Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is a hospitality ownership, management, and franchise organization based in White Plains, New York. One of the world's largest hotel companies, it owns, operates, franchises and manages hotels, resorts, spas, residences, and vacation ownership properties under its nine owned brands. So far, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. owned, managed, or franchised 925 properties and as of December 31, 2007 the firm employed about 155 000 people.

History

Starwood Hotels and Resorts was originally formed by the real estate investment firm Starwood Capital to take advantage of a tax break; at the time the company was known as Starwood Lodging. Initially, Starwood Lodging owned a number of hotels throughout North America, all under different brand names. The Westin Hotel Company was purchased in 1994 from Aoki Corporation of Japan. Starwood acquired the Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, and The Luxury Collection brands from ITT Sheraton in 1998.

In 1999, Starwood launched their "W" Hotels boutique brand. In September 2005, Starwood announced the launch of aloft, a new hotel brand based on W. aloft Hotels cater toward business travelers. Starwood intends to have 500 aloft hotels worldwide by 2012. In 2005, Starwood purchased the Le Méridien brand, which greatly increased the company's operations in Europe.

In 2004, Starwood's founder and CEO Barry Sternlicht stepped down as CEO to focus his attention on his other firm, Starwood Capital. He remained on the Board of Directors until 2005. He was succeeded as CEO by Steven J. Heyer, and Starwood began selling a number of its company-owned hotels, instead focusing on becoming a management company and franchiser for its current and future hotel brands. In April 2007, Steven J. Heyer left the company on the request of the Board of Directors because of an issue with Heyer's management style and after allegations of personal misconduct. Chairman of the Board Bruce Duncan served as interim CEO until September 2007, when the company announced Heyer's successor, Frits van Paasschen.

Visit official Site of Starwood: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/

*aloft - a vision of W Hotels

Introduced in 2005 with the first hotel opened in 2008, the aloft brand serves as a 'little sister' to the W Hotels, offering mid-scale select-service hotels. Starwood has announced plans to have 500 aloft hotels by 2012.

*Four Points by Sheraton

Four Points by Sheraton is Starwood Hotels & Resorts mid-market hotel brand, targeted towards business travelers and small conventions. Four Points was created by the former ITT Sheraton before Starwood acquired the firm in 1998. The brand includes hotels and resorts located in the United States, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, China, Australia, and the Middle East. There are plans to expand throughout China and Dubai. The original location has been operating ever since it opened in 1995.

Starwood Hotels promotes a simple, uncomplicated stay at their Four Points locations by offering programs such as their Best Brews and Four Pies. These programs (and other similar programs) were designed to give each guest an experience instead of just a room.

Smith Travel Research classifies Four Points hotels as "Upscale" whereas Westin and Sheraton categorize the hotels as "Upper Upscale". While all Four Points hotels have restaurants, fitness centers, meeting facilities, and swimming pools, the amenities are generally less luxurious or extravagant as Westin or Sheraton's. It competes with full-service, high-moderate priced hotels such as Clarion or Red Lion.

Four Points hotels also have a "Best Brews Program" and a chief beer officer, Scott Kerkmans, who selects Craft beer to serve in their hotels.

*Le Méridien

Le Méridien is an international hotel brand with a European perspective, formerly headquartered in the United Kingdom, with 130 properties. It is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

Le Méridien is a global hotel chain with a portfolio of more than 120 hotels in over 50 countries worldwide. The majority of its properties are located in cities and resorts throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the Americas.

Le Méridien History

The Le Méridien brand was established in 1972 by Air France "to provide a home away from home for its customers." The first Le Méridien property was a 1,000-room hotel in Paris -- Le Méridien Etoile. Within two years of operation the group had 10 hotels in Europe and Africa. Within the first six years the number of hotels had risen to 21 hotels in Europe, Africa, the French West Indies, Canada, South America, the Middle East and Mauritius. By 1991, the total number of Le Méridien properties had risen to 58.

In late 1994, Le Méridien was acquired by UK hotel giant, Forte Group, which in turn was acquired by Granada Group plc in 1996. Through a merger in the summer of 2000 between Forte's parent company, Granada Group plc, and global contract catering giant, Compass Group plc -- and the subsequent de-merger of the two companies in February 2001 -- the ownership of the Forte Hotel Group and its three brands (Le Méridien, Heritage Hotels and Posthouse Hotels) passed solely to Compass Group.

In May 2001, Nomura International plc announced the acquisition of Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts from Compass Group plc for £1.9 billion and Le Méridien was merged with Principal Hotels, which was acquired in February 2001. In December 2003, Lehman Brothers Holdings acquired the senior debt of Le Méridien.

On November 24, 2005, the Le Méridien brand and management fee business was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts. The leased and owned real estate assets were acquired in a separate deal by a joint venture formed by Lehman Brothers and Starwood Capital (a company affiliated with Starwood Hotels & Resorts).

*The Luxury Collection

The Luxury Collection is the result of ITT Sheraton's 1994 purchase of a controlling interest in the Italian CIGA chain, the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, or Italian Grand Hotels Company. These hotels formed the core of The Luxury Collection which until 2008 still used the original CIGA logo, the Horses of Saint Mark, in Venice.

Many of The Luxury Collection's hotels and resorts have a rich and distinguished heritage; Hotel Schloss Fuschl in Hof bei Salzburg, Austria is over 557 years old and at the time of its completion in 1875, the 552 room Palace Hotel, San Francisco, California USA was the world's largest hotel. Many Luxury Collection hotels were once residencies for European aristocracy and monarchy, for example, Hotel Imperial in Vienna, Austria was once the residence of Prince of Wurttemberg. Many notable guests of Hotel Elephant in Weimar, Germany include Goethe, Liszt, Johan Sebastian Bach and Leo Tolstoy.

*Sheraton Hotels and Resorts

Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels & Resorts' largest and second oldest brand (Westin being the oldest). Sheraton Hotels and Resorts  providing luxury and upscale full-service hotels and resorts. One of the most recent innovations is "the Link@Sheraton", a project of its business centers partnering with Microsoft.

Sheraton history

The origins of the brand date back to 1937 when Ernest Henderson and Robert Moore acquired the Stonehaven Hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts. The chain got its name from another early hotel the men acquired, which had a lighted sign on the roof saying "Sheraton Hotel" that was too expensive to change. Instead, they decided to call all their hotels by that name.

Henderson and Moore had opened three hotels in Boston by 1939, continuing with their rapid expansion opening properties along the entire East coast. In 1945, it was the first hotel chain to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

In 1949 Sheraton expanded internationally with the purchase of two Canadian hotel chains. The 1960s saw the first Sheraton hotels outside the US and Canada with the opening of the Tel Aviv-Sheraton in 1961 and the Macuto-Sheraton outside Caracas, Venezuela, in 1963. By 1965, the 100th Sheraton had opened its doors. The multinational conglomerate ITT purchased the chain in 1968, after which it was known as ITT Sheraton.

ITT Sheraton reached a milestone in 1985. It became the first Western company to operate a hotel in the People's Republic of China assuming management of the state-built Great Wall Hotel in Beijing, which became the Great Wall Sheraton.

In 1994, ITT Sheraton purchased a controlling interest in the Italian CIGA chain, the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, or Italian Grand Hotels Company, which had been seized from its previous owner, the Aga Khan, by its creditors. The chain had begun by operating hotels in Italy, but overexpanded across Europe just as a recession hit. These hotels formed the core of what came to be the ITT Sheraton Luxury group, later Starwood's Luxury Collection.

In April 1995, Sheraton introduced a new, mid-scale hotel brand Four Points by Sheraton Hotels, to replace the designation of certain hotels as Sheraton Inns.

In 1998, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. acquired ITT Sheraton (outbidding Hilton). It has since grown to become one of the leading hotel companies in the world. Its other brands include Four Points by Sheraton Hotels, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, The Luxury Collection, Element , Le Méridien, W Hotels, and Aloft.

Since buying ITT Sheraton, Starwood has created a fourth brand from their hotels. St. Regis Hotels & Resorts are named after the famous hotel on Fifth Avenue in New York, which had been a Sheraton for years. That hotel and the former Sheraton Carlton in Washington, D.C., were two of the first hotels in the new chain, which now spreads across the globe.

*St. Regis

The St. Regis is one of Starwood's luxury brands. The first St. Regis hotel was built in 1904 in Manhattan, and in the 1930s under head bartender Fernand Petiot introduced America to the Bloody Mary cocktail. The St. Regis brand has since expanded to 17 properties around the world, and there are 22 more properties in development.

*Westin Hotels & Resorts

The Westin Hotels & Resorts brand is Starwood's upper upscale luxury hotels and resorts brand, and it is the oldest brand within Starwood. Westin targets towards upscale business travelers and convention attendees. As of 2005 Westin operated over 120 hotels in 24 countries.

Westin History

In 1930, hotel owners Severt W. Thurston and Frank Dupar, both of Yakima, Washington USA, formed a partnership in order to manage their hotels more efficiently. Together with Peter and Adolph Schmidt they formed Western Hotels, with seventeen properties, all but one in the state of Washington.

Early management developed each property individually. After more than two decades of rapid growth, prompting a name change in 1954 to Western International Hotels, many of its properties were merged into a single corporate structure in 1958, and the company went public in 1963. For its 50th anniversary in 1980, it changed its name again to the current Westin Hotels & Resorts.

In 1970, the chain was acquired by UAL Corporation. In 1987, UAL Chairman Richard Ferris announced a plan to make UAL into Allegis, a travel conglomerate based around United Airlines, Hertz Rent a Car, Hilton Hotels, and Westin and linked by Apollo. This strategy failed, however, and Westin was sold to Aoki Corporation of Japan. In 1994 Aoki sold it to Starwood Capital, real estate investment firm and parent of Starwood Lodging, and Goldman Sachs, an investment bank. In 1998 Starwood assumed full ownership of the company.

Westin claims to have been the first hotel chain to introduce guest credit cards (in 1946), 24-hour room service (1969), and personal voice mail in each room (1991).

Westin markets certain amenities available in its properties to the public under the brand name Heavenly. In 2005, Westin became the first hotel company to gain a national retail store presence when Nordstrom started carrying the Heavenly Bed line in more than 60 stores.

Westin is reportedly refreshing its partnership with United Airlines. The company said they will begin offering products from their Heavenly Bed line on select United premium service routes between New York City and California.

*element by Westin

Announced in 2006, this is a green brand of hotels. The designs include energy and water efficient features. element is the world's first LEED certified hotel chain.

Properties

• Lexington, Massachusetts (July 1, 2008) LEED GOLD Certification
• Summerlin, Nevada (December, 2008)

W Hotels is a global luxury lifestyle brand with 25 properties in the most vibrant destinations around the world. Inspiring, iconic, innovative and influential, W Hotels provides the ultimate in insider access. Each hotel offers a unique mix of sophisticated design, chic comfort, and cultural influences from fashion to music, pop culture to art, and everything in between. W Hotels are unique and individual expressions of modern travel and stylish living, featuring world-class cuisine, destination bars and signature spas. In North America and Latin America, W Hotels have been announced in Austin, Buckhead Atlanta, Downtown Atlanta, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Hoboken, Hollywood, Huntington Beach, Downtown New York, Santiago, South Beach, and Washington, D.C. In Europe, W Hotels have been announced in Athens, Barcelona, London, Manchester, Milan and St. Petersburg. In Asia, W has announced properties in Bangkok, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macao-Studio City, Shanghai and Yokohama. In Africa and the Middle East, W has announced properties in Amman, Doha, Dubai-Festival City, Dubai-The Palm and Marrakech. W has plans to open W Retreat & Spa properties in Bali, Koh Samui, Vieques Island and Verbier, the latter of which will serve as W Hotels' first ski retreat.

 History of W Hotel

WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE

Combining the personality and style of an independent hotel with the reliability, consistency and attentive service of a major business hotel, W Hotels® has redefined the upscale hotel experience - becoming the most successful new hotel brand in the industry.

It began with the recognition that there are customers who seek a balance between style and substance - in their own lives, as in the destinations they choose. Each W hotel embodies this balance with a strikingly modern approach to design that is as refreshing, accessible and comfortable as one's own living space, and an emphasis on comfort, warm, attentive service and exceptional amenities.

The W experience began with the W New York (49th St. and Lexington), which opened its doors in December of 1998. An instant phenomenon, its success drove the development of more than a dozen new properties in exciting destinations - including Los Angeles, Honolulu and New Orleans - in an unprecedented two-year span.

Each hotel also offers signature restaurant and bar areas that attract not only the hotel guests, but in-the-know local residents as well. A collaboration with renowned chef Drew Nieporent led to the success of the restaurant Heartbeat in the first W New York, followed by Earth & Ocean at W Seattle and Icon at W New York - The Court. Following the creative excellence established by chefs like Todd English of Olives at W New York - Union Square and Tom Colicchio of Craft at W Dallas Victory.

It's an approach that reflects the W vision of the hotel as a wonderful gathering place, much like the grand hotels of the early 1900s. Now, W has become the modern destination where all of life's special moments can be celebrated.

Starwood Preferred Guest Membership

Starwood Preferred Guest ("SPG") is Starwood's hotel rewards or loyalty program. Membership is free and instantaneous, either online or with the assistance of a hotel's reception staff member. A temporary membership card can be attained at the time of joining SPG, however the delivery of a laminated card with an introductory package usually takes six to eight weeks time for delivery.

Membership levels

The base entry level of membership is referred to as 'Preferred' and the membership number will feature an 'A' prefix.

Should a guest have a corporate or business relationship with a Starwood property, their membership may be upgraded by invitation only to a Preferred Plus or Business Preferred (B suffix) or Corporate (Suffix C). Those members who exceed either 10 stays or 25 nights, whichever occurs first, in a calendar year (1st of January - 31st of December) are awarded SPG Gold Membership (Prefix G). Those members who exceed either 25 stays or 50 nights, whichever occurs first, in a calendar year are awarded SPG Platinum Membership (Prefix P). There is also a very rare VIP membership (prefix V) which is by invitation only. Lastly, there is also an Employee Level of membership (Prefix E). A Starwood associate (usually reception staff) may earn starpoints themselves for enrolling new members to SPG.

Redemption categories

There are seven categories of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, 1 - 7 and each has a different starpoints requirement for free award night redemption (though some select hotels and resorts). For information on levels see the Starwood corporate website.

Partnerships

It has partnerships with firms such as American Express, MBNA Canada and 32 affiliated airlines. According to Starwood Hotels & Resorts' corporate profile, the SPG program has over 41 million members. It was the first loyalty program in the hotel industry with a policy of no blackout dates and no capacity controls.

Awards

Since its inception in 1999, SPG has been awarded the Hotel Program of the Year six times by consumers via the prestigious Freddie Awards. However, in recent years, it has failed to capture this important award. SPG has won the Freddie Award for Best Award Redemption Category for the last 9 consecutive years, since 1999. Freddie Award website comments: "Starwood Preferred Guest's lack of award restrictions almost makes this an unfair fight. Starwood has owned this category since 1999, and this year is no exception."

Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts are regarded as among the most luxurious and innovative in the world and have won numerous international travel and tourism awards. The company was founded in 1997 with the aim to become a hospitality industry leader through establishing a world class portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts.

Jumeirah's core essence to STAY DIFFERENT^™ promises guests experiences that are as unique and innovative as the brand itself. It recognises the distinctiveness of luxury travellers and the importance of personal experiences in their lives.

In line with this core essence, the individuality of the Jumeirah portfolio is unmistakable, encompassing the world renowned Burj Al Arab, the world's most luxurious hotel, the multi-award winning Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Madinat Jumeirah and Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai; the Jumeirah Carlton Tower and Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel in London; and the Jumeirah Essex House in New York.

Building on this success, in 2004 Jumeirah Group became a member of Dubai Holding - a collection of leading Dubai-based businesses and projects - in line with a new phase of growth and development for the Group.

Current portfolio:

      Burj Al Arab, the world's tallest all-suite hotel sets new standards in luxury and service. Designed to resemble the billowing sail of an Arabian dhow, the hotel soars to a height of 321 metres, dominating the Dubai coastline. Regarded as one of the world's true architectural icons, Burj Al Arab epitomizes outstanding personalised service and is dedicated to surpassing guest expectations by providing the ultimate Arabian hospitality experience.

      Jumeirah Beach Hotel, a spectacular five-star resort hotel, conference and banqueting destination that aspires to be the most outstanding in the world. Vibrant and luxurious, Jumeirah Beach Hotel is Dubai's premier lifestyle destination, integrating exciting and exhilarating experiences designed for couples, families and friends.

      Jumeirah Emirates Towers, a uniquely designed business hotel, shopping boulevard and office tower with the aim to be the world's finest corporate hotel. Soaring high above the central

business and commercial district, Jumeirah Emirates Towers is a dramatic backdrop to Dubai's skyline and a visible statement of the region's growing corporate success.

Madinat Jumeirah - The Arabian Resort of Dubai is a magnificent tribute to Dubai's heritage with two grand boutique hotels, Arabian summer houses, a traditional souk, Talise Wellness spa, the region's leading conference and banqueting centre, unlimited recreational facilities and the superlative Quay Healthclub.

Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa, a truly magical five star desert resort that transports you back in time to an ancient era. The resort is an architectural wonder reflecting a truly authentic Arabic heritage that has come to life in the middle of the desert.

Jumeirah Carlton Tower, a landmark hotel acknowledged as one of London's best, Jumeirah Carlton Tower is noted for its fine dining, famous Peak Health Club and Spa and enviable location on Cadogan Place and Sloane Street - the Capital's most fashionable shopping areas.

Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel, an enchanting boutique hotel in the highly exclusive area of Knightsbridge, London. Set against the serene backdrop of a leafy London square, this chic, contemporary retreat offers sumptuous Mediterranean dining, a vibrant, welcoming bar, and a collection of superbly appointed bedrooms and suites. 

Jumeirah Essex House, a well-known icon in Manhattan and recognised throughout the world as a model of graceful elegance and art-deco sophistication. Ideally located in the heart of New York City, Jumeirah Essex House offers an unbeatable location on Central Park South that has lured dignitaries, celebrities and world leaders to this exclusive hotel for decades.

Jumeirah's ambitious expansion plans to grow its portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts worldwide to 60 by 2012 are well underway, with projects currently under development in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Maldives, Bali, Thailand, China, Argentina, Spain, England, Scotland and the US Virgin Islands.

Visit Current Portfolio for Jumeirah Group:

http://www.jumeirah.com/portfolio/

Future developments include:

o        Jumeirah Al Khor Dubai Hotel and Residences, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, UAE

o        Jumeirah Business Bay Hotel, Dubai, UAE

o        Jumeirah Beach Club Resort & Spa (redevelopment), Dubai, UAE

o        Jumeirah Al Fattan Palm Resort, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE

o        Jumeirah Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi, UAE

o        Jumeirah Saraya Aqaba, Aqaba, Jordan

o        Jumeirah Dubai Towers, Doha, Qatar

o        Jumeirah Private Island Phuket, Thailand

o        Jumeirah HanTang Xintiandi, Shanghai, China

o        Jumeirah Culu Culu Polo Resort, Argentina

o        Jumeirah Port Soller Resort, Mallorca, Spain

o        Jumeirah No. 1 Blackfriars, London, UK

o        Jumeirah Botany Bay Resort, US Virgin Islands

o        Jumeirah Guangzhou Hotel, China

o        Jumeirah Glasgow Hotel, Scotland

o        Jumeirah Bali Resort, Bali, Indonesia

o        Jumeirah Maldives Resort, South Malé Atoll, Maldives

o        Jumeirah Al Salam Resort, Bahrain

o        Jumeirah Al Salam Yiti Resort, Oman

o        Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel, Kuwait

The Group's activities are, however, not restricted to hotel and resort management. The Jumeirah Group portfolio also includes Jumeirah Living, the Group's luxury brand of serviced residences offering effortless living in luxurious surroundings; global spa brand Talise Wellness; The Taste Department, the company's dedicated restaurant division; Wild Wadi water park; The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, the region's only fully accredited third-level academic institution delivering specialised degree programmes in hospitality management; and Jumeirah Retail, with its 15 stores and dedicated luxury online store www.jumeirahcollection.com.

Jumeirah Living, the Group's luxury brand of serviced residences, offers truly personalised services for effortless living. Whether for short, mid-term or extended stays, Jumeirah Living residences feature cutting edge technology, sumptuous finishes and contemporary design and provide guests and residents with the exceptional, world-class luxury service Jumeirah is renowned for, right in the comfort of a home. The very first member of the Jumeirah Living portfolio, Jumeirah Living World Trade Centre Residences, opened in 2008. It is Dubai's most prestigious address, with exquisitely designed one to four bedroom residences spread over 40 floors and two iconic glass towers. Jumeirah Living residences will also be integrated in some mixed-use Jumeirah developments, such as Jumeirah Culu Culu Polo Resort, Jumeirah Dubai Towers Doha and Jumeirah Private Island Phuket.

Talise Wellness is Jumeirah's global spa brand, launched in 2007.  Created to encompass all the elements that define a person's lifestyle, the Talise Wellness experience incorporates nutrition, exercise and fitness, alternative therapies, traditional spa treatments and mind/body therapies. Each Talise Wellness spa provides a venue for positive lifestyle-change through a selection of treatments and spa experiences tailored to individual guest needs. The first hotel within the Jumeirah portfolio to feature Talise Wellness is Madinat Jumeirah - The Arabian Resort of Dubai.

The Taste Department is the dedicated branded restaurant division within Jumeirah Group tasked to set up and license innovative and successful casual dining restaurant concepts to partners worldwide. The division has rapidly expanded the noodle house, Sana Bonta and Bytes restaurants from its home in Dubai to a total of ten countries in the Gulf and Asia. As the flagship brand, the noodle house currently has 9 restaurants open in the U.A.E and Oman with numerous outlets under construction. License agreements have been signed in Bahrain, Egypt, India, Kuwait, Qatar, Pakistan, Lebanon and Cyprus in line with our objective of 150 restaurants signed by 2012.

Jumeirah Retail, Jumeirah's dedicated retail division, launched in 2006, and has an attractive portfolio of 15 stores located throughout Jumeirah hotels and resorts. The stores have a wide collection of luxury items ranging from souvenirs and beachwear to lifestyle and corporate gifts. Jumeirah Retail recently launched its luxury online boutique, www.jumeirahcollection.com.

Visit Jumeirah Goup of Hotels Image Gallery:

http://195.229.64.139/imagelibrary/public/main.asp

Check out more details at: http://www.jumeirah.com/

Genting Highland Hotel & Resort is the Asia leading integrated leisure and entertainment resort with over 10,000 rooms available in 5 hotels to suit every traveler's budget, the hotels are from budget to 5 stars within the hill which located 6118 feet above sea level. You can enjoy a year-round fresh cool climate. There are over 90 food & beverage outlets, 80 retail stores, 60 fun rides, casinos and entertainment attractions. These are the unique of Genting Highland.

The Genting Story

When it comes to the Genting story, most Malaysians will recognize it as synonymous with the rise of its namesake hill resort, Genting Highlands Resort. Many though may not have truly appreciated the mammoth task involved in its construction and the vast resources and reserves mobilized to ensure what has proven today to be an unprecedented success in resort development.

Looking Back with Pride

The idea of a hill resort was chanced upon by late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong amidst the crisp air of Cameron Highlands in 1964. Tan Sri Lim was then working on a hydro-electric power project at the popular hill resort, patronized mostly by British colonials seeking cool refuge from the tropical heat, when he foresaw a prosperous Malaysia of the future desiring a cool mountain holiday resort within the reach of all Malaysians.

The Challenges
A study of the maps and Kuala Lumpur's vicinity located the ideal site - the 1,800-metre Gunung Ulu Kali, just 58 km from Kuala Lumpur. Amidst the dense virgin tropical jungle and rugged terrain, the task to transform a remote mountain into Malaysia's premier holiday destination seemed impossible... but not for Tan Sri Lim.

The Mammoth Task Begins
Setting up a private company called Genting Highlands Berhad on 27 April 1965, with the late Tan Sri Haji Mohammed Noah bin Omar, Tan Sri Lim successfully obtained approval for the alienation of 12,000 acres and 2,800 acres of land from the Pahang and Selangor State Government respectively between the years 1965 and 1970.

On 18 August 1965, a technical and construction team began the Herculean task that would take four years to complete the access road from Genting Sempah to the peak of Gunung Ulu Kali.

To ensure the sound and prompt construction of the hotel-cum-resort, Tan Sri Lim devoted all of his time, capital and resources, including the reserves of his family company, Kien Huat Berhad towards the making of this "dream resort".

The Beginning
On 31 March 1969, the late YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's first Prime Minister graced the official laying of the foundation stone for the company's pioneer hotel, the then Highlands Hotel, marking the completion of the access road to Genting Highlands Resort.

Impressed that the private sector, without the assistance of the Government, could develop a mountain resort for the enjoyment of all Malaysians, a gaming licence was suggested to help accelerate the development of this remote area.

In 1971, the first hotel at Genting Highlands was successfully completed and was then named Highlands Hotel (now renamed Theme Park Hotel).

The Development - Genting Highlands Resort
Since the opening of the first hotel in 1971, Genting Highlands Resort continued to grow from strength to strength. The development of the area continued to this present day to enhance Genting Highlands Resort as the premier holiday destination in the region while ensuring that the natural beauty of the rain forest is maintained.

To date, Genting Highlands Resort has five hotels (namely Genting Hotel, Highlands Hotel, Resort Hotel, Theme Park Hotel and First World Hotel) and two apartment blocks (Ria and Kayangan Apartments) at the hilltop and Awana Genting Highlands Golf and Country Resort.

Together with integrated world-standard entertainment facilities encompassing various leisure, indoor and outdoor theme parks and gaming facilities, Genting Highlands Resort has become the "City of Entertainment" and Malaysia's Premier Resort.

In 1997, Genting Highlands Resort further boosted its facility attraction with Genting Skyway cable car system that provides a 3.38 km transport to the hilltop. Genting Skyway is also recognised as the "World's Fastest Mono Cable Car System" with a maximum speed of 21.6 km per hour and the "Longest Cable Car in Malaysia and Southeast Asia". 

The Expansion - Genting Group
Genting Group, founded by Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong and with Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay as its Chairman and Chief Executive, has since expanded and diversified from its initial hotel and resort activities to plantation, power generation and oil and gas exploration and production.

Today, Genting Berhad is a leading multinational corporation in Malaysia that has constantly been acknowledged by various organisations for its exemplary leadership and management. Genting Berhad was acknowledged as the No.1 Leading Company in Malaysia for 10 years, i.e. in 2004 and from 1994 to 2002 by The Asian Wall Street Journal 200 (formerly Far Eastern Economic Review 200). Genting Berhad was also rated No.1 in Malaysia and No.2 in Asia for Overall Best Managed Company for the Decade by Asiamoney.

The Passing of a Great Man
Sadly, our Founder Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong passed away peacefully on 23 October 2007 and was laid to rest at Gohtong Memorial Park on 29 October 2007. He will be greatly missed by the management and staff of the Genting Group.
 

"Once the goals have been clearly defined, with the greatest amount of determination and hard work, one can conclusively realize one's  goals."

- Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, Founder