buntal are already famous for their resorts and have the potential to be developed further to bring in the tourist dollars.

Since 2006, 11 people from Kampung Buntal have entered a homestay programme but many still are in the dark as to the existence of this homestay.

“There are many tourist attractions here but we cannot promote it thoroughly,” said Junaidi Buyok, the new chairman of Kampung Buntal Homestay.

He explained that in 2006, 20 people had taken the homestay programme course but only 11 from this village had been chosen to take part in the programme led by Junaidi’s late wife Rosnani Rosli as the chairperson. Rosnani died in a road accident in August this year.

He said the programme was under Community Development Department (Kemas) until 2007 but now it is placed under State Tourism Ministry.

According to Junaidi, an allocation of RM5,000 had been distributed to the 11 participants to upgrade the toilet facilities in their respective houses in Kampung Buntal.

Besides that, Malaysian Fisheries Development Board (LKIM) had also helped this programme by promoting handicrafts, seafood products and its by-products like ‘keropok lekor’ Sarawak, ‘belacan’ (fish and prawn paste) and also salted fish to sell to tourists during the Kampung Buntal Agrotourism Fest and World Rainforest Music Festival last July.

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Peace and tranquillity at Damai Puri Resort, Sarawak

True to its name, Damai Puri Resort in Sarawak is where tranquillity reigns. Jitter bugs, chill out.

The brochure promised tranquillity in Borneo. And they were not kidding.

I’m not one to lie back and relax during a trip. What, laze around the pool or the beach? Have a snooze-in or watch TV? Are you kidding me? I’m going to get my money’s worth and spend every minute doing touristy things, buying touristy stuff and eating touristy food. Most, if not all, of the time.

But I heartily embraced the peace and tranquility that Damai Puri Resort & Spa promised over the three-day Merdeka weekend last month. I really looked forward to it because 1) it’s 45 minutes away from my favourite city in Malaysia, Kuching, 2) it’s located along Damai Beach with its famed backdrop of Gunung Santubong.

The pretty private stretch of beach fronting the hotel is just the right size. Not too small that you feel crowded out and not too big that it gives you that oh-my-gosh-I-ain’t-gonna-walk-it feeling even before you set out. It’s a bit rocky on both sides but that gives the beach a certain charm.

What greets you on arrival is the hotel’s majestic entrance, followed by a floor-to-ceiling glass wall a little away from the reception area which looks out to the sand and sea and mountains beyond. It’s breath-taking, and I mean that literally!

I spent a lot of time just sitting on the comfy sofas soaking in the awesome views; also on the deck chairs, in front of the delightful Infinity Pool reading a book, sipping a cocktail, pretending to soak in the sun (a very hot one) and glancing up ever so often to absorb the view.

I was promised a glorious sunset but the point where the sun dipped into the ocean was blocked off by trees and the walls of another development. Bother. Still, the horizon was a glorious burst of colour fit for a painting.

From the resort, you can make out Satang Island, also popularly known as Turtle Island because it’s a nesting site for the green turtles that come ashore to lay eggs between April and October. The island also boasts a beautiful white sandy beach. And the sea around it is rich in corals and perfect for snorkelling. If you are so inclined, the hotel can arrange for a trip out and perhaps even a picnic.

Back to the resort. On the opposite side of the grounds, there is a pool meant for the kiddies. Next to it is the recreation centre, where you can get set up for canoeing. General manager Peter Ng said that pretty soon they would be offering scuba-diving at nearby “secret” locations where the wrecks of British and Japanese World War II ships have recently been found.

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