Acmar’s hotel rescheduled to be completed next year

KLANG (JUNE 30): The construction of the much anticipated five-star hotel, Acmar Hotel and Residence in Klang, Selangor, has hit regulatory snags and its completion is expected to be delayed by at least three months to first quarter of next year, said Acmar International Group.

The Klang-based property developer Acmar International Group had initially expected to open the RM350 million hotel to its first customers in November.

The group executive director Johnson Tee told The Edge Financial Daily on Monday that the group had underestimated the time to obtain the necessary approvals from the authorities as it made significant changes to the hotel’s original design and concept.

“It’s taking more time than what we had estimated and we are now forced to push back our schedule. For instance, the permit for the tower crane was not as easy as we thought,” Tee said.

He said some management changes had also taken place and that he would personally oversee the construction work, taking over from the group’s hospitality division general manager Uwe Lohage, who has now been redesignated as the Acmar business consultant.

Besides, Acmar has also hired a new senior project manager to help the company to complete the much-delayed project.

“We have no issues of financing and we are on track to complete the hotel, albeit a small hiccup. The public will be able to see much cranes to the building façade once our tower crane goes up,” Tee claimed.

The Edge weekly reported last year-end that work on the hotel resumed last year after a 17-year hiatus, when the project ground to a halt during the Asian financial crisis in 1997.

The hotel will have 23 floors divided into two wings, with the top floor being a sky lounge and there will be a total of 488 rooms, suites and serviced residences.

The hotel will cover an area of 1.13ha with a built-up of almost 850,000 sq ft. It will also have two levels of basement car park with 469 bays.