Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) is strengthening its presence in Southeast Asia and is preparing to open its seventh hotel in Malaysia. The Singapore-based company has expanded its Malaysian portfolio with the addition of Gurney Bay Hotel in Penang, which includes a hotel, resort and serviced apartments.
Scheduled to open on September 1, the 368-room Gurney Bay Hotel, A Parkroyal Hotel will operate under the group’s Parkroyal brand and will be the brand’s second location in Penang.
PPHG will take over the operation of the hotel, formerly known as Gurney Bay Hotel, and begin a phased renovation of the property. Located approximately 10 minutes from George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the hotel is located in the new Gurney Bay lifestyle precinct developed by the Penang State Government under the Penang 2030 Vision. The hotel offers views of the Penang coast, George Town and Penang Hill.
The hotel features an all-day dining restaurant with a capacity of 220 guests, a lobby lounge and bar, a gym, outdoor tennis courts, two pools, a fitness center, a kids’ club and a ballroom for up to 550 people with four additional meeting rooms.
Located in the city centre, Gurney Bay Hotel benefits from the location of the Penang International Airport expansion project. The project is set to become Malaysia’s second-busiest airport and is scheduled for completion in 2028. The capacity of the new airport will double the existing capacity of 6.5 million passengers per year to 12 million passengers per year, said Choe Peng Sum, CEO of PPHG.
The Gurney Bay hotel will complement the Parkroyal Penang Resort on Batu Ferringhi beach, Cho said. It is the fourth hotel PPHG is opening in Southeast Asia this year. PPHG opened Parkroyal Serviced Suites Jakarta in January, Parkroyal A’Famosa Melaka Resort in February and Pan Pacific Jakarta in June.
Tourism in Malaysia is stable and plays an important role in the Malaysian economy, which encourages PPHG to expand its presence in the country. Malaysia is targeting 36.5 million tourists in its Visit Malaysia 2026 program.
In 2022, Penang’s economic growth reached 13.1%, outpacing the national economic growth of 8.7%. Malaysia’s economic recovery continued in 2023, with Penang recording a 64% increase in tourist arrivals and receiving 6.9 million visitors at Penang International Airport, Cho said. “This year, Penang is targeting more than 5 million tourists and 7.4 million tourists by 2030.”
PPHG currently owns and manages more than 50 hotels, resorts and serviced suites under three brands – Pan Pacific, Parkroyal Collection and Parkroyal – in over 30 cities across Asia Pacific, North America and Europe.
