www.ipohecho.com.my ONLINE POLL ON CRIME poh Police has come under fire for Iallegedly failing to provide adequate crime preventative measures in the city. As a result crime rate has increased with reports of robberies, house-breaking and snatch thefts occurring daily, particularly in residential areas. At a dialogue with IPOH the police recently, residents called for Your Voice In The Community more police crime preventative patrols. echoecho Do you agree? To partake in the poll go on-line at: April 1-15, 2010 PP 14252/10/2010(025567) FREE COPY ISSUE 94 www.ipohecho.com.my. rom 1st June please inform your news vendor to deliver the Ipoh >> Pg 4 >> Pg 7 FEcho every fortnight if you wish to continue receiving your community paper. We are still a free paper. To help us defray our FEBRUARY’S HEAT WAVE COUNCILLOR JOINS DIRT distribution costs, we’re asking you, dear reader, to pay your news IS A SAMPLE OF OUR VIGILANTES’ CAMPAIGN vendor 30¢ per issue for delivery, i.e., a cost of 60¢ per month. A FUTURE small sum for you to keep up with the latest news and information of your Ipoh community. Thank you for your continuing support of the Ipoh Echo – Your Voice of the Ipoh Community. BOOM ON BUDGET HOTELS Over the last two years, about half a dozen budget hotels or those below four-star rating have emerged in various parts of the city.Their investors are seizing the opportunity during this time of economic slowdown to take business from prime hotel brands as businesses both large and small seek to scale down their hotel expenses. Being a city that is no longer as vibrant as when tin mining in the Kinta Valley was at its peak, Ipoh no longer attracts tourists or executives of big corporations with money to spend. And so over the past years, budget hotels have seen a boom as casual domestic visitors and business travellers to the city downgrade to cheaper hotel accommodation. Continued on page 2 2 April 1-15, 2010 IPOH ECHO Your Voice In The Community AFFORDABLE COMFORT hese budget hotels of Hoteliers (MAH), the for a family room. Manager, Mr Patrick Hoo, Tare offering a com- budget hotels typically The Times Inn Hotel explained that it was origi- prehensive range of ac- consist of 20 rooms and does indeed follow closely nally called the Highway commodation facilities above, and provide the ba- its location specifications. Café. After his diners to travellers at affordable sic amenities for guests. Just down the road from frequently asked him to prices. And since these the hotel is a 24-hour food recommend a nice hotel hotels are mostly located Budget Hotels in Sub- outlet and about a kilome- to stay, he decided to con- near the heart of the city Centres tre behind is the sprawling vert his premises to a hotel and close to popular ea- Over the last two years Medan Ipoh food, enter- and named it the Highway teries and entertainment several budget hotels tainment and shopping Hotel. Budget establishments, travellers have opened up at sub- outlets. Maintaining a simi- room prefer to stay there for centres around Ipoh. Ipoh All hotels have their lar modus operandi Hoo, obvious reasons. City Council defines sub- regular corporate custom- also claims an occupancy It may come as a centres as being immedi- ers. For Times Inn their rate of over 70%. His for several budget hotels to name them but a reason surprise to know that ately outside the main city customers regularly have customer base too was on the outskirts of the city, why these older budget Ipoh has a total of 66 li- centre and has classified dealings with the nearby similar. I enquired from a a city council’s spokesman hotels are not well patron- censed Hotels or Rumah the areas of Medan Ipoh, shopping malls, hospitals customer who was check- revealed that the Council ized is because the man- Tumpangan (Boarding Meru Raya, Simpang Pulai and factories whose visi- ing out, on his opinion of is currently reviewing the agement has not upgraded Houses) as they are offi- and Pengkalan Station 18 tors commonly stay for the hotel, and he replied it licences due to certain “so- the hotels. cially described? They are as sub-centres, allowing several days. was “clean, had Wi-Fi, was cial issues”. The rooms may be in two categories, the Star budget hotels to be located close to the highway and All of these budget generally clean and spa- (5 categories) and Orchid at converted shop lots. Popular with families had a nice price.” hotels rent their rooms cious but guests prefer a (3 categories). Of the 66 The first of the new Another common group of Across town in Falim out on a “day use” basis room with that refreshing hotels located in the city, budget hotels, the Ipoh its customers are the Malay, is another budget hotel, the meaning customers pay a feel. This is another factor 25% are in the star cate- Times Inn Hotel opened for Chinese and Punjabi fami- Fresh Hotel which opened low rate charge averaging why the newer budget ho- gory while the remainder business in 2007. Located lies that come home during about two years ago. Its lo- RM30 for 2-3 hrs use only. tels are popular. are budget hotels under on busy Jalan Sultan Azlan the long weekends, wed- cation at Taman Mas Falim Sensing this long term po- One point noted by the orchid category. Shah (Jalan Tasek), it is the dings and school holidays. lies in the centre of another tential ‘social’ issue, the most of the interview- In case our readers first hotel you see when During the major holidays sprawling suburb stretch- City Council is currently ees was their guests were are asking themselves you exit from the North- like Chinese New Year and ing from Menglembu to ‘drafting a policy’ to con- mainly families and cor- “Where are they?” and South Expressway in the Hari Raya the hotel is full First Garden with Buntong trol it. Until the policy is porate customers, rarely rattle off the star-rated ho- city. for 2-3 days. in between. Hence it is not completed all future ap- tourists. If there are tour- tels like Impiana, Syuen, According to its These families usually surprising that it too has provals for budget hotels ists they would be transit Excelsior and Regency General Manager, Mr stay at the hotel to freshen a healthy occupancy rate are on hold. tourists staying just one Tower, totally not remem- Kumar Thas, the Times up and rest for the night. with a similar customer However future appli- night. bering that the Fairmont, Inn Hotel is part of a chain Incidentally Times Inn base. cation for hotels located at Perhaps when we Eastern and that ‘Grand of budget hotels next to has several rooms on the Other converted shop “free standing” locations, attract tourists to spend Old Lady’ – the Station highway interchanges, ex- ground floor to cater for lot budget hotels can be (meaning a hotel located two nights or more per stay Hotel, are still around. plaining that the reason senior citizens. found along Kuala Kangsar at a block by itself and not it would provide a reason Generally all that for selecting such loca- When Times Inn first Road and at Pengkalan located in a converted shop for the older budget hotels any guest expects from a tions was for easy acces- opened its doors at the end Station 18. lot), will be allowed. and other hotels in general hotel is a pleasant, clean sibility for their customers. of 2007 its occupancy rate But what of the other to upgrade their premises and secure accommoda- Additionally the location was averaging 90%. Since Approval of New Licences budget hotels that have and bring vibrancy back tion and hopefully at af- must have a variety of food then another two budget on Hold been around for a long to the city centre. fordable rates. outlets and some entertain- hotels have opened within After approving licences time. I had been asked not JAMES GOUGH That is what most of ment nearby. a 3km radius and currently the new budget hotels lo- At the Ipoh outlet all the occupancy rate is aver- cated at shop lots are of- its rooms have attached aging 70%. However, that Get your FREE copy of the Ipoh Echo from: fering, thus providing a bathrooms, television, air didn’t discourage Kumar Canning Gdn: Ariff Store, 40 Jalan Lee Kwee Foh. competitive service pack- conditioning and Wi-Fi. from opening his second New Wing Fook Merchant, 56 Jalan Lee Kwee Foh. age to guests visiting the All the corridors in the ho- outlet immediately at the Lourd Enterprise, 7 Lorong Cecil Rae. city. tel are fitted with CCTV back of the current one in Ipoh Gdn: Muhibah Hair Stylist, 103 Jalan Dato Lau Pak Khuan. According to Jimmy cameras. Each room rents February this year. Mama’s Home Baked Bread Stall (after 7 pm), Aneka Selera. Yeo, the Chairman of for between RM60-90 per Close-by is the Ipoh Gdn South: Pasar Mini Manaf, 17 Jalan S.A. Lingam. Malaysia Association night with the highest rate Highway Hotel. Its First Gdn: LSF Sun Li Hardware Sdn Bhd, 50, Jalan Ng Weng Hup. Labrooy Road: LSF Sun Li Hardware Sdn Bhd, 16A Jalan Labrooy. KOON YEW YIN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FINANCE/ Meru: Golf Reception Counter, Meru Valley Golf & Country Club. ACCOUNTANCY DEGREES New Town: Ruba Rubi Ent 154, Jln Sultan Idris Shah.