7 November 2000KUALA LUMPUR – After more than 30 years of partnership Hilton International and Pernas International Holdings of Malaysia have decided to part ways.
The former will cease management of the Kuala Lumpur Hilton from March 31, 2001.
The hotel will be managed by Pernas International’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Pernas Hotel Management Sdn Bhd. It will be rebranded and take on a new name. An announcement on its rebranding will be made either this month or the next.
Hilton will however have a new property in downtown Kuala Lumpur with the opening of the 500-room Hilton Kuala Lumpur Sentral in 2003.
The parting between the two parties is mutual and amicable. Hilton International will continue to manage three other hotels in the Pernas’ stable – Petaling Jaya Hilton, Kuching Hilton and Batang Ai.
Last month, Pernas Hotel Management took back management of the Burau Bay Resort in Langkawi and renamed it Mutiara Burau Bay Resort. The hotel had been managed by Singapore-based Meritus Hotels and Resorts since its opening about a decade ago (travelweeklyeast.com, October 17).
These moves are part of Pernas International Holdings’ localisation strategy. According to an industry observer, it will only be a matter of time before the company localise all its hotel properties currently managed by foreign hotel management companies.