Kota Kinabalu: A quick survey found most of the major hotels and resorts in the State Capital have put up a dazzling array of Chinese New Year decorations and colours to welcome the Year of the Dragon and their guests.Le Meridien Hotel's theme of scarlet lanterns, spring pussy willows and golden kumkuats trees is echoed in almost every corner of the hotel's public spaces.
According to Lee Meridien Marketing Communications Manager Jocelyn Banding the Chinese New Year decorations were all sourced from local suppliers.
Shangrila Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa Director of Communications Samantha Siow said they ordered their flower decorations such as the pussy willows in advance from a local supplier.
On whether the pussy willows were expensive in light of the holidays, she said the pussy willow flowers the resort used were affordably priced.
"Our other decorations like our Chinese New year lanterns we had them already in stock and some of the Chinese New Year decorations we have reused from last year as well as we are big on recycling and going green to help the environment."
Samatha said the resort will be also ushering the year of the dragon with a spectacular lion and dragon dance performance by the Yick Nam Lion Dance troupe at the main lobby on Jan 23 at 10am and 11am respectively.
Ming Garden Marketing Communications Exec, Jacqueline Rowena, said the hotel decorations to celebrate the Chinese New Year include their centrepiece sculpture of a skyward rising Golden dragon near the staircase in addition to traditional festive decorations such as lanterns and pussy willows branches and lime trees.
"The planning and ordering of these festive items and the Chinese New Year activities was done two months beforehand and we spent close to RM10,000 to spruce up the hotel for the lunar celebrations."
As part of the activities, she said on the first day of Water Dragon New Year, the hotel will be having a lion dance performance and God of Wealth appearance at the hotel lobby at 10am.
Hyatt Regency Kinabalu Public Relations Manager Julia Chan said they also tried to be creative in their decoration at the hotel to welcome the Chinese New Year.
"Some of decorations like the Chinese lanterns we already had them in stock for some time and some decorations like the pussy willow plants and the lime trees at the entrance we sourced them about a month ago from local suppliers. We took roughly about three days to set up the decorations.
"Also there will be a line-up of events, namely on the first two days of the Chinese New Year, when 'Choi San Yeh' the God of Fortune spreads good wishes among hotel guests, master Calligraher Huan Poh Lo entertains with demonstrations of the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy from Jan 21 to 24," she said.
Julia said the public are invited to watch the grand lion dance showcase on the second day of the new year on Jan 24 at the hotel's car park lot starting at 8.30am.
