KUALA LUMPUR - The largest hotel on Malaysia's holiday island of Tioman is set to shut its doors from Monday (June 15), adding to a series of hotel closures in the country caused by the coronavirus pandemic that has stalled the tourism market.
The 268-room Berjaya Tioman Resort said on its website that it "will cease operations effective 15th June 2020, to undergo major renovation".
It added: "We look forward to see you again in the near future."
Tioman is located in the South China Sea off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Malaysian news sites reported that the hotel, which is part of multi-industry Berjaya Group, would be conducting retrenchments with total compensation at over RM8 million (S$2.6 million).
"Throughout this closure, the management will embark on a much-needed major redevelopment to revitalise the resort which is more than 50 years old," Free Malaysia Today news site quoted a company statement as saying.
Some 20 Malaysian hotels have announced closures in the last few weeks, following the imposition of movement curbs from March 18 that also shut down the country's borders.
They included well-known local hotel brands in Penang , Melaka and Perak states.
While hotels have been allowed to reopen for business, foreigners are still banned from entering Malaysia under the current phase of the curbs, called the recovery movement control order.
