The arrival of international tourists and visitors to Malaysia has increased throughout the years, and this can be seen from the amount of brand new hotels and resorts popping up all over the country. The bigger cities of Kuala Lumpur and Penang has seen an influx of luxury international hotel chains– after all, Kuala Lumpur is one of the most vibrant cities in Southeast Asia, and our very own Georgetown has been listed as one of the Top 10 cities to visit in 2016 by travel giant ‘Lonely Planet’.

So to keep up with the growing numbers of hotels and resorts in the country– I thought that I’d list down the key ones that will be opening in 2016. Some are luxury options, some are from popular international brands. With many long weekends on the calendar this year– it’s time to plan that quick holiday, or as the Malaysians would say, STAYCATION!

Who doesn’t love the smell of a brand new luxurious hotel; with its untouched facilities, clean white linens and new fluffy robes?

1) St. Regis Kuala Lumpur

Photo taken from starwoodhotel.com.

The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur is a 5-star luxury hotel from the Starwood Hotel Chain. It is located in the Kuala Lumpur Sentral district, and close to Kuala Lumpur’s main railway station, the KL Sentral. The slick building has 48 floors; and the first 21 floors will be occupied by the hotel’s 3 fine-dining restaurants, and 200 guest rooms and suites. The upper floors are private residences.

The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur will be opening on the 1st of May 2016. Also, the luxurious St. Regis Langkawi, located at the southern tip of Langkawi with 85 suites and 4 over-water villas will be opening on the 6th of April 2016. Website here.
*Update: You can read my review of the St Regis Langkawi here:- Mynn’s Top 10 Cool Reasons to Stay at the St Regis Langkawi.

St. Regis Kuala Lumpur
No. 6, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, 504770 Kuala Lumpur.
Website here.

2) Le Meridien Putrajaya

Photo taken from starwoodhotel.com.

Another Starwood Hotel, the Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur is located in the new IOI Resort City in Malaysia’s administrative capital of Putrajaya; surrounded by world-class shopping, entertainment, and recreation. The hotel is just a short drive from the city center of Kuala Lumpur, and features 350 guest rooms and suites, 2 restaurants and an outdoor swimming pool.

Originally set to open in 2015, the Le Meridien Putrajaya will be opening its doors in August 2016.

Le Meridien Putrajaya
IOI Resort City, Sepang Utara, Putrajaya.
Website here.

3) Marriott Hotel Petaling Jaya

Photo taken from propertyguru.com.my.

The Marriott Hotel Petaling Jaya is located within the self-contained development of Empire City Damansara in Petaling Jaya– filled with luxury retail, dining, leisure, office and residential components. This 5-star international hotel shares the same building as the Empire City Serviced Office Suites, and will occupy the bottom levels 3-20 of the 45-storey building.

The Empire City Damansara Mall and the Marriott Hotel Petaling Jaya (also the boutique Autograph Collection Hotel under the Marriott Group) were initially scheduled to launch in 2015. However, due to several issues, it now aims to open in September 2016.

Marriott Hotel Petaling Jaya
Empire City Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Website here.

4) Clermont Kuala Lumpur

Photo taken from dcresidency.com.

The Clermont Kuala Lumpur will be the global luxury hotel brand’s first hotel in Kuala Lumpur. It is located in the prime area of Damansara City, nestled in the exclusive neighbourhood of Damansara Heights. The 23-storey hotel will feature 312 lavish guest rooms and suites.

The Clermont Kuala Lumpur is currently still in construction but is scheduled to open sometime in 2016.

Clermont Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Johar, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur.
Website here.

5) Dorsett Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur

Photo taken from iproperty.com.my.

The Dorsett Hartamas is a 4-star hotel strategically located in the hilly area of Sri Hartamas, in between Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. The hotel takes up 150 suites in the 27-storey building overlooking the Royal Palace– it is shared with the Hermitage@Hartamas residences, which occupies the remaining 707 apartments.

The Dorsett Hartamas is set to open by the end of 2016. The hospitality group currently has 7 hotels around Malaysia (Dorsett and Silka), with the new 218-room Dorsett Putrajaya recently launched at the end of 2015. Website here.

Dorsett Hartamas
Sri Hartamas, 50490 Kuala Lumpur.
Website here.

6) New World Petaling Jaya Hotel

Photo taken from malaysiacondo.com.

Owned by Hong Kong-based Rosewood Hotel Group, the New World Petaling Jaya Hotel is located behind the Paradigm Shopping Mall in the district of Petaling Jaya. The hotel will occupy the top 12 floors of Azure Residences’ 30-storey building. It will feature 316 rooms and suites, as well as a ballroom, a restaurant, and a rooftop bar and swimming pool.

The New World Petaling Jaya Hotel is slated to open in the third quarter of 2016.
*Update: The website now says it is scheduled to open in 2017.

New World Petaling Jaya Hotel
Jalan SS 7/26, Kelana Jaya, Selangor.
Website here.

7) DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang

Photo taken from starwoodhotel.com.

Located by the beach area of Batu Feringghi in Penang, the Double Tree Resort by Hilton Penang is the first Hilton ‘resort’ in Malaysia. All of the resort’s 318 rooms come with either partial or full sea views, spread out on its 13 floors. The resort offers an assortment of family-friendly amenities– including TeddyVille, Malaysia’s 1st teddy bear museum.

The Double Tree Penang is scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2016.
*Update: The website now states that it will open in the first quarter of 2017.

DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang
56 Jalan Low Yat, Batu Ferringhi, 11100 Penang.
Website here.

8) The Rice Miller Hotel and Godowns

Photo taken from thericemiller.com.

The Rice Miller Hotel and Godowns is a luxury all-suite boutique hotel in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Georgetown, Penang. It features 45 suites, a penthouse, and 21 multiple-bedroom residential suites with either the courtyard or harbour views. The hotel aims to pamper with a Hammam Spa, a fitness center and an infinity pool. The Godown is a state-of-the-art event space.

The Rice Miller Hotel is scheduled to open its doors sometime in 2016.

The Rice Miller Hotel and Godowns
11, Pengkalan Weld, Georgetown, 10300 Penang.
Website here.

9) The Jazz Hotel, Penang

Photo taken from stayariva.com.

Under the Ariva Hospitality Group, the Jazz Hotel Penang is located in the upcoming Penang city area of Tanjong Tokong. The 4-star trendy and chic hotel is set in a 30-storey building next to the 45-storey Jazz Residence, and features 200+ guest rooms and suites with sea or city views, and a rooftop swimming pool.

The Jazz Hotel initially announced that they will open in 2015, but it has now been postponed to a later date– maybe in 2016.

The Jazz Hotel, Penang
Jalan Seri Tanjung Penang, 10470 Penang.
Website here.

10) Ozo Georgetown Penang

Photo taken from ozohotels.com.

The Ozo Georgetown Penang is a midscale hotel from the Thailand-based ONYX Hospitality Group, and the first one in Malaysia. Located in the beautiful heritage area of Georgetown, it will feature 132 guest rooms, meeting rooms, a restaurant, and a fitness center. This hotel-brand is not exactly a luxury hotel; it offers less frills, but makes up for it with a whole lot of quirkiness– that’s why its on this list.

The OZO Georgetown Penang’s website doesn’t provide much details on the opening dates, except that it will be in 2016.

Ozo Georgetown Penang
Jalan Argyll, Georgetown
1oo50, Penang.
Website here.

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Another three luxury resorts opening in 2016 that I’m looking forward to visit are located in Langkawi (apart from St.Regis as mentioned above):-

The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi
The luxurious Ritz-Carlton Langkawi is scheduled to open in 2016 on the south-west corner of Langkawi, facing the Andaman sea. It enjoys its own cove and private beach, and will feature 132 rooms including 42 villas, three swimming pools and all the luxuries of a 5-star resort. The perfect place to be pampered. Website here.
*Update: The website now states that it will open in July 2017.

Rahsia Estates Resort, Eco-Hotel & Spa
This extensive resort is set to open in mid-2016. The Rahsia Estates Resort is located in Kedawang along a river, and is divided into three precincts– Precinct 1 (Tree Top Villas) with 131 apartment units, Precinct 2 (Club Suites Eco Hotel) a 5-star boutique hotel with 116 rooms, and Precinct 3 (Cabana Villa Village) with 30 beachfront homes. Your very own secret private getaway. Website here.
*Update: The resort is yet to open and there has been no recent updates.

The Dash Langkawi
Owned by Arabian hotel brand Ri-yaz Hotels and Resorts, the Dash Hotel Langkawi is slated to open its doors in May 2016. The hotel is located at Pantai Tengah Beach, and features 104 rooms with 9 jacuzzi villas– all with colorful quirky designs. It looks like a fun, lively resort. Website here.
*Update: The resort is yet to open and there has been no recent updates.

*As of the end of 2016, several hotels are yet to open. Please head over to their respective websites for further updates on future opening dates.