PETALING JAYA: Petra Group, a diversified group which recently acquired a 51.5% stake in Riyaz Hotels & Resorts, will now be the brand owner of a range of premium and luxury lifestyle-oriented hospitality brands.

       The brands under the company include The Riyaz, dash, The Pure, Altara and Tan’Yaa, it said in a statement.

       The value of the combined hotels and resorts is close to RM300mil.

       “Petra Riyaz is already working on the expansion of its various hotel brands, despite these uncertain times created by the pandemic, ” chief executive Datuk Seri Shaheen Shah Sidek (pic) said.

       “I am very excited to have found the best people to execute the Petra Riyaz expansion, ” he added.

       Petra Riyaz said it will operate several signature resorts, including the five-star luxury The Riyaz Lavanya Resort & Villas and the dash Resort in Langkawi; the dash Box and Tan’Yaa Hotels in Cyberjaya; the dash Hotel Seminyak in Bali, Indonesia; and the Altara Suites by Riyaz in Danang, Vietnam.

       The company said new resorts are being planned in Malaysia, Vietnam and the Maldives. The dash Hotel KLCC is slated to open at the beginning of 2023 while the group is also expanding its dash brand presence to Desaru in Johor Bahru, Penang and the Maldives, it said.

       Petra group chairman and chief executive Datuk (Dr) Vinod Sekhar believes that a recovery in the tourism sector is imminent.

       “As soon as the pandemic is under control and vaccination is widespread, people will need to have a break, families will want to go on holiday together and companies will use hotels to reconnect with each other and reinvigorate their vision. We will be ready to provide unique and memorable experiences to everyone through our various hotel brands," he said.

       “I believe we have an experienced team within Petra Riyaz that are geared towards impeccable service delivery, technological innovations, and attention to detail to offer a unique and positive hotel experience to our guests.

       “More importantly, we want the local tourism industry to thrive again and provide much needed jobs and income to the many that depend on the sector for their survival.

       "On that note, we will do our part to ensure that there is no retrenchment of staff in any of the hotels despite the borders still being closed for as long as possible. In this matter the government and governments have a critical role,” Vinod said.