Mahathir opens first international hotel
Published on: Thursday, May 12, 1977
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Rising 14 storeys above a strategically located stretch of land occupying about five acres of foreshore on Kota Kinabalu bay, the Kinabalu International is Sabah’s first international standard hotel. One frontage of the building overlooks the bay while the other faces the city’s scenic hills.
Costing in excess of M430 million so far, the project bears testimony to the imagination and determination of its owners, Gaya timber, and particularly the Chairman, Datuk Haji Mohd. Yassin who actively supervised and monitored its development. Datuk Yassin’s brother, Datuk Haji Kassim , is the hotel’s Managing Director.
The 250-room Kinabalu International Hotel is, in fact, the largest project of its kind in East Malaysia and perhaps the largest Bumiputra owned hotel in the country.
It boasts a luxurious Chinese restaurant - The Phoenix Court - which can expertly cater for anything from a romantic ala carte dinner of two, to a large 12 - course birthday of business banquet. There is also a Malay restaurant, a Continental Grill and a 24-hour Coffee House serving both Western and Asian food.
Other facilities include a cabaret-discotheque - The Mikado, and a cocktail lounge with adjoining supper club employing first-rate international entertainment.
The Press is also well looked after at Kinabalu International where the management has received a special permanent Press Corner.
Full convention facilities include secretarial, audiovisual and translation services.
There are altogether four banquet and special function outlets while the Ballroom seats up to 360 guests with ease for either special functions or conventions.
Since its initial rooms opened for business in August 1976, the hotel has enjoyed a consistently high average monthly occupancy rate. The majority clientele to date has been Malaysian, regional and international businessmen.
The hotel is centrally located - four miles from Kota Kinabalu International airport and within walking distance from the new wharf, golf, tennis, yachting, fishing and skin-diving facilities are all close by and the hotel houses its own swimming pool and Recreation Centre (formerly known as health Clubs.)
Shopping arcades inside the hotel building include a gift shop selling indigenous souvenirs, barber’s shop, beauty saloon tour and travel facilities.
All the hotel’s guest rooms are spacious and tastefully furnished with wall-to-wall carpet built-in wardrobe, dressing table and French mirror. Each unit has its own balcony and all bathrooms have both tub and shower. Each room is fitted with special light fittings and central air-conditioning with independent temperature controls. All suites and rooms are also provided with telephone, relay-music multi-channel radio and television on request.
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