InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world's leading hotel groups, will open Malaysia's first Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants in 2023.

The hotel will feature 471 guestrooms, three food and beverage outlets including a rooftop bar and restaurant, a deli-grocer café, an outdoor swimming pool, and other recreational facilities. The property will have a range of meeting and event spaces to cater to corporate and family activities.

IHG has signed a management agreement with LQ Retail Sdn Bhd to open Kimpton Kuala Lumpur at The Exchange, the lifestyle quarter of the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX).

LQ Retail is a joint venture between international property and infrastructure group Lendlease, and TRX City Sdn Bhd, the master developer of TRX.

IHG Southeast Asia and Korea managing director Rajit Sukumaran said Kimpton Kuala Lumpur will reinvent a sophisticated and personalised lifestyle experience that is aligned with TRX's profile as the capital city's new central business district.

"We are excited to be partnering with LQ Retail to bring our heartfelt approach to hospitality with Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants to Kuala Lumpur as we continue to expand across the region into new markets.

"We believe the dream element of experiential travel will become even more important once people can travel again and this hotel will deliver a great boutique experience to those guests," he said in a virtual briefing session with the media yesterday.

Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants now operates more than 70 hotels and 85 restaurants, bars, and lounges across urban locations, resort destinations, and up-and-coming markets in the United States, Canada, Europe, Caribbean, and China.

Rajit said IHG is working on technological advancements to create future-proof products, including smarter experience in terms of an interaction between colleagues and guests amidst shifting travel trends due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"No doubt that situation is challenging due to movement restriction and closure of international borders but we believe traveling will soon be back to normal. We are taking the opportunity to re-think and address the current situation," he said.

TRX City chief executive officer Datuk Azmar Talib said the company is thrilled to welcome IHG on board.

He said the hotel group's unique identity and proposition will create a vibrant, lively, and inclusive experience that mirrors TRX's identity as a district.

"We are certain that it will further elevate Kuala Lumpur city's hospitality offerings with its brand of casual luxury," he said.