The Ascott Ltd, the lodging business arm of Singapore's CapitaLand Investment Ltd, is expanding its presence in Malaysia, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic,

Mondi Mecja, Ascott's country general manager for Malaysia, said that there are plans to open three more properties in Kuala Lumpur and Penang by the third quarter of this year.

He said that with a significant global brand presence in hospitality and tourism, Ascott will continue to expand its footprints in Malaysia.

"We are excited to bring this positive momentum into 2022 and introduce more of what Ascott has to offer," he said at the official opening of Ascott Gurney Penang here today.

Plenitude Bhd owns the 37-story Ascott Gurney Penang, which took over the space of the former The Gurney Resort Hotel and Residences.

The Ascott Gurney Penang, which is managed by Ascott, is located along the Gurney drive promenade in George Town.

It has 271 apartments with studios, one- and two-bedroom units, living and dining areas, fully equipped kitchens, built-in washer and dryers, and other amenities.

The apartments cater to business and leisure travellers, as well as corporate long-stay guests.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Sky Residence Prai, which opened in Penang last November, is gaining popularity among both business and leisure travellers.

Sky Residence Prai has 168 modern fully furnished units ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments.

According to Lee Ai Leng, the property's sales and marketing senior manager, the key selling points are the huge room sizes that start at 39 square metres, the location near the industrial areas in Bukit Mertajam, and the amenities.

"The huge space this hotel provides makes it attractive for family travellers. We are also getting a lot of corporate clients from the surrounding factories who will stay with us for up to nine months

"When we first opened in November, our occupancy rate was about 20 per cent which soared to 60 per cent in December 2021," Lee said.