Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside sees stronger meetings business

A GREATER appreciation for the serene environs in Putrajaya, Malaysia has led to a 25 per cent year on year increase in events business at the Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside, according to the hotel chief.

Franck Loison, general manager of the three-year-old hotel in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur’s city centre, said: “At the beginning people used to ask, what is there to do in Putrajaya? Now this has changed. Event organisers who do not want their participants to be distracted by (leisure) diversions in Kuala Lumpur city, such as shopping and getting a massage, are now looking at us.

“Our unique selling point is that we are a 20-minute drive from the heart of Kuala Lumpur and 25 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.”

According to Loison, about 60 per cent of the business mix is from MICE and the remaining is leisure-based. International MICE business comprises about 30 per cent of the business mix.

The 281-room hotel saw an average room occupancy of 70 per cent last year, and is targeting a two per cent increase this year.

The close proximity of the hotel with Putrajaya International Convention Centre, which is five minutes away by car, allows both properties to cross-sell each other. On request, the hotel can provide catering services at the convention centre.

With an inventory of 21 fully equipped meeting rooms and boardrooms, Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside also attracts large-scale Indian weddings. It hosted two from India this year.

Loison said: “Each wedding ran for four nights, taking up almost all of the guest rooms. Meals were arranged in the hotel, and the ceremonies were held outdoors and in almost all our meeting rooms, including the ballroom. It was very good business for us.”

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