KL Hotel Given New Life As Govt-Operated Transit Homes For People In Need
The iconic hotel was closed down two years ago.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 09 Jul 2021, 06:53 PM
A hotel that was closed two years ago has offered itself to the government to be turned into transit homes for those in need
Grand Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur was given a new life after collaborating with the Ministry of Federal Territories and Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (YWP) to turn the 40-storey building into a welfare hotel beginning 15 July.
The 800-room hotel, located on Jalan Pahang, ceased operation on 28 February 2019.
According to Bernama, the welfare hotel will be called Rumah Prihatin@Grand Seasons and handled by a group of non-governmental organisations (NGO).
Volunteers working at Rumah Prihatin@Grand Seasons.
Image via Sukarelawan Wilayah Prihatin (Facebook)
Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the hotel will be used to help those who are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
"This is a platform to gather, coordinate, and treat those who are impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. It is done jointly with the support of volunteers, associations, corporate organisations, and NGOs," he said, adding that the initiative will offer five main components.
Based on the visuals posted by YWP on Facebook, Rumah Prihatin@Grand Seasons will be offering 1,000 food packages every day under the Prihatin Kitchen component.
The initiative will also offer 300 hotel rooms to people under the Prihatin Accommodations component, reported Sinar Harian. They just have to pay a minimal amount or any amount they can afford.
The other components are Prihatin Mental Health Services, Prihatin Vaccination Services, and Jejak Prihatin Operation Centre.
"We are also reviewing whether some of the 300 rooms in the hotel are suitable to be used as quarantine centres for low-risk COVID-19 cases," said the minister.
Grand Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur was once the tallest hotel in the capital and had been in operation for 20 years
The Edge Markets reported that the 40-storey hotel was owned by Lim Siew Kim, a daughter of late Genting Bhd tycoon Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong.
It ceased operation in 2019 due to "cost, business, and operational factors even though remedial measures have been taken".
The building is said to be old and has many issues with its facilities, such as water plumbing, piping, and central air conditioning system.
With the iconic hotel in the Kuala Lumpur skyline given a new purpose, many Malaysians took to social media to cheer for the thoughtful and timely initiative.
A tweet by local actress Susan Lankester carrying the news went viral with over 5,000 likes and 3,700 retweets at the time of writing.
