With the high number of vaccination rates in Malaysia, no doubt Malaysians nationwide would be rejoicing over the fact that various economic sectors and social sectors have started opening up after a long period of being left in the dark. Well, while many businesses have chosen to open up amidst the new regulations by the government for fully vaccinated individuals, some had ceased operations! This might come as a shock for many especially, people who have made these places their go-to location for a fun day out.
Affected the most by the pandemic, is the tourism industry especially with the travel restrictions imposed within districts, states and nations. Therefore, some hotels have taken a drastic decision to cease operations, over the past year. Adding on to the list of hotels closing down their doors to tourists is the famed, four-star, Hotel Royal Penang in George Town, Penang. It’s set to cease operations on 15th November this year.
According to its management, the closure of the 276-room business hotel is part of a management restructuring exercise due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As for the employees, they were given a two-month termination notice effective yesterday and were told that their last day of employment is on 14th November 2021. The retrenchment benefits will be calculated in accordance with the collective agreement to be paid out within 7 days after their last days of service.
This Singapore-owned hotel which is located along Jalan Larut, is actually one of the several hotel properties owned by Hotel Royal Limited in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Other sister hotels (which have obviously, yet to be closed) include, Hotel Royal Kuala Lumpur, Hotel Royal Singapore, Hotel Royal @ Queens in Singapore, Hotel Royal Bangkok @ Chinatown in Bangkok, the Burasari Resort in Phuket and The Baba House in Melaka.
As the world opens up post-pandemic, it is definitely sad to see restaurants, shops and hotels shutting down due to the after effects of Covid-19 and its devastating impact to the respective industries. Let’s hope this situation won’t be prolonged!
Source: Malay Mail
