Avillion actively looking for hotels to manage, unfazed by the Covid-19 pandemic

AVILLION Bhd, an integrated travel and hotel group remains unfazed by the Covid-19 pandemic and says it is actively looking for three to five-star hotels to manage within Malaysia.

“We are in serious talks with one party but nothing is concrete yet. If all goes well, we may sign a deal within the next few months,” said Avillion Hotel Group assistant marketing manager Tommy Ooi.

Ooi said while Covid-19 has ‘materially impacted’ its hotel business, it is cautiously optimistic that the tourism and leisure market will rebound in the second half of this year.

“We expect domestic travel to boom once the situation has eased up a bit. In fact, our hotels are starting to enjoy brisk sales since the conditional movement control order was lifted. The resorts are complying with all the various Standard Operating Procedures (SOP),” he told NST Property.

Avillion operates a chain of beach resorts, hotels, and spa in Malaysia and Indonesia.

They include Avillion Port Dickson, Avillion Admiral Cove, Avillion Legacy Melaka, Avillion Cameron Highlands, Avillion Villa Cinta Bali, and Avi Pangkor Beach Resort.

The group owns Avillion Port Dickson and Avillion Villa Cinta Bali, while it manages the rest of the hotels under a long term arrangement.

Ooi said that all the hotels have resumed business this month except for Avillion Villa Cinta Bali and Avi Pangkor Beach Resort.

He said the average occupancy rate for the three hotels since they re-opened for business is 30 to 40 per cent on weekdays and about 85 per cent on weekends.

“We are offering more than 50 per cent discounts to get travellers in. The rooms are currently selling from RM150 a night but we will be adjusting the rates next month,” he said.

Ooi said the 160-room Avi Pangkor Beach Resort, which is located on Pantai Pasir Bogak, Pulau Pangkor is scheduled to reopen on July 1, 2020.

He said within the next two years the group is set to add another hotel to its investment portfolio.

The hotel, located in Johor, is currently under construction and will be ready for operation in 2022, he said.

“We have been approached by several hoteliers in Klang Valley, Penang, Johor, and Sabah to manage their hotels. We are studying the options available to us,” he said.

Avillion group managing director See Ah Sing had previously said that the group is eyeing several hotels and resorts in key tourism markets like Langkawi, Pahang, and Sabah.

Source: NST