Sunway Resort Undergoes Major Renovation: Welcomes Tourists from the Middle East

The transformation of Sunway Resort, Sunway City Kuala Lumpur’s flagship five-star property, is almost complete and it is now ready to welcome back Middle Eastern guests. As the tourist destination seals its position as Southeast Asia’s leading fully-integrated hospitality destination and a premier place to stay and play.

A Kuala Lumpur icon for over 20 years, Sunway Resort embarked on a once-in-a-generation, US$60 million transformation in early 2020. Ready to reopen in phases from Q2 2022, this revitalised resort will unveil 12 brand new room and suite categories, a dramatic new lobby with 24k gold leaf ceilings, landscaped pools with underwater speakers and fiber-optic lighting, and a wealth of new experiences for families, wellness seekers and business travellers alike.

At the pinnacle of Sunway Resort’s transformation will be its partnership with world-renowned and global culinary powerhouse Gordon Ramsay and his namesake restaurant brand, Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill, which become the new signature dining destination at Sunway Resort, marking the brand’s first location in Asia, outside of the UK’s Mayfair, Park Walk and Chelsea.

This transformation of Sunway Resort forms part of the evolution and elevation of the Sunway Group, one of Southeast Asia’s leading conglomerates, as it strives to create exceptional and memorable experiences for every guest. Sunway Resort recently revealed its eye-catching new branding, including a reimagining of its iconic swan logo. Much like the graceful swan, Sunway Resort reflects luxurious elegance, warmth, comfort and assurance, while also displaying deep-rooted family ideals and a genuine sense of kindness.

Sustainable Design Meets Cutting-Edge Technology

Designed by Nelson Yong, the celebrated Chief Principal Designer of Sunway Design, Sunway Resort’s reimagined spaces offer a bold, glamourous and interconnected vision for the future. Throughout the property, every aspect of the guest experience will be enhanced by the latest in technological solutions. This starts at reception, where contactless check-in and keyless room entry will streamline the arrival process. In every room and suite, motion sensor night lights will guide late night movement, IPTV, IP telephones and a custom-built app with every imaginable function available at a touch of a button, to ensure that guests stay connected.

Sunway Resort will also introduce specialist “iButlers” who will be on hand to set up devices, offer demonstrations and deliver nifty gadgets like Harman Kardon headphones and sound bar. This state-of-the-art experience is extended to the spa-inspired bathrooms, where guests will be able to refresh their senses with a walk-in chromotherapy shower that uses colour and light as a restorative therapy to promote overall wellbeing, or soak in a free-standing bathtub whilst watching their favourite show on the wall-embedded TV.

Sustainability is a driving philosophy at Sunway, and many of the hotel’s high-tech upgrades, such as advanced air-conditioning systems, smart curtains, solar panels and motion-sensor LED lighting will further improve its efficiency. The use of plastic bags has been discontinued and an urban hydroponic farm by Sunway XFarms will supply healthy, farm-fresh produce to the resort’s restaurants.

Cultural Connections Help to Attract Middle Eastern Tourists

Malaysia’s strong cultural connections and rich shared heritage with the Middle East make this a key market for Sunway Resort. Prior to the global pandemic in 2020, tourist arrivals from West Asia have rebounded to 315, 937 with an average length-of-stay of almost 10 nights led by the growth of Oman (+36.9%), KSA (11.6%) and UAE (9.7%). In 2019, Malaysia recorded MYR3.1 billion of tourist receipts from West Asia, a growth of 32.9%. With borders now open for fully vaccinated travellers, we look forward to welcoming guests back to stay with us.
(Data source: Tourism Malaysia)

With its extensive array of activities and attractions, including exceptional restaurants, family-friendly accommodation and facilities, fantastic shopping and a fun-filled theme park, plus culturally-sensitive amenities including prayer rooms, halal cuisine within walking distance and more, Sunway Resort in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur is perfectly positioned to meet the unique needs of Middle Eastern travellers.

With multiple direct flight connections between major Middle Eastern cities and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), which is only a 35 minutes’ drive from Sunway City Kuala Lumpur, and no quarantine restrictions upon arrival, there has never been a better time for Middle Eastern guests to enjoy a fun-filled family vacation at Sunway Resort!

“The transformation of Sunway Resort will significantly enhance and elevate the experience for our guests from all over the world – including our esteemed Middle Eastern clientele. We are very excited to embark on the next stage of our journey which I am confident will set a new benchmark for family resort and fully-integrated entertainment destinations. We have received numerous enquiries from overseas travellers this year, mainly from Europe and the Middle East, and I am confident that our customers will be thrilled by the new additions to our flagship property,” said Alex Castaldi, Senior General Manager of Sunway City Kuala Lumpur Hotels.

Sunway Resort is located in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur, a vibrant 800-acre integrated sustainable city with a cluster of three hotels, the Sunway Lagoon theme park with its six entertainment zones, Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre with 7,157 sqm of flexible, high-tech space for up to 6,000 delegates, the Sunway Pyramid lifestyle mall, Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway University and the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development, which was born from a partnership between the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN). Sunway City Kuala Lumpur is also the Asian headquarters of the UN SDSN, alongside New York City and Paris.